We are really trying to consciously support local farmers, artisans and producers rather than buying from large supermarket chains. That way we purchase less plastic, support the smaller suppliers and still enjoy really good quality (if you buy from the right people). You also get to meet the individuals behind the produce which is simply lovely.
So when we visited Knysna recently we were keen to pop into the local farmer’s market in Sedgefield (about 15 minutes drive from Knysna). It’s open every Saturday from 08:00 to 12:00 and it’s a well-established market, having been operational for 15 years already. One of the key philosophies of the market’s developers is the focus on local food security as well as seasonal awareness. We agree with that – trying to buy seasonally and locally.
There’s a good mix of items for sale – local plants, farmer’s produce obviously (there were a fair number of people filling their baskets with their weekly fruit and veg), breakfast and food items to eat on the spot (we enjoyed some local oysters, freshly shucked), freshly baked bread and other baked goods, honey, doggy treats, and even skincare & hair products.
Our only slightly negative comment (and its because we’ve become a bit spoilt and lazy in Cape Town) is that very few vendors had snap scan or card facilities. So we had to back track a bit to go draw some cash. We simply don’t carry much cash around these days.
