Shared Earth Magazine

There’s no contest: whether it’s vegetables recently plucked from the earth, bread baked only a few hours ago, or fish pulled from the sea this very morning — all of them burst with flavour, begging to be devoured right away!

When last did you taste a real, sun-ripened heirloom tomato, straight off the vine? Once you’ve tried it, you’ll know that there’s no going back: commercially produced varieties, wrenched too early from the plant and artificially ripened in warehouses, are destined to become mouthfuls of watery nothingness that just don’t cut the proverbial mustard.

If you bought your tomatoes at a farmers market, it’s likely you even got to meet the person who grew them, nurturing them lovingly all the way from tiny dry seeds to juicy red fruit. Compare that to trawling through artificially lit supermarket aisles, laden with pale over-packaged vegetables irradiated to prolong their shelf life and you’ll soon see why trotting off to market is so much more fun (and better for you).

Happily, fresh food markets are rapidly becoming the norm rather than the exception, with new ones springing up all over the country to fill the growing demand for fresh, honest food sold in a natural people-friendly environment.

Not only is it more fun, buying your produce regularly from markets also has a wide range of benefits for all concerned. Supporting local organic farmers and producers boosts the local economy, giving them the means to continue farming and producing goods in a sustainable manner.

Moreover, since market produce generally comes from nearby farms or businesses, rather than being trucked around the country, it has a lower carbon footprint, which of course is far better for the planet. Plus, unlike multi-layered cellophane-swathed supermarket food, the produce you’re buying doesn’t generally need much packaging, if any, so you’re already helping reduce the amount of waste being sent to our overburdened landfills.

Add to that the fact that aside from fresh produce most markets also offer a healthy outdoor environment, where kids and adults alike can run wild, grocery shopping becomes fun instead of a drag. So, next time the weekend comes around and food supplies are getting low, grab your basket and head for your nearest market for a fun day out and the best healthiest freshest food you can find.

Neighbour Goods Market [Cape Town]

This trendy gourmet market is only two years old, but has already expanded to several times its original size to accommodate the enormous demand. Especially popular with well-to-do town folk, attracted by fine foods and a see-and-be-seen atmosphere, the market takes place every Saturday morning in the sky-lit Old Biscuit Mill complex in Woodstock Industria.

The market is run along ethical and eco-friendly lines, connecting local farmers and artisans with an eager crowd of patrons, hungry for excellent, sustainable produce and goods and a festive day out.

What you’ll find there: The market is all about good, sustainable, eco-friendly produce – and lots of it! Beautifully laid out stalls display everything from an impressive range of fresh organic vegetables and other farmers’ produce to organic seedlings, sustainably caught seafood, exotic mushrooms of all shapes and sizes, hand-made crunchy-crusted artisan breads, a mind-boggling array of decadent gourmet delights as well as a kaleidoscopic range of dazzling fresh-cut flowers.

As the morning progresses, grab a seat at one of the sociable long-tables, or pull up a straw bale (tastefully enclosed in plastic covers, lest there be hayfever and straggly hay bits messing up one’s outfit) and enjoy the live music in the square.

And, if the market gets too crowded for you, as is bound to happen, you can wander around the rest of the Biscuit Mill Complex, exploring the eclectic range of shops and art galleries, the newly added Designgoods Market and perhaps even dropping a coin or two down the old-fashioned wishing well you’ll find there (all proceeds go to charity).

You’ll want to try: James Mitchell’s ‘gone-fishing cider’, Origin’s incomparable exceptionally caffeinated flat whites (like cappuccino, but oh so much better), Chrisna’s delectable olives, Trevor Daly’s crunchy mouth-watering artisan bread.

Possible downsides: Finding (legal) parking at this market is, to put it mildly, a bit of a challenge. So, make sure you go early, and snap up the available spots before everyone else gets there. And in high season the market can get very crowded, with little room to sample at your leisure – another reason to get there early.

Where: Old Biscuit Mill, Albert Road, Salt River, Cape Town.

When: Saturdays from 9am to 2pm (more often during the festive season – visit www.neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za for those details).

Contact: info@whatiftheworld.co.za

Parking: Very limited – whatever you can find along Albert Road and down side streets. Some parking available at the College of Cape Town (opposite the market), which is on Kent Road, off Salt River Road, but it fills up fast and you have to pay (R10).

Timour Hall Community Organic & Biodynamic Market [Cape Town]

A simple, honest organic farmers market held every Saturday, rain or shine, at the Christian Community Centre on Timour Hall Road in Plumstead.

What you’ll find there: No frills, just plenty of the freshest, most reasonably priced organic fruit and vegetables in town, and a modest selection of organic eggs and dairy products (most of which is also biodynamic, a step up from organic).

Heavily laden trestle tables creak under the weight of produce brought in from farms just outside Cape Town. Great towering mounds of glowing orange carrots and pungent leeks positively bristle with good health, and you’ll be able to find plenty of fresh pesticide-free lettuces of various shapes, sorts and sizes.

Once you’ve loaded up and paid for your goodies at one of the volunteer-manned weighing stations, relax in the tearoom with a cup of organic coffee and a dash of biodynamic milk.

You’ll want to try: The free-range organic eggs from Camphill Farm. They’re half the price of store-bought organic eggs, and taste far better. If you’re lucky, there may even be a few ducks’ eggs on offer, though they’re not always available.

Possible downsides: This market sells out very fast, so if you don’t get there right at the start, there really won’t be anything left except the scrappy leftovers. Also, it’s a market that’s focused on produce, so although you can certainly sit and have a cup of coffee, there isn’t much else in the way of entertainment (if that’s what you’re looking for).

Where: Christian Community Centre, Timour Hall Road, Plumstead. Cape Town.

When: Saturdays, rain or shine, from 10am to about noon (or until sold out). Go earlier if you can – the official opening time doesn’t mean that earlybirds don’t get in before that and scoop up all the best stuff!

Contact: Roger 082 569-9894

Parking: Plenty, either in the centre’s parking lot, or on Timour Hall Road.

Bryanston Organic Market

The Bryanston Organic Market is South Africa’s first, and therefore longest-running, organic market. What started out as an informal organic produce car boot sale outside the Michael Mount Waldorf School has, over the past thirty years, morphed into the large and very popular outdoor market it is today.

Part of the market was destroyed in May this year, but has since been rebuilt and was relaunched last month, featuring a new “kid’s quarter” where the little folk can keep themselves occupied for hours on end, listening to stories or engaging in a variety of craft-making activities.

What you’ll find there: A mouth-watering selection of organically certified fresh produce, free range chickens, organic eggs, home made soups and pates, freshly harvested herbs, vegetables and flowers, pestos, sauces and more. Those with a carnivorous streak will find plenty to sink their canines into, too, with a supply of everything from fish to fowl, including hard-to-find wild boar and veld-fed venison.

Health fiends will go wild for the olive oils, naturally dried fruits, fresh nuts, organic grains and cereals, goats milk products and unadulterated non-irradiated pure honeys. And then there are all the naturally fermented, wood-fire baked breads and a hunger-quenching array of cakes, pastries, pies and tarts on offer.

Plus, if food’s not all you’re after, you can browse the craft stalls for quality hand-made goods, eye-catching photography and ethically-produced clothing, before settling down for a relaxing cup of herbal tea or, conversely, a much-needed jolt of freshly made Ethiopian coffee. One thing’s for certain: you’re not likely to be going home empty-handed!

You’ll want to try: The Mustard Seed’s eye-catching jars of olive and feta drenched in olive oil, as well as their addictive olive pate. Wyckedd chocolate sauces available in an irresistible choice of flavours (including Van Der Hum, yum!) on anything from ice-cream to delicate meringues.

For the dietarily challenged (wheat-free, diabetic, lactose intolerant), there are specialty breads by The Loaf, sugar-free biscotti at The Little Food Shop and plenty of goats cheese products at Hermann Hofreiter’s stall.

Possible downsides: If what you’re looking for is fresh produce to take home, you’ll need to get there early – definitely before the lunch time rush – as these are the first things to go and you might be disappointed. Although with so many other foodstuffs to try out, it’s likely you won’t feel too hard-done by.

Where: Culross Road (off Main Road), Bryanston, Gauteng.

When: Thursdays and Saturdays 9am to 3pm. Also look out for the seasonal Moonlight Markets during November (18 & 25) and Christmas Night Markets in December (2, 9, 16 & 23). The Moonlight and Christmas Markets take place on Tuesday evenings from 5pm to 9pm.

Contact: www.bryanstonorganicmarket.co.za (011) 706 3671

Parking: Parking available next to the market. Generally not a problem, but at peak times like at lunch-time, it can get a bit busy.