Bringing the farm (and more) to the city: the Subi Farmers Market

Our beautiful little burb of Perth is called Subiaco (but everyone here knows it as “Subi”). And every Saturday morning it is home to a really fantastic farmers market. In fact, we started hearing about the wonders of the Subi Farmers Market pretty much as soon as we arrived in town. So naturally, we were very curious to check it out. What we found is a farmers market that is truly a centerpiece of its community.

The Subi Farmers Market was established in 2009. It is held every Saturday morning on the grounds of the Subiaco Primary School. There appears to be a nice synergy between the school and the market, as the school provides an attractive and accessible location and the market donates part of its proceeds back to the school. And on any given Saturday morning the market is a hive of activity.

At the Subi Farmers Market you will find all of the things you might expect to find at a farmers market, including farmers selling fresh local vegetables, local musicians playing music, and families strolling about taking it all in. But you also find at this farmers market some things you might not expect to see, such as Moroccan cuisine! And gourmet coffee! And a 20+ person ukulele ensemble! And so much more.

One aspect of the Subi Farmers Market that struck me in particular was the abundance and diversity of fruit on display. I don’t recall seeing nearly as much fruit available at the farmers markets in New Hampshire (which is not to say we don’t have local fruit available, it’s just not being sold at the farmers’ markets, for the most part). Given the climate here in the Perth region, I suspect that there is almost no limit to the types of fruit and vegetables that can be grown here, assuming one has access to sufficient water.

Sadly, this post does not really do justice to the Subi Farmers Market. Luckily, it does not need to. The organizers of the Subi Farmers Market have developed a great website that provides loads of information if you are interested in learning more (and with great pictures, too). They’ve even included farmer and vendor bios and short videos. You can check it out here.

So what is the key to this market’s success? I suspect its central location within the pedestrian-friendly heart of Subi has something to do with it. The friendly farmers and their high quality fruits, vegetables, and meats are also certainly key. But at the end of the day, I can’t help but think that maybe the true key to its success is the sense of community and pride that this particular farmers’ market seems to generate here in Subi. I’m already looking forward to next Saturday morning. . . .