Trixie Allen and Lyn Paul. Tauranga Farmers' Market
Notices
- President Warren – welcome to guests
- Stephen - Mrs Krishnan’s Party is now fully subscribed so well done to everybody who bought tickets.
- Dave Woodhouse – thanked members for the visits and support after his surgery in June which was more serious than expected. Dave looked perky and well - somewhat dapper even - and also won the raffle! (Ironical, really as I haven’t touched a drop for months so it was re-donated! – Dave)
- Mary – asked for those preparing meals for Liz and Chris Rapson to put them on hold for the meantime.
- Max – the board has approved the ride from Adelaide to Darwin as a fundraiser. The Graeme Dingle Foundation will be the charity supported.
- Warwick – please can members remember to complete their charity compliance forms and send to Ray.
Guest Speakers
Tauranga Farmers Market (TFM) was represented by Lyn Paul and Trixie Allen. A show of hands indicated most members had attended the weekly market located at Tauranga Primary School.
The market started in 2002 after a successful trial and became an incorporated society. Currently there are 80 stall holder members, and TFM is a member of the Farmers Market NZ. This body sets comprehensive criteria for membership, such as no third-party sellers and all produce must be locally or self-grown or produced.
TFM also has strict criteria for membership, and all producers should be located within 200km of the market. Occasional exceptions are made such as cherries from the South Island, as it balances out local seasonal shortages. Primarily food is sold (no arts, craft, bric-a-brac) with exceptions for plants and flowers.
The committee and members are guided by a vision and values and are part of the international Farmers’ Market movement which is about building and strengthening local communities, supporting local food related businesses and giving consumers access to regional food.
Farmers Markets in Christchurch and Kaikoura made a valuable contribution when infrastructure collapsed, supermarkets couldn’t operate, and people couldn’t buy food. In both these instances local Farmers Market suppliers quickly rallied and supplied food for people in these disaster areas.
One of the many services stall holders provide in Farmers Markets is education about the food, and ways to prepare and cook it. Customers can ask questions and develop relationships with producers. Authenticity is very important, and there are strong relationships with food industry bodies such as Zespri, and also government agencies such as MPI. Every prospective stall holder receives a site visit and the committee must satisfy itself that all food safety certification is in place and up-to-date. Organics in particular is a complex subject and customers can learn about and have assurance of the organic nature of their bought product.
Of particular importance to the Farmers Market movement is the philosophy of eating seasonally. Most supermarkets import food to supply food types that are out in season in their own country. The Farmers Market movement believes it is more natural to eat local food that is in season.
Sergeant
This was Chris’s first Sergeant’s session and he was a bundle of enthusiastic energy! He was fired up by the fact that today was Rocket Lab’s eighth launch, and he took members through the previous seven in some detail. Quirky names, technical specifications and advanced materials were all covered. The effective life of a Rutherford
engine is only 2.5 minutes, which is enough to propel the rocket into near space. The pay loads are satellites which provide information for ship tracking, crop management and US Airforce Space Command. Best of all, the driving force behind Rocket Lab is a Kiwi, Peter Beck, who has big dreams, and the talent to make them come true.
I decided to make my password "incorrect" because if I type it in wrong, my computer will remind me, "Your password is incorrect."