Cygnet Deep Organic Market

Winter came with a vengeance on Saturday, with temperatures plummeting, rain pelting the windows and a turbulent wind turning the geese’s feathers inside out and upside down. Consequently, Sunday - calm, cold and only with occasional showers, seemed the perfect day to wander down the street to the launch of a true, organic market outside the Town Hall in Cygnet.
Deep Organic means minimum inputs, with those being locally sourced. It means a system of growing magnificent, healthy food by encouraging plant vitality to ward off pests and diseases, in the same way that eating such food helps us ward off human diseases and ills. It does not mean buying organic fertilisers, organic sprays or any organic inputs manufactured thousands of kilometres away and shipped around the world to garden shops.

So it was no surprise that Alex, of Golden Valley Farm, sold out of vegetables before lunch time and that there was a queue of locals, waiting and chatting, for Cam’s incredible breads, croissants, vegetable rolls and baguettes.

What a time of year to begin such an enterprise, coming into winter in southern Tasmania. But Alex’s vegetables and Cam’s breads have gained a reputation this year that will bring locals and visitors out from their warm fires not just for their goodies, but for the camaraderie  that accompanies shoppers and stall holders in marketplaces worldwide.
I have shopped in markets, small and large, through bleak French winters and looked forward to every one of them; rugged up in a thick coat, scarf, hat and gloves. There is a joy to be had; some kind of ancient gene we all have I guess, which has been squashed by the supermarket claiming that making shopping a sterile experience is going to make us happier. How wrong they are! Markets have never seen the boom they are having in the 21st century.
Cygnet Deep Organic Market is looking for more stallholders. Contact Alex for more information.
Cygnet Deep Organic Market: outside the Town Hall (and hopefully soon inside too).  Every Sunday, 10am – 2pm.
It is fabulous to see. It is the future, for all of us.