21 February 2014

WHY the Farmers Market at EPIC IS NOT ON AGAIN THIS WEEKEND...

| bywongqueen
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The Capital Region Farmers Market that has been going for 10 years now, is again not running this weekend.Why? Because the Agricultural Show is on.

Come again? The best of what rural producers have is on show but we don’t have any actual produce to buy? Something that we have every week otherwise?

The EPIC showgrounds, facility owned by the ACT government, appears unable to run two events simultaneously, despite the facility being absolutely enormous.
This means everyone is losing out – farmers are ploughing food back in ( I have been told that by stallholders) or letting it rot, and customers can’t get their week fresh food locally.

This has been going on now for 10 years and it’s ludicrous. I have written to the Board of EPIC about this previously and basically told it’s none of my business. They appear to be unaccountable – there is now no listing of name of the Board members. Their recent 125 page annual report has 3 lines about Community consultation “We don’t need to do any”

It’s not just the drought that’s affecting producers but poor prices and reduced avenues for selling their produce.

We need to support all our primary producers – our health and their livelihoods are at stake.

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Grrrr said :

Felicity Kendal is sweetly pretty, just what a real girly should be.

I mean – speaking as a Feminist myself – I can safely say this; that Felicity Kendal is a wonderful woman, and I want to protect her.

HAHA! I was thinking the same thing when I saw her name pop up in this thread! 🙂

P.S. ‘Well it’s the first time I’ve ever heard it called that!’

Felicity Kendal is sweetly pretty, just what a real girly should be.

I mean – speaking as a Feminist myself – I can safely say this; that Felicity Kendal is a wonderful woman, and I want to protect her.

enrique said :

Surely there’s other locations around town that could host the farmer’s market temporarily other than EPIC?

Pretty sure I attended my first and only farmer’s market somewhere in Woden. Where I decided that even though they had cut out the middlemen, for some reason their produce was still more expensive than what I paid in stores. Or at roadside stalls on the highway.

Surely there’s other locations around town that could host the farmer’s market temporarily other than EPIC?

Heck, you could even run it on a vacant carpark somewhere at a stretch couldn’t you? (assuming you arranged the necessary permits).

Reincarnations of Felicity Kendal in gumboots circa The Good Life should always be welcome.

The best of what rural producers have is on show but we don’t have any actual produce to buy?

Instead of whining on RiotACT, you could try selling the produce in showbags next year. You charge double the normal prices for them, and give people half as much! But a bag of fruit and veg will probably make you VERY unpopular with the kids …

Masquara said :

Pork Hunt said :

Masquara said :

Whinger! Go to the supermarket. Or Organic Energy at the Griffith Shops if you like to pay a premium.

Judging by his/her user name, bywongqueen is a female. Females are well known for their multitasking capabilities. Common sense dictates that the two events could easily be run at EPIC concurrently.
Calling someone a whinger in this case is pretty piss poor.

I actually don’t want faux-farm-grown-lemon stands, busking toddlers, value-add lavender sachets from five acres at Bywong, $20 marmalade, $30 a kilo local olives, and attendant hipster trendoid reincarnations of Felicity Kendal in gumboots, in the same space as the Royal Canberra. Give us a break from your produce!!!! Give us a break from your pretensions!!! There is nothing special about you!!! Now, which lady in a floral frock is sporting the blue ribbon for sponge trifle?

Somebody made a comment, you made a comment, I commented on your comment.
What I don’t understand is why you are foaming at the mouth about an event you obviously care very little about?

Pork Hunt said :

Masquara said :

Whinger! Go to the supermarket. Or Organic Energy at the Griffith Shops if you like to pay a premium.

Judging by his/her user name, bywongqueen is a female. Females are well known for their multitasking capabilities. Common sense dictates that the two events could easily be run at EPIC concurrently.
Calling someone a whinger in this case is pretty piss poor.

I actually don’t want faux-farm-grown-lemon stands, busking toddlers, value-add lavender sachets from five acres at Bywong, $20 marmalade, $30 a kilo local olives, and attendant hipster trendoid reincarnations of Felicity Kendal in gumboots, in the same space as the Royal Canberra. Give us a break from your produce!!!! Give us a break from your pretensions!!! There is nothing special about you!!! Now, which lady in a floral frock is sporting the blue ribbon for sponge trifle?

So the Show caught you by surprise heh? Yep that will happen. They should advertise that bad boy somewhre so people know. Otherwise apparently our entire agricultural industry will collapse and people will start dying in the street.

The farmers are busy…coveting their neighbours’ pigs.

And the Royal Canberra Show has been going for about 80 years and certainly exclusively at EPIC since it was created (40+years I think), so it trumps a 10 year old 4 hour event well and truly. EPIC are pretty good about enabling the farmers market to operate a number of times during the year when others use the grounds but there are a small few of exclusive bookings where it just can’t happen – the show, summernats and possibly the folk festival.

it is one weekend, I am sure everyone will cope and it won’t severely damage your health or livelihood.

Masquara said :

Whinger! Go to the supermarket. Or Organic Energy at the Griffith Shops if you like to pay a premium.

Judging by his/her user name, bywongqueen is a female. Females are well known for their multitasking capabilities. Common sense dictates that the two events could easily be run at EPIC concurrently.
Calling someone a whinger in this case is pretty piss poor.

I now shop at Chokubai Jo anyway, they stock fresh produce from lots of the better real growers at the farmers markets, plus it run by the people who started the farmers markets in Canberra. They are at North Lyneham and Curtin, I’ve never been to the Curtin store but I’m sure it’s as good as Nth Lyneham. Free parking out the front as well.

It would be a nightmare holding the farmers markets anywhere near the show, parking would be neatly impossible. I think they once help the market at the Ried CIT one show weekend.

Sure, the Capital Region Farmers Market isn’t on tomorrow morning, but the Northside Farmers Market is on tomorrow afternoon at UC, and the Southside Farmers Market is on on Sunday morning at Phillip CIT.

Isn’t the farmers market also held at UC and Woden later in the day? Don’t see why they can’t be there this weekend.

Whinger! Go to the supermarket. Or Organic Energy at the Griffith Shops if you like to pay a premium.

I thought they held the farmer’s market at the race course when the show was on? Or am I confusing it with a different event?

So basically you’re pissed off that EPIC has been booked by another party for the show and they won’t let you run your event at the same time?

Not that I attend the show, but to me it looks like a large event judging by the traffic management processes and people parking on the street at 9am this morning. I’m not surprised why they wouldn’t allow two events to run at the same time.. It would be the equivalent to them using all the 4 sporting facilities at the AIS at the same time and result in chaos. Plus looking through their annual report you refer to, the have around about 10 staff? I’m sure you’ll also be complaining when they can’t attend to your problems on the day..

Ever thought about speaking to the organisers of the show to canvas whether your stalls could be integrated into the event? Or perhaps look for another venue for the weekend?

Boo bloody hoo.

PS what exactly is your alternative solution?

The RNCAS are uninspired and have been running a blander and blander show year upon year that is shrinking in scale. The Farmers are not entrepreneurial and are backward. It’s a perfect mix for problems really. If both sides were smart, they’d get in contact with one another and set up a precinct at the show for the weekend it’s on that lets the farmers market continue within the show.

Btw not sure why OP is getting huffy with EPIC, if one party books the grounds, they have it. End of story.

Holden Caulfield3:26 pm 21 Feb 14

Thank goodness you can still buy tinfoil at your closest supermarket.

Err… its actually the show weekend

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