Farmers Market expands horizons
The Taranaki Farmers Market is all about connecting local growers, producers and artisans directly to customers every Sunday. Their aim: to support and stimulate profitable trading while providing locals with regular supplies of fresh food.
“We’re built around the words ‘by Taranaki, for Taranaki.’ Our market isn’t just a trading space—it’s a living community where every handshake and every conversation help build a stronger, more sustainable future,” said Carl Freeman, Trust Chair.
“If you dive deeper into what Farmers Markets do, there’s the local food resilience side, the community connections and the sustainability, such as less plastic and lower food miles.”
The market has expanded so much since it began back in 2005 that it’s outgrowing its current home at the Huatoki Plaza and needs to explore some alternatives.
Making such a change comes with a few costs and logistics. Toi Foundation funding of 8K meant the Market Coordinator could plan, run and review a six-week ‘Summer Pop-up’ to try out a larger market space at Tasman Prospect, near the Windwand.
A change of venue doesn’t just happen.
“There are staffing and transport costs, and you’ve got to let all your customers know, so there’s a marketing campaign, too,” said Carl.
“We store marquees, tables, chairs, signage and so on at our current site. So, we had to truck that to the Pop-up each time, which added extra hours. We needed two staff members on site, too, because the usual processes weren’t in place.
“We have around 20 different businesses setting up each week, so we needed to work with everyone to bring them along with us and get excited about the possibilities. Then there were onsite meetings with the Council, and we needed to set up extra waste recovery systems to be sure we could divert as much waste as possible,” said Carl.
“This project was a bold step into uncharted territory—testing new ideas that have ultimately enriched our market experience and deepened our community ties. We want the market to continue and thrive, and volunteers are its lifeblood. We'd love to see even more people to join us and get involved.”