Hence, I suspect, the popularity of the weekend markets. But really, how successful are they in bridging the gap between urban life and rural production?
Let me contrast two Sunday markets I am familiar with. The one is tucked into a car park, and provides small stalls where farmers from the hinterland come to sell their produce. One stall just avocados, another apples, yet another spuds and onions. What they have actually grown themselves. It is fun to chat with the stall holders and learn a little about their life and struggles with weather and pests.
The other market is sited in a spacious paved area with live entertainment, plenty of coffee stalls and a bigger range of product (probably sourced at the Rocklea Markets). Really this is little more than an open air shopping arcade, pretending to be a taste of the rural. One senses that it is far more commercial in its approach.
Both serve their purpose of providing income to weekend entrepreneurs. But I know which one I feel to be more "genuine" as a farmers' market.
Which makes me reflect on other ways in which we try to "be in touch" with a reality that is not part of our daily life. Does a $25 donation to Vinnies really put me in touch with the struggles of the homeless or battered mother? Does buying Fair-trade coffee really help exploited growers in South America? Does using E10 petrol really reduce climate change? I can't become cynical, and surely every little helps. But I do need to be careful not to kid myself about how much in touch I have managed to become.
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