Farmers market makes it onto food trail

ABOVE: Casino Farmers Market stallholders welcome you to the market.

Susanna Freymark

This year’s Northern Rivers Harvest Food Trail has expanded to include Richmond Valley and the Casino Farmers Market.

The market was started two years ago by John and Frieda De Kleuver with support from Casino Lions Club.

John and Frieda De Kleuver.

It has taken a lot of work to get the market off the ground but now a thriving market is held every Saturday morning from 8am at Crawford Square Park in South Casino.

There is Field and Flower with flower bouquets from Swan Bay, macadamia nuts from Nuts End at Hogarth Range and olives from Mongogarie Olives.

Peta Maloney from Nuts End.

The market has plants for sale, vegetables, fruit, relishes, cakes, bread, coffee and much more.

Richmond Valley food trail sites include:

CASINO FARMERS MARKET

Saturday, May 6, 8am-noon, Crawford Square (aka the Skate Park), South Casino

SUNSHINE SUGAR WALSH SUGARCANE FARM

Saturday, May 6, 10am, Old Ferry Road, Swan Bay

Tom Walsh and his son Marty are fourth and fifth generation farmers who farm 440ha of sugarcane around the Woodburn and Wardell area. Meet Marty on-farm for a first-hand introduction to the NSW sugar industry. Get up close to some of the key farming machinery and equipment used in modern-day cane farming and walk among the sugarcane and soybean crops on the farm.

Note: This is a working property, so please wear covered, flat shoes suitable for walking on uneven ground. Amenities may not be available on site.

RICHMOND MUSHROOMS

Saturday, May 6, noon to 4pm, Woodburn-Evans Head Rd, Doonbah

Go on a tour of a commercial mushroom farm, nestled on the edge of the Bundjalung National Park. The tour will be led by owners Matt and Kylie O’Reilly. The farm grows agaricus bisporus (white mushrooms) from babies to large flats. They pick, pack and deliver six days a week from Yamba to Tweed Heads. The farm is fully certified under Freshcare, HARPS and Fair Farms.

GRACEMERE FARMSTEAD

Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7 farm tour from 3pm to 5pm, 650 Fogwells Rd, Yorklea

So much to see and do at Gracemere. Watch how the farmers regularly move different animals – horses, chickens, ducks, donkeys, sheep, goats, cows, geese, pigs and more. Watch the pigs play and roll in the mud. Find out the difference between meat chickens and layer chickens. See the goats and sheep and baby donkeys. Cuddle a baby chick. Visit the egg-laying caravan.

MONGOGARIE OLIVES

Sunday, May 7 9am to 4pm, 1310 Mongogarie Rd, Mongogarie

Visit the family-owned olive grove, with 1300 olive trees producing extra virgin olive oil, table olives and olive tapenade. The grove was established in 1996, drawing on the owners’ southern Italian heritage to grow and produce olive products. The farm-gate stall will be open with products for tasting and purchase. Visitors are welcome to wander through the olive grove.

The Harvest Food trail features the market on Saturday, May 6 and many visitors from outside the region are expected.

Find out more about the Harvest Food trail here.

The trail includes an organic gastronomical luncheon on a farm at South Gundurimba at Five Sixty Farms on May 7.

The luncheon will include local produce such as grassfed Casino beef with smoked tomato salsa.

Luncheon cost $130 per person. Booking details here.

Regular market shoppers in Casino. Photos: Susanna Freymark
Scroll to Top
Like an alert when we add a story? Yes please No thanks