17/05/2021
THE OFFICIAL OPENING of our weekly twilight farmers market will be this Thursday.
The reason being around this time of year Australiaโs National Trust has for the past 40 years connected the nation in its celebration of our heritage with 32 days of festivities.
This being the last week of national celebrations, Clarence Valley residents are being invited to tap into their very own food and farm heritage by attending their two weekly farmers markets at Yamba (Wednesday) and Grafton (Thursday).
Stall holders will be bringing their very own heritage items for a show and tell from their farms and kitchens.
Market coordinator Debrah Novak said โour two local weekly farmers markets have stall holders who are living testaments to the survival of their industries with 4th and 5th generation businesses and farmers.
The Clarence Valleyโs beef, sugar, dairy, timber, and seafood industries have led and driven our local economy for over 175 years and survived droughts, floods, fires, wars, pandemics, plagues and technology changes and they are still with usโ.
On the back of Heritage Week, Graftonโs Twilight Farmers and Food Market will be officially launched in Market Square this Thursday at 4.30pm.
Ms Novak said the theme for the Graftonโs farmers and food market is its stunning heritage values as โMarket Squareโ was named by the NSW colonial surveyor William Wedge Darke in 1849.
William Wedge Darke has descendants who live in Grafton and they have been invited to cut the cake and ribbon to honour their forebears for the official opening.
Relative Dennis Darke will also be bringing along some historical surveying tools and maps to showcase the efforts of his ancestor.
Coincidentally our market also has three stall holders who are directly related to three Clarence Valley pioneering families, the Smalls (Flour & Water Pizza), the Darkes (Kyles BBQ & BREW) and the Craigs (Mark Blackadder Jaca Marquee) which is pretty exciting when you stop and think about it.โ Ms Novak said.
Dennis Darke (left) with his son in law Kyle Summers will be featured at the Grafton Twilight Farmers and Food Market this Thursday starting from 2.30 pm.