HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Jaro Lear, Anna da Baar, Dawn Brydon, Ric Cothyer of Oranger Rotary Daybreak, market manager Cath Thompson and Lou Mastronardi cut cake on Saturday morning.
From 25 stalls to 64 in 10 years, the Orange Regional Farmers’ Market (ORFM) has come a long way.
The ORFM celebrated the milestone with enormous crowds on Saturday.
The north court of the library was host to belly dancers, live music and, of course, a birthday cake.
The market is ever growing, however there is one thing that hasn’t changed. Everything, from the live music to the apples in the cake, was locally produced.
The Orange market was one of the first in the region, proving so popular that similar markets have sprung up across the country.
Market manager Cath Thompson said she expects the market to continue to thrive.
“People are becoming more interested in where their food comes from and the farmers’ market is a great way of linking people with their food,” said Mrs Thompson.
“You also get to know the people behind the produce and hear their stories and that’s an experience in itself.”
Some of the original stall holders are still making the most of every second Saturday.
Mrs Thompson said she was pleased to celebrate the milestone with such dedicated producers.
“We’ve got some great producers in the district and to be a good producer you have to start with quality produce and have the time and energy to develop your product,” she said.
“The advantage of being at a growers’ market is that it puts you directly in front of the consumer.”
Mrs Thompson said she hopes to build on the market’s success and continue to showcase the region’s produce for a long time to come.