Byron Farmers Market manager, and farmer, Tom Carey said that all local farmers had been affected by the record wet season in some way.
‘We’ve had one farmer (Pepe Fassos from Five Sixty Farms) who lost everything – his home and contents as well as his farm and all its infrastructure. He is literally starting again from scratch,’ Mr Carey said.
‘Others have lost crops to flooding and excessive rain, while some have, thankfully, faced minimal damage. We also have farmers who can’t get onto their paddocks to harvest or plant new crops as the ground is still too wet to access.
‘But it’s not all doom and gloom. Every local farmer and producer who has been affected is determined to come back from it. It’s incredibly heartening that this weather event has not defeated us. Farmers are a resilient bunch and there’s always a bit of fight left in the tank.’
Despite this, Mr Carey said that customers at the local farmers’ markets might notice absent stalls – and stalls with less produce – from time to time while people get their farms back up to speed.
‘Local crops that have been particularly hard hit include leafy greens, nuts and rice, but there is damage across the board. Oysters have also had a really rough run,’ he said.
‘So you might notice some gaps at the market, but we just need to be patient and support our farmers in the meantime.’
Mr Carey, who farms passionfruit and cattle, said his crop had also been severely affected by the extreme weather.
‘This is without doubt the hardest season we have ever had to endure,’ he said. ‘All we can do is push through it – and we will. So come along and support your local farmers each week.’
Byron Farmers Market is held Thursdays 7–11am at the Butler St Reserve and Bangalow Farmers Market is Saturdays 7–11am behind the Bangalow pub.
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