Lismore Organic Market

Three and a half hours on a Tuesday morning is a strange shape for a market until you understand what it is for. This is a produce market for people who want organic food and are prepared to organise their week around getting it, and it has been running on that basis longer than any other certified organic market in the country.

Certified, not merely claimed

The distinction matters here and the market leans on it. Certified organic fruit and vegetables lead, with pantry staples, fresh herbs, plants and wholesome local products behind them. The Northern Rivers has more organic growers per square kilometre than most of Australia, and this is where a good number of them sell. Reducing the distance food travels is a stated part of the market's purpose rather than a slogan added later.

Rain or shine is stated plainly, which in a region that gets serious rain is a commitment rather than a formality.

Good to know before you go

An 11am finish means this is a genuinely early market, and by half past ten the growers are packing. Bring your own bags and boxes: a market built around reducing packaging is not the place to expect any. Cash is safest, though the established stalls take cards. The showground is a couple of minutes from the centre of Lismore across the river. If Tuesday does not suit, the Northern Rivers has a market almost every day of the week, but none of the others is certified organic throughout.