Some food is certified organic, but most of it isn't. It spans a whole continuum from conventionally grown to "spray-free" to fully organic food grown by experienced growers whose scale is too small to make the paperwork and fees involved with certification worthwhile.
I love the conversations I have about food with the people who grew it: I can marvel at how well Eileen's apples are storing or how cheap she's selling persimmons and report back that indeed sliced Jerusalem artichokes pan fried in butter are every bit as good as she promised.
I check in with Darryl on the REBS stall about how his chickens are laying and how much damage the pukekos are doing and make him laugh with stories of my egg-loving dog.
See how the market supplies more than just great food and products? It's a social event: a chance to catch up with friends and acquaintances, continue conversations started online, ask advice, hatch plans and have a laugh.
I love that the local woodturners are there every week, with beautiful items for sale and their small lathe in operation. It's fascinating for kids and grown-ups alike to watch them work. There's second-hand books and housewares, quality clothing, art, garden furniture. And look: we have not just one but two blacksmiths in the district! Who knew?
It's also become our village green: savvy mayoral and council candidates are already campaigning there, community groups have stalls, rallies gather around the silver ball sculpture adjacent to the market site.
In summer the market averages 100 stalls; even in winter there's now a solid crew of 60-80 year-round stallholders who make it worth venturing out.
We didn't end up with such a fantastic market by accident. Annette Main and John Milnes set it up 10 years ago with two aims: to increase local food supply and encourage the establishment of small businesses. It's also not open to all comers: potential stallholders have to apply and their application is assessed. The organisers made a choice not to provide space for people selling plastic imports and the like.
That decision changes the whole feel of the market.
Growing food in our district, to be sold and eaten right here, is good news. First, it creates or sustains employment. Second, the food is fresher and thus more nutritious. Third, when we don't transport food long distances by road, we get less pollution, fewer carbon emissions and less damage to our road infrastructure.
And when those who produce food can sell it directly to those who eat it, they don't have to share the profit with middlemen. Growing food is hard work that is largely not appreciated enough and it's not well paid.
Growers deserve every cent they earn and more; they also deserve our appreciation.
And yes, I do recommend pizza for breakfast on occasion.
Kirk Nicholls' wood-fired pizza is fantastically tasty. He built the dragon-shaped pizza-oven-on-a-trailer himself.
He's an artist the rest of the week and just one example of how creative, quirky, hard-working people are creating such a great Whanganui vibe.
-Rachel Rose is a writer, fermenter and gardener
