FRIDAY was the perfect evening for the inaugural Twilight Farmers Market, Camp Quality fundraiser.
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You could tell it was perfect because apart from the fact quite a few stalls sold out in less than two hours, everyone was smiling.
There were a few ingredients that helped make it perfect.
It was a balmy night, there was a local musician singing, the wine was flowing, friends and families were laughing and the fresh produce was selling like hot cakes, no make that cupcakes.
Michelle Hartnett from Hartnett Cakes in Cambewarra sold more than 400 cupcakes in the first 90 minutes.
Shoalhaven Mushrooms sold 25 boxes of produce in the same time, the Parnells of Tomerong had to send home for more honey and Robert Boyd from Green and Gold Vegies had to go and get more produce.
“I ended up using all the stuff I had ready for the Shoalhaven Heads Market. I’ll be up at 3am Saturday picking more produce,” he said.
The Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre lawn was an ideal venue, with plenty of parking and the timing meant CBD workers could head straight to the market after work.
While he might have looked relaxed on the night, Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre manager Bob Mangan said the event was a nerve-racking risk.
“It was a case of putting yourself out there and not knowing if one person would turn up,” he said.
He said a lot of background work went into staging the market, with consultation between entertainment centre staff, local producers, council and Camp Quality.
“We put in a lot of hard work for the event to give the community this opportunity and they showed up in the right spirit.
“It hasn’t been an easy journey and the foundation stall holders were brave to dip their toes in.”
The seed of the idea for the twilight market was planted by Kerry Mackie from the SEC, who knows Peter Flanagan from Camp Quality.
She organised a meeting between Mr Flanagan and Mr Mangan.
“We discussed a few ideas, it was ever evolving. We entered into it with an open mind and this was the result.
“Bronwyn Hewson, Coralie McCarthy and Ben Harnwell were brilliant in marketing the event along with Peter Flanagan.
“We’re off the mark, but we need to follow through with an equally impressive performance,” Mr Mangan said.
“We are all on a bit of a high from the success of the event, now we need to have a bit of a debrief with the producers, a brainstorm about the continuing structure of the market which involves the timing of when they will run.
“At this stage the next one will be on December 17 and the model is quarterly.
“But if we get that turnout every time we do it we would have to look having it more frequently,” he said.
Peter Flanagan from Camp Quality Illawarra said the success of the market blew him away.
“I thought we’d get a few people but at 5pm all of Bridge Road was a traffic jam. I thought holy dooly.
“The only negative feedback was from the people who arrived after 7pm, when just about everything was sold out.
“Bronwyn Hewson has been the driving force behind this. She’s worked on it with me for the past six months.
“Pick a government department and we’ve got approval from them,” he said. Mr Flanagan said at last count the event raised about $1500 for Camp Quality.
“Every dollar we raise stays in the Shoalhaven and so far this year we’re in excess of $40,000 and it all gets spent on children here.
“December’s market will be even bigger. I think we’ve created a monster, I hope so,” he said.
