My friend Barbara and I were disappointed with the amount of fruit and vegetables available for sale locally and knew that, with the great range of microclimates and soils in Nethercote and surrounding localities, there must be a lot being grown. We hoped that starting the market would be a great opportunity to encourage local growers to get involved and hopefully grow more.
We were frequently asked to hold the markets more regularly. One Sunday afternoon, while parked in the main street of Eden, I spotted an empty shop and the idea for Sprout was born.
My vision was to create a mini version of the seasonal markets, providing customers with daily access to locally grown produce, and a regular outlet for local growers to sell their excess. I also wanted to combine that with a friendly café, for people to meet and relax in while enjoying great food using local ingredients.