ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the changing role and function of farmers’ markets using the Barossa Farmers’ Market, South Australia as a case study. It examines the challenges and opportunities that come with the addition of tourism to the traditional role of farmers’ markets as a local community activity and how duality can be efficiently managed. The chapter discusses the tourism potential of farmers’ markets and the opportunities and challenges this presents to regional communities. The role of farmers’ markets as distribution outlets, particularly in rural areas, has also made regional food increasingly visible and accessible as a tourist resource. Traditionally, the role of farmers’ markets was to provide a direct distribution channel between producers and consumers. L. Joliffe, in an examination of the link between farmers and tourism, highlighted the potential for farmers’ markets to evolve into tourist events that either stand alone or complement other regional gastronomic experiences, such as restaurants, festivals, or farming activities.
