Geelong’s Best Farmers Markets: What to Buy in Season This Winter

On Sunday mornings along Barwon Heads Road, the Geelong Showgrounds car park hums with life. Baskets fill with glossy mandarins, purple sprouting broccoli and crusty sourdough loaves as the winter edition of the Geelong Farmers’ Market kicks off. Even with chilly July winds whipping down from Corio Bay, more residents than ever are braving the cold to scoop up the region’s peak-season produce direct from local growers and makers.

There’s urgency on the stallfronts-and in Geelong kitchens. With national headlines warning of supply chain hiccups, mixed economic signals and rising costs at major supermarkets, a growing number in the city’s health-conscious community are bypassing big-box chains entirely in favour of face-to-face shopping at farmers’ markets. The combination of flavour, value and transparency is compelling. “When you’re eye-to-eye with someone from Bannockburn holding up a celeriac, you know exactly where your food’s from and what’s freshest right now,” one Newtown shopper said, tucking her bag of kale under her arm.

Market Highlights: Local Spots, Local Crops

The region’s two best-attended farmers markets run rain or shine. The sprawling Geelong Farmers’ Market operates twice monthly at the Showgrounds on Breakwater Road, with over 40 stalls spanning veg, meat, dairy and pantry items. Local food initiatives like Fresh Food Central-marketed out of Newtown’s Pakington Street-focus on regional specialties like Otway potatoes, Winchelsea lamb and early-season citrus. Vendors at both sites say demand for direct-from-farm eggs, just-picked leafy greens and freshly pressed apple juice has jumped in winter 2026.

In midwinter, Geelong’s best buys include robust brassicas such as cavolo nero, red Russian kale and broccoli (all grown just west of Moriac), as well as sweet leeks, Asian greens, and the first flush of local navel oranges. Apples from Bacchus Marsh and Bellarine Peninsula’s young fennel bulbs are also sought after. Expect mandarins around $5 per kilo and heritage carrots at $3 a bunch. Many stallholders now accept cash or card, a nod to changing times.

For families, the Belmont Market on Roslyn Road offers a more low-key experience. While not certified as strictly local, its Sunday stalls reliably deliver crates of crisp Gala apples (picked 80km north) and hand-milled oat loaves from Lara’s indie bakers. Coffee carts hug the oval perimeter, warming walkers heading for the Barwon River trail.

Shopping Smart: Seasonal Savvy and Food Value

Recent figures from Barwon Health’s "Food on the Table" initiative show that around 36% of local households reported buying at least some fruit and vegetables from a farmers’ market in the past six months, up from 24% a year ago. With tomatoes currently averaging $9.50/kg in major supermarkets, shoppers are turning to Bellarine greenhouse stalls for better prices and freshness.

According to June’s price check at the Geelong Farmers’ Market, locally grown cauliflower ranged from $3 to $4 per head-less than at most major grocers. Egg vendors on site said they’ve sold out before noon for three weeks straight, despite a $7 per dozen price tag. “It’s completely changed our family’s meal planning,” said one Grovedale resident, loading up on pumpkin and sprouting broccoli for stew night.

Statewide, the Victorian Farmers Market Association reports a 12% bump in patronage for regional markets this winter, with Geelong sites among the top five for attendance. Rain doesn’t seem to dampen appetites-especially on weekends, when local walking groups and parkrun regulars swing by Eastern Beach and then loop up Moorabool Street for shopping.

Wondering what’s next? Organisers at Belmont and Geelong Farmers’ Markets are working to extend their opening hours in spring and trial pickup points at Geelong Waterfront by September. For the freshest seasonal finds, regulars recommend arriving before 10am with bags, cash, and a little loose change for the lemon myrtle shortbread. To track what’s in season, grab a copy of the Victorian Produce Calendar or visit the Geelong City website, which posts monthly farmers’ market dates and links to regional recipes. As the cold months continue, it looks like Geelong’s favourite flavours are as local as they come.