ABOUT 3.5 years ago, three Normanville mates were chatting about their love of good food, wine and other produce and its limited availability in the local area.
John Dunbar, Guy Maron and Matt Robertson were lamenting their lack of proximity to something like Adelaide's Central Market, and thus, the idea for the Normanville Farmers' Market was born.
"Just like that, we decided to look at getting one going," Mr Dunbar said.
The project has been in the pipeline ever since, as the trio continue to investigate ways to find start-up funding and employ a manager.
Following extensive research on the internet, trawling through various reports and surveys from farmers' markets across Australia, Mr Dunbar said having a market in the area would be "quite good" from a business and economic perspective.
"It is a good way for small producers to grow demand for their products and build up to a larger scale," he said.
He pointed to small enterprises which had been able to grow their business by participating at farmers' markets such as Willunga and Victor Harbor.
"Those people need incubation and improved outlets for their products," he said.
"Then they can react to the market, and it's all extremely good for product development, as well as a tourism attraction."
Tourism was a key component for the Normanville area, he said, estimating about 40 per cent of homes in the area belonged to people who did not permanently live there.
"A large number of people who come here are day trippers, and we get a good degree of tourist traffic heading to Kangaroo Island," he said.
Last year, a survey was conducted over two days to gauge community and tourist reactions to the market proposal during the Tour Down Under.
"Over two days we surveyed about 220 people, and 82pc said they were in favour of and would frequent a farmers' market," he said.
"We didn't perceive too many negative reactions."
Recently, they also surveyed traders in Normanville, with all but one in favour of the market.
"They said it would bring a buzz back to town," Mr Dunbar said.
The market is an incorporated, not-for-profit organisation and, with the help of Adelaide and Willunga markets' founder Zannie Flanagan, a business plan was completed in March 2014.
A range of sites were considered as potential locations, taking into account proximity to toilets and ATMs, power, water, parking, sealed surface and shelter.
The committee is finalising a report to go to council which details finer plans of the project.
"The key features of a farmers' market are good governance, and a good manager," Mr Dunbar said.
"We've pulled together all the administrative material and run that past a solicitor - we needed that to source funding.
"Now, we need to find a good manager."
To find a manager, they need to source funding, which has been difficult.
"Grant and seed funding is the easiest way, but most of those opportunities aren't available anymore," Mr Dunbar said.
