UAE's Hidden Gems: Organic Farmers Souq in Dubai

Dubai - In Episode 15, we make a stopover at Organic Farmers Souq in Dubai — to support farmers, purchase locally produced crop, and eat healthily.

Heard of a little corner shop or a hole-in-the-wall eatery that’s rumoured to sell the best burger, or the best sandwich, or the best kebab? Or another ‘little-known place’ that launched a thousand ships? UAE’s Hidden Gems features one such place a week. In Episode 15, we make a stopover at Organic Farmers Souq in Dubai — to support farmers, purchase locally produced crop, and eat healthily.

Fridays are when we laze around when no one worries if breakfast gets skipped, and brunch is consumed instead. It’s also the day when we attend to chores. The empty shelves in the refrigerator scream that they need to be filled up. And if you, like me, don’t enjoy grocery shopping, then it does seem like a daunting task. After all, what can be charming about picking up carrots and identifying different varieties of okra? That’s what I thought — until I reached the Organic Farmers Souq in Bay Avenue, Business Bay, Dubai.

Other than the warm sun rays on a winter morning, what also greeted me here were the smiles of the farmers manning the tents at this community initiative, with the tag line ‘Buy Fresh, Buy Local’. Previously known as Farmers Market on The Terrace, the market in its 11th year is now supported by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE), Food and Water Security, ARADA, Bay Avenue, and Dubai Municipality.

I’ll use the words to paint a green, fresh and local picture of what awaits you, but for the real deal (smell the parsley in the air), you have to drop by at this hidden gem, which will make you look forward to the chore. And this is one chore that can be fully appreciated by and attended with families.

As children cycle around, their curiosity piques for a few of them have never seen vegetables, fruits, eggs, and more anywhere else other than in the air-conditioned aisles of a supermarket. And of course, mummy and daddy are happy that their children are in for a lesson on ‘where does our food come from’, with the answers coming in straight from the farmers — including those from farms like Integrated Green Resources, Nayla Organics, Desert Harvest, Al Jimi Organica, and more. In the end, everyone gets to eat fresh, locally produced crop and stays healthy.

Set up under the open skies, with residential lawns and Burj Khalifa as the backdrop, the atmosphere is friendly, with the participants pitching in to help one other. “I love the feeling of camaraderie here, hence I keep returning, year after year,” said Salma Hijjawai, the Jordanian ice cream creator behind The Ice Cream Shop, a brand of hand-crafted fresh organic ice cream. Of course, you can be assured of the quality of the produce, for weekly checks at the farms are conducted by the officials from MoCCAE. The initiative is part of an integrated plan developed by the MoCCAE to market local produce, starting with creating outlets specifically for homegrown produce.

Walk around and pick your favourites. I shortlisted mine — spring onions, sweet corn, cucumbers, spinach and tomatoes. The vendors would provide the fare in plastic and paper bags, but if you wish to do your bit for the planet, then carry your cloth bag as I did. For, how often do you get to wear the green badge — support local farms, shop organic vegetables and wear sustainability on your shoulder?

Other than farmers, food artisans sell goodies including olive oil, vegan cookies, nuts, granola bars, kinds of butter, and more. You can even take home a sapling to start your kitchen garden. While brekkie choices are limited, for now, still, you can make a picnic out of this routine activity. A hot cuppa at 100 Café and you are ready to kickstart your Friday. Or better still, sit a little longer in the lawns, chat up with the farmers, and soak in the green vibes.

Here are three things you won’t get anywhere:

>Farm-to-fork education, UAE-based farmers tell you where the food has come from