A third generation fruiterer has opened a farmer’s-style market in the centre of Ipswich.
Clint Borghardt and his family run Clint’s Farm Fresh Produce which sources produce locally and across the south-east during the week to sell on the weekend.
He credits his success with the fact that they source their produce direct from farmers.
“It’s a different concept, people say I’m mad for not just driving to Rocklea (fruit and vegetable markets),” Clint said.
“But I want to keep it fresh and local.
“That is why we only open two days a week, as I am travelling from 3am on Wednesdays picking up the produce ahead of that weekend.
Clint clocks up around 700 kilometres each week.
“I’ll head to the Sunny Coast and pick up a truck load of strawberries, pineapples, passionfruit, raspberries.
“Then I might head to the Lockyer/Gatton region and depending what has been picked that week, is what we will collect.
“Every couple of weeks I pop up to Gayndah for citrus.”
Clint has over 20 farms on his list that he deals with at different times of the year.
Zoe Borghardt stacking the shelves ahead of weekend trading
Fresh fruit and vegetables that last at reasonable prices is what Clint has found people want.
Most of their customers have found them through word of mouth.
“We have a loyal customer base,” Clint said.
The Borghardts are not farmers but Clint grew up at his parents’ and grandparents’ fruit shop at Kruger.
“I pretty much grew up in a spud bin,” Clint said.
Clint’s parents, Howard and Sheryl Borghardt, along with their parents, had sold the family lucerne farm at Ma Ma Creek when they started Kruger Fresh Food Market.
Some of his earliest memories were formed in the shop.
“I remember sitting there and watching the workers bagging potatoes,” Clint said.
“Then when I started school, it was right across the road from the shop, so I was always there.”
By the time Clint was 15, he was running another fruit shop for his parents at the bayside.
Shortly after, the Borghardts started doing markets at Caboolture.
Clint did them for about four years before starting his apprenticeship as a renderer.
“I was working all week as a tradie and running the market stall on the weekends,” he said.
“People started asking did I have this or that left over from the weekend markets, so I started doing up fresh fruit and vege boxes and delivering them to homes.
“I leased a shed in Lobb Street almost a year ago and it really took off.”
Clint went from serving about 30 customers over the weekend to over 600 people on the weekend.
Moving into Ipswich CBD was not necessarily what he had planned.
“I said I’d never go back into a shop. With mum and dad we were seven days a week,” he said.
“I want to see my kids grow up.”
So the plan is to continue doing Friday and the weekends as farmers-style market in the shop at 37 Brisbane Street.
“Luckily my parents are helping me now. They want to see me succeed,” he said.
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without my dad, he is a big help.
“Mum comes in a couple of days a week and lots of people come in and recognise mum.”
Clint’s wife Zoe and children Laityn, 6, and Ledger, 4, are always on hand too.
“We have our grand opening on the weekend of 19, 20 October,” he said.
“We want to do a big grazing platter and we have some other locals coming in to sell their fresh bread, cakes and flowers.”
Clint’s Fresh Farm Produce is at 37 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, opposite Hog’s Breath Cafe.
Opening hours are Friday 8am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am to 2pm.
The weekly haul is posted on Facebook each week.