It starts with a week but lasts a lifetime: How Buy SA Week supports local communities all-year round
For South Australian businesses, Buy SA Week is one of the most important events on the economic calendar.
Almost seventy years ago, Martin Rohde’s grandparents bought some chickens to supplement a small family business in the Clare Valley. Seven years ago, Minka Park launched Kimchi Club to bring the taste of her South Korean homeland to her new South Australian home.
Both Martin and Minka have one thing in common: pride in owning a South Australian business.
“We pride ourselves on having fresh, high-quality eggs from free-range, happy chickens that can scratch around on the farm and enjoy their lives,” Martin said. “The family business began back in 1957 with my grandparents and has grown since then. I’m now the third generation to work here, along with my sister.”
Like many South Australian businesses, Rohde Egg Co relies on local sales for its success – support which the producer in turn reciprocates.
“We’ve had a lot of local support for 70 years and we’re grateful for that,” Martin said. “The South Australian community has always helped us continue to grow and been very loyal and passionate. There’s no better place to run a business.
“We also work with a lot of South Australian businesses and suppliers. Our feed comes from Laucke Mills in the Barossa Valley and we work with a lot of smaller businesses that have helped us get to where we want to get to.
“Local support is why we’re here today. It has enabled us to get from my grandparents running a small operation to now employing more than 30 people and we’re looking forward to keeping growing. It’s nice to think we can grow our business across fourth and fifth generations.”
Minka is also a determined advocate for a strong South Australian business community. “Local suppliers are important to me – they know all about growing and sourcing good-quality local produce so it’s all related,” she said. “We engage with the local farmers, suppliers and packaging companies, as well as the people who work at Kimchi Club. We’re all in this together.”
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Thanks to community support and the high quality of her products, Kimchi Club is enjoying steady growth. “Children as young as four or five months love our products,” Minka said. “When we do tasting at local farmers markets, it’s a great opportunity for people to come along, meet real makers and taste and understand the food.
“People stand for more than 10 minutes tasting all the products and asking questions. They end up becoming big kimchi lovers.”
Putting local at the top of the list
For Martin, Minka and businesses across the state, Buy SA Week — which runs until August 3 – is one of the most important weeks on the calendar. The annual event shines a light on the rich variety of goods, services and experiences created right here in our state, giving consumers the perfect excuse to get behind South Australia’s incredible local businesses.
“It promotes brands like ours throughout South Australia and gives consumers more awareness of South Australian brands,” Martin said. “Buy SA Week helps connect consumers with businesses, which is important as we have so many great brands here in the state, so the more support the better.”
From tastings and cooking demonstrations to prize giveaways and pop-up events across the state, Buy SA Week is a celebration of the vibrancy and creativity of South Australian makers, growers, creators and service providers.
On Friday, watch Masterchef alumni Larissa Sewell and Supermarket Swap’s Nabula El Mourid in action at Adelaide Central Market and taste the difference cooking with fresh local produce brings. Or wander the stalls, meet the growers and taste your way through South Australia’s best seasonal produce at the Adelaide Farmers’ Market on Sunday.
Get creative and check out the Artisans of Adelaide Winter Market in Klemzig on Saturday, showcasing the best of South- Australian made with local artisans, music, gin tastings, kids corner, fashion, coffee, tasty treats and more.
And experience the flavours of South Australia across the city and regions including local supermarkets, retailers and Rundle Mall, with a range of standalone activations and in-store tastings across the week.
Ongoing support
But it doesn’t just end when Buy SA Week ends. Buying local is a habit we can all build into our daily lives.
When you choose to buy South Australian products or engage a local service provider, you’re doing more than making a purchase – you’re investing in your community. Every dollar spent with a local business helps strengthen our state’s economy, create local jobs and keeps money circulating in our state.
Plus, buying local helps reduce environmental impacts, with shorter supply chains leading to lower transport emissions.
Choosing local often means choosing fresher, higher quality, and more unique products — whether that’s a handmade homeware, a boutique wine or a specialty service delivered with a personal touch.
It’s easy to buy local
Just look for the South Australian State Brand on products or services to rest assured that you’re supporting South Australian businesses.
And it’s not just about products on supermarket shelves – the State Brand also represents local tradespeople, professional services, tourism operators and creative industries that make South Australia a better place to live, work and visit.
Budget-friendly buying
Buying local doesn’t always mean costing more. Here are some simple, budget-friendly ways to support local:
- Purchase in-season produce: Fruits and vegetables grown locally and in season are often cheaper, fresher and taste better than imported alternatives.
- Seek out “seconds”: Many local producers sell slightly imperfect items at a lower price – think misshapen fruit or products with minor cosmetic blemishes that are still perfectly good to use or eat.
- Join producer memberships: Many coffee roasters, wineries and even dairy producers offer memberships, subscriptions or refillable options that provide regular products at discounted rates.
- Buy direct: Shopping at farmers’ markets, cellar doors or direct from makers can mean better prices and a stronger connection to the people behind the product.
- Keep an eye out for the State Brand and weekly specials in your local supermarket catalogue.
Visit BuySA.sa.gov.au to learn more, find local businesses to support and see what’s on during Buy SA Week.
