Farmers Markets: do you have an opinion you'd like to share?

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Farmers Markets: do you have an opinion you'd like to share?
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Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 10:15 am Post subject: Farmers Markets: do you have an opinion you'd like to share?

My best pal (and horticulturist) Claire (based in London) is doing some research on Farmers' Markets and is keen to get a number of opinions from a wide variety of people who are connected with Farmers Markets in any way at all.

If you're a consumer, a producer, supplier and/or a seller at Farmers Markets, or simply have an opinion on them, I'd be really pleased to receive any comments you may have - either openly here in the thread, or if you prefer, privately via PM.

The title of her research is: "Are Farmers' Markets raising the profile of organic foods or simply pandering to a minority?"

If you wish to contribute (and it doesn't have to be an essay - even a line or two in this thread would be great!) would you kindly also let me know your name, your location (doesn't have to be a full address) and what your connection is with Farmers' Markets (i.e. consumer, producer, seller, organiser etc).

Any contributions need to be with me by Monday 7th December latest. On behalf of Claire, many thanks.

Brownbear

Joined: 28 May 2007
Posts: 14929
Location: South West

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 10:23 am Post subject:
In answer, how many farmer's markets are about organic, rather than local food, anyway?

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 10:26 am Post subject:

Brownbear wrote:

In answer, how many farmer's markets are about organic, rather than local food, anyway?

Well quite. I would have thought that farmers' markets are not first and foremost about organic produce, but local produce. I would certainly put local above organic any day.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 10:37 am Post subject:
But she's in London. Londoners have funny views about local, because anything is far away. For me, as a consumer, they are badly advertised locally. We have one every 3rd Thursday and every 4th Saturday, or something. I want it to be there on the first Saturday in the month, or similar. Otherwise, I love them. And yeah, local, not organic.

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 10:50 am Post subject:

I agree with Nick.
Also because they are locally infrequent to make a living trading at them I imagine you would have to travel long distances which adds to costs, carbon footprint & dents the 'buying local'.
If every town council set up a small local store with subsidised rent & rates which only stocked local produce & was open 6 days a week then I think it would be a lot more popular & profitable.
A sort of mini local coop if you get my drift.

Barefoot Andrew
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 21 Mar 2007
Posts: 22780
Location: In the 17th century

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 11:12 am Post subject:
I'd like one every weekend, not just once per month. Then it becomes realistic for weekly shops. A.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 11:23 am Post subject:
Definitely weekly, but I don't use the one in Cheltenham

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9887
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 11:25 am Post subject:
i dont think they are about organic produce at all, but about local produce and giving local famrers a chance to sell their wares, and local consumers somewhere to buy from other than supermarkets. so in direct answer to the question No, I don't think they are raising the profile of organic food, because that is not what they are about.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 11:26 am Post subject:
When they're accessible they're great. Trouble is all too often they're tucked away in suburban or village halls. They're at their best integrated with the rest of local retail, taking over a towns market square for one day a week or a day per month, or even as an add on to the existing market place.

RichardW

Joined: 24 Aug 2006
Posts: 8443
Location: Llyn Peninsular North Wales

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 11:30 am Post subject:

Within our county (so thats about 70 miles in any direction ish) they are either

a, crap (I define crap as lack of suppliers & lack of customers)
b, great for customers but stitched up for suppliers & there is no way you will ever get a spot
c, controlled by a "body" that is just in it for them selves so you cant sell any item they sell in the on site shop.

So any way you look at it farmers markets dont work here.

Add in that the population cant afford "good" food & only want cheap mainly & any one trying to sell a product with standards or a story wont last.

lottie

Joined: 11 Aug 2005
Posts: 5059
Location: ceredigion

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 11:36 am Post subject:
If the one in Aberystwyth was every saturday instead of having to remember it's every 1st.and 3rd. then I would use it more----I understand why they aren't every week but people tend to have set weekly shopping routines.

Mrs R

Joined: 15 Aug 2008
Posts: 7202

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 11:41 am Post subject:

I've done hundreds, selling free range pork. My thoughts (apart from farmer's markets not so much being about organic, as has been said) would be:

1) Put them under cover the second it gets cold - sellers and surely customers too would rather not wander about in the open in winter? If you're going to be doing your weekly shop at a farmer's market you want to do it in comfort. Supermarkets 'get' this, why can't everyone else?

2) They must be weekly, or AT LEAST fornightly if they are to be a viable alternative to other shopping. At the moment people go to buy special, rather expensive treat type items once a month, maybe stocking up...but they still get the rest from supermarkets. Things like milk, butter, bacon and sausages and veg need to be a regular supply. As a seller, I would rather do one central farmer's market every saturday than serve 4 different places in a month. Build up the regular customers.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 11:43 am Post subject:

Our nearest aren't regular at all, we don't really have a 'local' farmers market unfortunately, and they have funny timings like the first Tuesday of every other month, which just isn't practical to remember.

I agree about advertising too. I couldn't actually tell you where and when our next is, which is a pity because if I knew I would certainly use it.

Fee (consumer) in Camberley, Surrey (Hampshire & Surrey Farmers Markets)

shopgirlsue

Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 197
Location: Nr Shaftesbury

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 12:15 pm Post subject:

Agree that for me Farmers Markets are about local rather than organic. I used to go to a great one in Beaconsfield (Bucks) but it was only once a month so no good for regular shopping. However it was good fun and hopefully raised the profile of local producers.

Here (Shaftesbury) I can't remember when the Farmers Market is but it doesn't seem to have many more stalls than the weekly market which is mostly local people anyway.

Sue (occasional market consumer but still a Waitrose girl at heart

)

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Thu Nov 26, 09 12:36 pm Post subject:

As a consumer I have been to a couple but as I like doing most of my buying at obscure times of the day then they are not practical. As a person living in town I would use them more, like a traditional market, but it would need to be regular and well organised (advertising, location, etc).

I think Farmers Markets have a reputation of being about 'organic' and this may put people off using them. They shouldn't be exclusive, either for consumers or producers, or you'll never get the people in, even if it is organised.

As a producer I decided early on that farmers markets were not practical for me- I had all the work to do with selling our produce, and there were only two of us to deal with the rest of it. I think farmers markets could fit in perfectly for farming families where children are looking to keep the business going- ie plenty of staff & a bit of extra capital to invest.

I think you know my name & address

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