A visit to a farmers’ market supports local farmers and helps the environment by cutting down on food miles. What’s more, it’s a good source of fresh seasonal produce and, says Susie Chance, it’s great fun

Colourful, vibrant, fresh food markets – or farmers’ markets as they are known – are thriving from one corner of the country to another. There has been a remarkable renaissance of the traditional food market – from the first one in Bath in Autumn 1997, to hundreds today.

A stroll round a bustling farmers market reveals a mouthwatering display of fresh fruit and veg, eggs and dairy produce, meat and poultry, and home-made bread, cakes, honey and preserves. Precisely what’s for sale varies with the seasons and the market’s location, but one thing you can be sure of is its freshness and quality, locally produced - sold direct from the farm to the public. And the great thing is that everyone stands to benefit – stallholders, customers, the environment and the local community.

’I’m a big fan of our local market,’ says Kim Clark from Bristol. ‘I buy there because it means I know exactly where my food has come from and who is selling it,' she says. 'The food is always fresh, the prices very reasonable and often you can try before you buy. And it’s fun. I bump into friends and chat to stallholders – and end up being there far too long!’

The stallholders range from local traditional farmers to small family and speciality producers who don’t produce enough to sell to large supermarkets. To become a stallholder they must come from a defined local area, and they or their families or key workers must be at the market to sell in person. Although not exclusively organic, many sell food that is either organic, ‘in conversion’, or that has been produced with a minimum of pesticides. The markets give them the opportunity to explain to the public exactly what this means and how their food has been produced. And the public in turn can ask questions and give valuable feedback to the stallholder.

David and Linda Deme own Water Lane Farm, an ‘in conversion’ fruit farm in Chegworth, Kent. They do seven markets a week in the London area. ‘We used to supply on a large scale to supermarkets, but it just wasn’t profitable,’ explains David. ‘They only wanted the perfect produce – the perfect apple of a certain colour, shape, size and so on. If an apple was even a fraction out it would be rejected. Around 50% would be rejected at grading time.

‘By doing the markets we are in contact with the customer and have started to understand what they really want. Thanks to their feedback we have planted five new varieties of fruit this year,’ says David. ‘In fact, we are selling to people exactly what the supermarkets were telling us they didn’t want!’

There is little doubt that farmers’ markets are one of the more positive things to happen to farmers in recent years. In some instances they have provided a lifeline. Last year, a business report by the NFU on farmers’ markets* said that for many the main reason farmers attended the markets was to secure vital extra income during the farming recession. More markets are planned. But now, more than ever, they need your support.

Who benefits?

• The farmers and producers gain valuable feedback from their customers about what they want. Financially, it cuts out the middleman, keeps travel and packaging costs to a minimum and provides a valuable regular source of income, especially for smaller producers.
• The public: is able to buy food at its freshest – some fruit and veg, for example, may have been picked that morning or the night before. Prices are generally competitive. We can ask questions and learn about our food (how it is grown, stored, cooked), try different varieties and get to know the producers. And hey, it makes shopping more fun, friendly and sociable…
• The community: experience shows that farmers’ markets can inject life back into under-used urban centres. It encourages us to understand and support local businesses.
• The environment: local markets cut down on food miles and pollution, and reduce the need for packaging. They support biodiversity by encouraging the buying and selling of different varieties. They support environmentally-friendly farming practices such as organic and pesticide-free crops.

To find a member of the National Association of farmers’ markets near you, visit their website at www.farmersmarkets.net or send an SAE to the National Association of Farmers’ Markets, South Vaults, Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath BA1 1JB.