Local means seasonal, but as plums begin to creep into the summer stock and apples are on offer in May, it seems that not all farmers' markets are playing by the rules
When Britain's first farmers' market opened in Bath in 1997, it was far from just a local event; it was a national occasion. People travelled from all over the country to buy its local artisan produce, excited to be part of a tradition that hadn't been practiced in this country for decades.
Farmers' market revivals were an American idea that took hold there in the early nineties as a way for small producers to ditch the money-grabbing middlemen, and sell direct to the customers. The regional produce and the community atmosphere offered by these markets soon made them an irresistible addition to our weekly household chores.
In just ten years the number of farmers' markets in the UK has already reached 550. Seventeen per cent of households have visited a farmers' market, and it looks like there is still lots of room for growth since nine out of ten people say they would shop at a market if they had one locally.
The downside to this rapid expansion is that a few traders are cashing in on their popularity by selling produce bought from wholesalers. They simply dress it up by sprinkling some farmer's dust (earth), to make it look as if their veg has just been pulled out of the ground.
The issue has been highlighted by the media recently. An article in The Times exposed Isle of Wight Tomatoes, who supply a number of farmers' markets in London. It emerged that they are supplied by a multi-million pound company called Wight Salads, who sell to supermarket chains and produce genetic crossbreeds. Isle of Wight cherry tomatoes were found to be on sale at Tesco for £1.87 for 455g, while the same amount of identical tomatoes could be bought at Pimlico market for almost twice the price, at £3.50.
Isle of Wight Tomatoes told me they 'could not comment' on the matter, but were working to improve their practices.
I also spoke to a market worker at one of London's biggest wholesale markets, The New Covent Garden Market in Vauxhall, who told me that farmers' market stallholders are among their regular customers. Gary Marshall at Bevington Salads said: 'We do get farmers' market stall-owners coming here, mostly to buy English produce, but when it is out of season they have no option but to buy from further afield.'
It seems that some people have got confused as to what farmers' markets are for. Selling asparagus in January contradicts the whole concept of farmers' markets, which are meant to sell their own local produce, and that means it will invariably be seasonal.
Kerry Rankine, who organises the Stoke Newington Farmers' market in London - the UK's only 100 per cent organic market, is aware that some traders at other markets sell produce from wholesalers. She said: 'I have heard plums were being sold in a market in June. People are still not that well informed, but it's getting much better, we have a lot of regulars who have developed their own relationship with the producers.'
She says that buying in goods may seem trivial to the stallholders involved, but farmers' markets have done so much to make people think about where their food comes from, it would be terrible to undo this education.
She added: 'If people then start thinking there are apples in May, it gets them confused. Also, if people start to distrust farmers' markets that will have a devastating effect on small and medium-sized farmers whose livelihoods often depend on these markets. The success of the Saturday trade at our market has even helped our producers to buy more land.'
Obviously, most traders at farmers' markets are all above board. Rita Exner, of FARMA (the National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association), said: 'It's terrible that so many farmers go to the trouble of harvesting a crop the day before so there is still moisture on the produce when it's on the stall, while a few (and it is just a few) are fiddling the system. In the end, the customer will be able to detect a good quality in the product.'
The best way to boycott these rogue traders is to make sure you don't buy from a stall selling produce that is clearly out of season. So swot up on your seasonal knowledge by going to www.eattheseasons.co.uk.
It's also a good idea to visit a farmers' market that is certified by FARMA if you live near one. Certification guarantees that all the products at the market are sold and produced, grown or reared by the farmers from the local area (usually within 30 miles). Every market that is certified should have a board on display saying they are, and you can also check by going to www.farmersmarkets.co.uk.
The good news is that now over half of the farmers' markets in the UK are certified, and more are applying each day, so the chances are that your local market is doing a sterling job both for the local farming community, and for your palates.