Farmers Markets

[SHEHE]

We have a Farmers Market in our town every month ,we find the produce cheaper and fresher than the supermarket , also get advice as how to cook some thing which have not bought before . Has anyone any thoughts or views on Farmers Markets .

[diode dug]

Some stuff is rubbish, not all i'm sure but some sell products that are not from farms such as jams with high prices that suggests quality. Even seen warm nuts on sale, However i can only go with what i have see and bought. They must have seen me coming.

I hope you enjoy the products better than i did.

[cruella]

I have always found them very expensive and no different from the products in the supermarkets.

[WendyS]

Some of the produce is more expensive but generally they are about selling fresh local produce which has travelled only a short distance and hasn't been treated in some way (like salad leaves in bags pumped full of carbon dioxide to make them last longer). . It is also about trying to support local people who make their living from the land rather than putting yet more money in the way of the big supermarkets, most of whom pay local growers such small returns that they can't afford to stay in business. If we don't want Tesco & Sainsbury, etc. to be the only shops around in the near future, we need to support those who make their living from the land.

[BBWCHATT]

The tomatos are always better in my opinion.

[nickmo]

Echoing WendyS - - Farmers' markets are demonstrably cheaper by 20% compared with supermarkets on a like for like basis - as per my survey for Freerange Magazine comparing a basket of goods from Waitrose in Northampton against Olney F/Market. All the stapples can be gota t he farmers' market at excellent prices for the quality of goods.

F/Markets provide diversification for producers; employment opportunities and job start-up facilities - such as introducing new lines of goods and services to customers for creative business minded people looking to develop concepts - e.g. speciality goods like those from Steve Mitchell, in Fife, with his buffalo business, or Hansus Goats in Hampshire with hand made goats cheeses; they reduce food miles (happy buying cucumber form Bulgaria or Chinese apples are you?) and provide a local shopping experience.

They give education to younger shoppers about the provenance of food and act as social places to meet and discover new food lines; they provide seasonal food and the chance to speak to a producer that cares about their goods - try asking the veg. manager in a supermarket about their thoughts on Australian brussels sprouts.....

Those with diet needs such as ceoliacs or vegans get the best from f/markets, and as you can get such produce as carrots, sold with the mud on, what you buy will last longer if you store them as well without spoiling, so you also save money in that way too - DEFRA figs state 20% of food bought in the UK is thrown away - i.e about �450 a year by each shopper....so why not buy local, what you need when you need it, meal plan and choose from the best available from local producers.

[nickmo]

Rant continues--

There are of course some stallholders that do not offer the genuine goods - it is up to the shopper to point this out to the market organisers and the 'false' traders will be denied access in the future. Last year meat traders in Surry were found selling 'normal' beef labelled as organic and were prosecuted as a result. Honey has also been sold as 'own label' but sorced from China as a bulk lot in the past as two examples, but these are exceptions. the work of FARMA as a trade body to provide accreditation in England and Wales and SAFM in Scotland working on the same will give an assurance that te source of the goods is what is says at the stalls. Guest producers - hot nuts, as noted etc - can be allowed in - some markets may have olives, (not yet a UK crop) chocolates (cocoa not a UK crop) hand made banana bread (definitely not a UK crop) but these extra goods and services provide fresh choices for the shoppers and if you don't want to buy these goods - simply don't...

If you don't speak up and just complain later about a facility, the market experience will be nothing but negative to you and this is not the case for thousands of shoppers all over the UK happily getting their bread, mushrooms, fresh fish, butter, herbs, veg, meat, poultry and cheeses etc etc etc etc etc etc

Not sure what to cook with what you buy? Get a copy of the farmers' market cookbooks by Henrietta Green, or Nina Planck or the Scottish Farmers' Market Cookbook by Nick Paul - all offer excellent suggestions and recipes for the seasons.

As far as variety is concerned, Winchester offers 92 stalls with goods coming only from Hamps. and the adjoining Counties; Orton has 40 + stalls with only Cumbrian produce, and so it goes around Britian - so do make a trip to your local farmers' market - it is more than worthwhile..

[nickmo]

Last bit---

Or as an alternative, stick with over processed, sugar and sweetner filled, fat based, nutritionaly bereft, stale, chemically enhanced and mass produced ready meals.....processing toxins have just been linked to aging diseases, over-packaging in food industry contributes toi waste and excess landfill, pesticide residue in fruit and veg is seenas a cause of chilhood illness - so why not get something fresh and as unadulterated as is possible froma local producer.

If you can't get to a farmers' market have a look at a coplu of the online sites that can put you in touch with the local suppliers:

http://www.harvest-fayre.co.uk/ - order online
http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/ - find a supplier - 6500 in the database
http://www.eattheseasons.co.uk/ - when to buy what
http://www.ukfoodonline.co.uk/ - UK food online directory
http://www.rhug.co.uk/ - Welsh online store - meat, groceries etc

And there are many more so worth a shot if you can't get to a market.

If you do go to one - ask the stallholder for their details so you can also get heir goods when they are not at the market at any time - that will save trouble if you miss them at any time too.

Right, thats taken over the pint enough. Off to shop ......