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Where is my closest Farmers' Market? Select your county from our list and find out - its easy! What is the purpose of a Farmers' Market? Farmers' Markets enable local producers to sell their goods directly to consumers; this means; fresher food; a better understanding between producer and consumer; high quality produce at an affordable price; and a fairer income for producers. Farmers' Markets promote a more sustainable society by reducing "food miles", assisting in the sale and marketing of food produced to high environmental and welfare standards, and by reconnecting consumers with the farming community that surrounds and serves them. The benefits are numerous! What's special about a Farmers' Market? Nowhere else will you find such a mixture of fresh and locally produced goods, nor will you find the vibrant and friendly atmosphere that make doing your weekly shopping an enjoyable experience! The nature of Farmers' Markets makes them a perfect outlet for local specialist produce in addition to what you would usually expect to find, such as wild boar sausages, buffalo cheese, smoked eel, bison burgers and venison. How do I know what's being sold is fresh and local? Simply ask the stallholders. They should be able to tell you the precise production history of everything they sell. This includes whether their vegetables are pesticide free, or their eggs organic. You can check by asking them, how they control pests, how they house their pigs, or what they feed their hens. If a vegetable is not in season, ask how they've managed to grow it. They will be pleased to tell you. Do Farmers' Markets only sell Organic Produce? No, though a lot of organic producers sell at Farmers' Markets as they are the ideal outlet for those who are unable to produce the quantities required by supermarkets. Farmers' Markets are also the answer for many small farmers in the process of organic conversion. They provide a reliable outlet for their produce for which other outlets are not economically viable. Is food at Farmers' Markets cheaper than elsewhere? Farmers markets are not necessarily the least expensive food outlet in town as prices should reflect quality and quality can cost a little more. Farmers are looking for a better margin on what they sell than they would get elsewhere and full retail prices (plus a little more if appropriate for high-welfare or other special claims) can be justified. Small farmers are also not as able to cut costs as much as the retail multiples are.
Market organisers Queries Why should I join the National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association? Because we hope to offer you the kind of services a market organiser would want; Practical advice, support, promotion, and the opportunity to Certify your market so it is recognised as a reliable source of fresh and locally produced goods. How can FARMA help to safe guard the name of Farmers' Markets? FARMA has developed a Certification scheme for farmers' markets. It is based on the criteria developed with the help of our members and is consistantly under review and updated to reflect changes in the farmers' markets sector and the needs of our memebers while maintaining the standards that make farmers' market what they are. We can't find any cheese producers if we stick to the criteria... what can we do? FARMA acknowledges that all regions differ in the amount and types of produce available, therefore individual circumstances will be taken into account when considering a market’s application - each certified market is assessed individually. For a market to be successful it has to offer a diverse range of produce, so if there is no cheese producer within 30 miles of the market it is perfectly acceptable to invite the one from 50 miles away. We want markets to thrive, and to encourage as much local, own produce, to be sold as possible. There would be no market at all if no customers came because the variety of produce was too limited. What about having a bit of entertainment? Opinions are divided. Creating a difference is the aim, and sales may be boosted by the appetising appeal of a hog roast; dancers and musicians can also provide an attractive backdrop. Themes work well. Ashford ( Kent ) successfully employed a strawberry theme for its first mid-summer market . In one of New York 's Markets there's a popular 'I Love Lucy Grape Stomp' - no, we don't know how it works either but, if you go for a theme, carry it through properly otherwise it can just be confusing. Should a Farmers' Market be under cover? Some markets have access to covered space but the finding of Retail Healthchecks at markets is that even substantial downpours doesn't put customers off and may even bring customers out in support of the producers - in the summer anyway. Certainly, if asked we will support the market's chosen criteria by pointing out that it is perfectly acceptable and the manager's (or management committee's) decision is what counts. Environmental credentials are important but do bear in mind that many areas of the country will not have enough organic producers to supply a regular and varied market. You may find that in order to run a successful organic market, with a variety of stalls, you would have to find producers from outside of our recommended 30 mile radius, if there are other producers closer to hand, offering the same produce FARMA would prefer to see both sorts of producers, and have organic and non organic produce side by side. This would mean more choice for the customer, which would be brilliant, and the results might be surprising! Always check organic claims however - organic certification comes with a current certificate from one of the certifying bodies. If you are in any doubt please give us a call. What should my stall' holders be prepared to tell the public? Farmers will be asked about how they grow their crops or produce their meat and they must have honest, credible answers. Many stall holders will also make a small display of photographs to show production methods and the farm or business story - it is good practice to encourage this. What about all the regulations surrounding food safety? Health and trading standards cannot be reduced for farmers' markets. Those unused to retailing may not be aware of the need to comply - or what they must complying with. Training in all aspects of food handling from basic food hygiene to sophisticated butchery skills are available so please ensure that, as an organiser, you are aware of the opportunities available. For more information contact your local Trading Standards and Environmental Health Officers, or we might be able to help. What if there are several stalls selling the same food? Avoid price competition within markets themselves. If you have two or more of the same kind of producer, encourage them to hold their prices (and margins) and work instead on developing differences rather than fighting on price - it's a downward spiral that in the end will help no-one. Perhaps they could specialise in different areas of their produce or explore ways to add value and differentiate their produce. Consumer choice is not entirely governed by price, value for money is an important factor and the decision to buy may come down to trust in an individual, the quality of presentation on the stall, or the way the produce is handled and packed for him/her to take home. For further information about setting up a Farmers' Market join the National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association. Other FAQ Availability of particular products: Boot Sale, idea to run farmers’ market alongside: Change of details: Coffee at Farmers’ Markets You could approach markets and ask if they would let you offer a refreshment service and it might help if you were using locally produced milk and cream where appropriate. You may find local packaging is made overseas and we would recommend that an environmentally friendly option be used if possible. It would be entirely up to the individual managers or management groups and may depend on whether they think they have room amongst other considerations. A genuine farmers’ market: All our member markets are listed on the web site www.farmersmarkets.net then choose “Find a Farmers’ Market” and you can search by county. Farmers’ market at an occasional event: Finding a farm shop Insurance for markets Insurance for producers Looking for suppliers, apples Membership Non food stalls Non-member requesting listing: We used to list non-member farmers’ markets and people assumed that, if they were on our web site they operated with our approval – unfortunately there are some shoddy markets calling themselves farmers’ markets so it was undermining the good markets. Hope this helps and do give us a call if you’d like to discuss membership. Organic Certification Organic information Other web site Product supply, overseas Secondary producer wanting to sell at FMs If you haven’t already decided on a product it may be worth checking markets that you might like to attend to see whether it is already on offer – many markets have limited space so will restrict the numbers of any one product. To identify markets that may take you as a stallholder draw circles that represent 30, 50 and 100 miles from where you’re based and then approach markets starting with those within the smallest circle first (use a piece of thread that represents 15 miles and place one end on your location then scribe a circle etc). If your product is highly desirable but not readily available you may find the 50 mile or even 100 mile markets will take you. Talk to the market managers – contact details on www.farmersmarkets.net then use “Find a Farmers’ Market”. Selling at FMs Setting up a farmers’ market: Alternatively send a postal address for a starter pack. This will give you pointers to what’s involved and how to go about it. Or you could ask existing farmers’ market managers in your area if they would be interested in expanding – we would always suggest you talk to them if planning a market to work in compliment rather than conflict when it comes to deciding the dates on which the market will run. Veg producers for a shop Otherwise it’s ‘leg work’ – the DEFRA web site has a list of organic certificating bodies if you want organics, local yellow pages, web searches, the NFU might be able to help or even other farmers. Local Environmental Health departments have list of registered food producers but I’m not sure producers who aren’t processing would be included. Hope this helps
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