Farmers market?

MrsTinks

really depends on why you're going... if it's to save money then uhmmm it might be a short trip If you are trying to reduce your food miles then I would suggest buying whatever takes your fancy at the farmers market

findingmyownway

tine wrote: »

really depends on why you're going... if it's to save money then uhmmm it might be a short trip If you are trying to reduce your food miles then I would suggest buying whatever takes your fancy at the farmers market

because i love fruit and veg and fancy some properly fresh produce for a change! i am free all afternoon and so have plenty time to come home and cook stuff :j

Justie

take your own carrier bags and plenty of cash (small notes and coins if you can too helps) I'd say it's better value but not cheaper and you'll spend more than you planned cos you'll think 'oh I'll just have that'

I'd also go early - our good local ones sell out of the best stuff by 10am.

Most of the stalls will offer samples so you can taste things and make your own mind up about them but don't buy more than you have fridge/freezer space for. Some markets have mass produced tat so it will depend how well the market is run as to how local and how 'genuine' the produce is so use your judgement.

Look out for things like mustards and sauces and dressings that may cost a bit more than you would pay for in the supermarket but can transform cheap cuts of meat etc and will last you a long time. We have some divine balsamic dressing at one of our local ones that I always end up having a huge order from friends and family to buy even though it's £4 a bottle but it lasts about 3 months (if rationed!) and is worth every penny.

Pink.

Hi findingmyownway,

These older threads might help:

Advice for farmers market

My First Farmers Market

What to look for at Farmers Markets?

Was I ripped off at the farmers market?


Pink

tanith

I was equally enthusiastic when I went to my first Farmers market and came away very disappointed, it was very expensive especially the meat products, nothing was what I would call local and some of the stalls were defo not the genuine article and looked like they had been cobbled together by buying other traders stuff and then selling on... big disappointment...
Hope you have better luck....

competitionscafe

Go as early as possible (best/most popular stuff sells out fast)

Take lots of cash and smaller change as its all cash only purchases.

Ask lots of questions - the whole idea of a farmers market is that the people who produce/grow the food are selling it so if you want to know anything (how animals were raised, how fruit/veg was grown, when it was picked, how to cook it - just ask, usually people are proud of their produce and happy to answer any questions or give advice on cooking etc)

I know all the stalls now, but on my first couple of visits I liked to walk around first and look at all the stalls first to see what was on offer and prices etc, then go back round a second time to buy stuff. This way you don't buy something from one stall and then move on to another one to find something similar to what you just bought but nicer.

There should be a website for your farmers market with a list of producers and often a link to their websites, so you can get a good idea of what the farms look like, what products they offer, etc - Edinburgh farmers market website also has a newsletter which for example has the 'best' producers (as voted by the public visiting the market) so you get an idea of the most popular stalls.

If you are expecting 'bargains' you may be dissapointed!

Bear in mind that the choice of fruit and veg at a genuine farmers market will be a lot less than at a supermarket because it needs to be locally produced and in season (and we are in the 'hungry gap now', come June, July the choice will increase greatly). However it almost certainly be fresher and tastier.

The stalls with the biggest queues are often the ones with the nicest stuff.

competitionscafe

tanith wrote: »

nothing was what I would call local and some of the stalls were defo not the genuine article and looked like they had been cobbled together by buying other traders stuff and then selling on... big disappointment...

I think Farmers markets vary a lot in quality but that does sound really bad as it goes against the whole concept! At Edinburgh all the stallholders are selling their own produce although the definition of 'local' stretches to near Inverness in the North and Northumberland in the South - that's the exception though as most of the stallholders are from near Edinburgh and the ones from near Inverness (Really Garlicky Garlic) and Northumberland (Piperfield Pork) are both really good and it's still 'regionally local'.

I think some markets just call themselves 'farmers markets' because of the popularity of them. A genuine farmers market should be "a market in which farmers, growers or producers from a defined local area are present in person to sell their own produce, direct to the public. All products sold should have been grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed by the stallholder." You can search for your nearest 'genuine' one at the National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association :

http://www.farmersmarkets.net/

http://www.farma.org.uk/

Bargain_Rzl

competitionscafe wrote: »

I think Farmers markets vary a lot in quality but that does sound really bad as it goes against the whole concept!

No it doesn't! Like any other form of shopping, you're going to find that some suppliers are better than others

competitionscafe

Yes of course some suppliers are better than others but surely the posters description that "nothing was what I would call local" and "some of the stalls were defo not the genuine article and looked like they had been cobbled together by buying other traders stuff and then selling on" does go against the concept as defined by the National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association requirements that a farmers market is "a market in which farmers, growers or producers from a defined local area are present in person to sell their own produce, direct to the public. All products sold should have been grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, baked, smoked or processed by the stallholder."
http://www.farmersmarkets.net/