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| farm:farmers_markets [2026/03/11 11:59] – Dave Darby | farm:farmers_markets [2026/04/15 15:28] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| # Farmers' markets | This topic is part of [[gt:community|Community & culture]], [[gt:economy|Economy & finance]] and [[gt:food|Food & drink]]. |
| | ====== Farmers' markets ====== |
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| ## What are farmers' markets and direct farm sales? | ===== What are farmers' markets and direct farm sales? ===== |
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| They're ways for farmers to sell direct to local people, without having to go through an exploitative supermarket system. | They're ways for farmers to sell direct to local people, without having to go through an exploitative supermarket system. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### History | ==== History ==== |
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| Of course, local food markets and farm sales go back almost as far as agriculture. Produce has always been bartered or swapped for some exchange medium that could then be swapped for different produce. All markets were 'farmers' markets' until the advent of corporate supermarkets, and in many parts of the world today, trying to explain farmers' markets or direct sales in terms that depict them as in some way out of the ordinary will confuse the locals, who just call them markets. Their local markets provide affordable, high-quality food, and they're proud of their local cheeses, beers, wines and other specialities. The global trend is towards corporate dominance of our food supply, however, which makes the recent counter-trend towards local food and direct sales all the more important. | Of course, local food markets and farm sales go back almost as far as agriculture. Produce has always been bartered or swapped for some exchange medium that could then be swapped for different produce. All markets were 'farmers' markets' until the advent of corporate supermarkets, and in many parts of the world today, trying to explain farmers' markets or direct sales in terms that depict them as in some way out of the ordinary will confuse the locals, who just call them markets. Their local markets provide affordable, high-quality food, and they're proud of their local cheeses, beers, wines and other specialities. The global trend is towards corporate dominance of our food supply, however, which makes the recent counter-trend towards local food and direct sales all the more important. |
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| ## What are the benefits of farmers' markets and direct farm sales? | ===== What are the benefits of farmers' markets and direct farm sales? ===== |
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| ### Personal | ==== Personal ==== |
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| Farmers get to keep more of the income generated and are able to escape from exploitative supermarket contracts. They can reduce costs via less packaging, and no transport costs for farm shops and PYO; and at the market, there are opportunities to receive feedback directly from the public. Consumers get better-quality, fresh, local, seasonal food, they get to meet the people who produce their food, and have a much more pleasant and interesting experience than supermarket shopping; and pick-your-own is cheap, and a nice way to spend an hour or two. | Farmers get to keep more of the income generated and are able to escape from exploitative supermarket contracts. They can reduce costs via less packaging, and no transport costs for farm shops and PYO; and at the market, there are opportunities to receive feedback directly from the public. Consumers get better-quality, fresh, local, seasonal food, they get to meet the people who produce their food, and have a much more pleasant and interesting experience than supermarket shopping; and pick-your-own is cheap, and a nice way to spend an hour or two. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Decentralising power away from corporations | ==== Decentralising power away from corporations ==== |
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| Shopping at farmers' markets or farm shops cuts off the flow of money and therefore power to corporations – it helps to loosen their grip on our food supply, and therefore reduces their wealth and their ability to pervert democracy and push for biosphere-destroying [growth](/stea/steady-state_economics). | Shopping at farmers' markets or farm shops cuts off the flow of money and therefore power to corporations – it helps to loosen their grip on our food supply, and therefore reduces their wealth and their ability to pervert democracy and push for biosphere-destroying [growth](pgec:post-growth). |
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| <WRAP center centeralign> | <WRAP center centeralign> |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Building community and preparing for any potential collapse scenarios | ==== Building community and preparing for any potential collapse scenarios ==== |
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| We all need food - but if national and global supply chains break, we'll need to grow it or forage it ourselves, or have a market for local producers. Local markets keep more wealth in communities, increase local resilience and national food security. They also provide more jobs. Between 1948 and 1989, the UK agricultural labour force declined by 70%, as farms got bigger, more machinery and chemicals were used, and markets became oriented towards the national and international rather than the local. | We all need food - but if national and global supply chains break, we'll need to grow it or forage it ourselves, or have a market for local producers. Local markets keep more wealth in communities, increase local resilience and national food security. They also provide more jobs. Between 1948 and 1989, the UK agricultural labour force declined by 70%, as farms got bigger, more machinery and chemicals were used, and markets became oriented towards the national and international rather than the local. |
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| ### Environment | ==== Environment ==== |
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| Produce hasn't been transported very far, with little or no packaging and less refrigeration; less is wasted - because of supermarkets' preference for perfect-looking fruit and veg. Local markets counteract the intensification of agriculture – they help small, mixed farms, rather than large, monoculture farms. Small, mixed farms can utilise animal manure on crops, and a varied, rotating crop doesn't give pests a chance to become established, so fewer or no pesticides are required, which means pest predators aren't killed. | Produce hasn't been transported very far, with little or no packaging and less refrigeration; less is wasted - because of supermarkets' preference for perfect-looking fruit and veg. Local markets counteract the intensification of agriculture – they help small, mixed farms, rather than large, monoculture farms. Small, mixed farms can utilise animal manure on crops, and a varied, rotating crop doesn't give pests a chance to become established, so fewer or no pesticides are required, which means pest predators aren't killed. |
| </figure> | </figure> |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
| ### Prices | ==== Prices ==== |
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| A word about prices. It's unfortunate, but those who want to help create a better world are always charged more than people who don't. Hence flying is cheaper than driving, which is cheaper than taking the train; recycled products are more expensive than non-recycled; organic is more expensive than non-organic, and so on. It's equivalent to a tax on doing the right thing - which can't be right, surely? | A word about prices. It's unfortunate, but those who want to help create a better world are always charged more than people who don't. Hence flying is cheaper than driving, which is cheaper than taking the train; recycled products are more expensive than non-recycled; organic is more expensive than non-organic, and so on. It's equivalent to a tax on doing the right thing - which can't be right, surely? |
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| ## What can I do? | ===== What can I do? ===== |
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| ### Consumers | ==== Consumers ==== |
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| - Find your local farmers' market or direct sales outlet: there are sites with maps, where you can find your nearest local food sources. See [here](http://www.findlocalproduce.co.uk/) and [here](https://farmretail.co.uk/find-a-farm-retailer/) for example; and [here](http://www.pickyourownfarms.org.uk)'s a listing, by county, of pick-your-own farms in the UK - or you could just search online for farmers' markets, farm shops, pick-your-own and the name of your town. | - Find your local farmers' market or direct sales outlet: there are sites with maps, where you can find your nearest local food sources. See [here](http://www.findlocalproduce.co.uk/) and [here](https://farmretail.co.uk/find-a-farm-retailer/) for example; and [here](http://www.pickyourownfarms.org.uk)'s a listing, by county, of pick-your-own farms in the UK - or you could just search online for farmers' markets, farm shops, pick-your-own and the name of your town. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Farmers / smallholders | ==== Farmers / smallholders ==== |
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| - Talk to the [Farm Retail Association](https://farmretail.co.uk/) about selling to the public directly (including about insurance). They can help you set up a shop, cafe, pick-your-own, market stall - whatever works for you. Here are some tips on [setting up a farm shop](https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/so-you-want-to-open-a-farm-shop). | - Talk to the [Farm Retail Association](https://farmretail.co.uk/) about selling to the public directly (including about insurance). They can help you set up a shop, cafe, pick-your-own, market stall - whatever works for you. Here are some tips on [setting up a farm shop](https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/so-you-want-to-open-a-farm-shop). |
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| ## Further resources | ===== Forum ===== |
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| | This topic belongs to the section [[gt:community|Community & culture]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/community). |
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| | It is also in the sections |
| | * [[gt:economy|Economy & finance]] (Forum: [Economy & finance](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/economy)) |
| | * [[gt:food|Food & drink]] (Forum: [Food & drink](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/food)) |
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| | ===== Further resources ===== |
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| - [Farm Retail Association](https://farmretail.co.uk/) - find farmers' markets and farm shops | - [Farm Retail Association](https://farmretail.co.uk/) - find farmers' markets and farm shops |
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| ## Related topics | ===== Related topics ===== |
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| - [Community](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/comy/community) | - [Community](comy:community) |
| - [Community-supported agriculture](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/csas/community-supported_agriculture) | - [Community-supported agriculture](csas:community-supported_agriculture) |
| - [Low-impact food & drink](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/lifo/food) | - [Low-impact food & drink](lifo:food) |
| - [Low-impact shopping](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/lish/shopping) | - [Low-impact shopping](lish:shopping) |
| - [Low-impact cooking](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/lico/cooking) | - [Low-impact cooking](lico:cooking) |
| - [Smallholding](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/smho/smallholding) | - [Smallholding](smho:smallholding) |
| - [Veg box schemes](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/vegb/veg_box_schemes) | - [Veg box schemes](vegb:veg_box_schemes) |
| - [Small is beautiful](https://knowledge.growingthecommons.org/doku.php/smal/small) | - [Small is beautiful](smal:small) |
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| ## Specialist curators of this topic | ===== Specialist curators of this topic ===== |
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