I've just finished watching BBC's Countryfile programme on which they had a feature on the country's first permanent Farmer's Market.
I've always thought that something like this would be a good thing for Sheffield but where should they be located and how many do you think the city should have (if any at all)?
Personally, I've always thought the old mill at Malin Bridge would be the perfect location for Sheffield's first. It's at the meeting point of the Rivelin and Loxley Valleys thereby being a very short distance for the farmers and allotment holders in those areas to travel with their goods. It has some car parking, is on a bus route, is close to the tram terminous and has a large population living close by.
Result; fantastic fresh food and very low carbon footprint.

PS. I am aware that the mill has been sold and that the developer wants to turn it into housing, but work on the mill does seem to be very slow.

I saw this too and agree Sheffield should have an at least weekly Farmer's Market. Though I think I would still have to rely on the supermarket for somethings if the prices in the farm shop were anything to go by.

I don't know the location at Malin Bridge but agree good public transport links are a must.

I already visit a number of small farm shops to buy what I can from there, and I'd definitely visit a farmer's market to buy local produce and to know that I'm paying the farmer a fair price for their goods rather than paying a supermarket without knowing how much they pay the food producers for the goods.

Apart from Coppice House Farm, where are there other farm shops in the S6 area?

I think it would be a great idea personally.

I saw this too and agree Sheffield should have an at least weekly Farmer's Market. Though I think I would still have to rely on the supermarket for somethings if the prices in the farm shop were anything to go by.

I don't know the location at Malin Bridge but agree good public transport links are a must.

The prices at a farmers market are a truer reflection of what it costs to produce the goods and make a living for the farmer, rather than artificially reduced prices that can be offset by other goods/services provided by a multinational company worth billions, such as you see in a supermarket.

The location at Malin Bridge would be good (not least because I live in Hillsborough!) but wouldn't that discourage people from the south side of the city? I imagine a more central location would be better, though I can't think of where.

The prices at a farmers market are a truer reflection of what it costs to produce the goods and make a living for the farmer, rather than artificially reduced prices that can be offset by other goods/services provided by a multinational company worth billions, such as you see in a supermarket.

The location at Malin Bridge would be good (not least because I live in Hillsborough!) but wouldn't that discourage people from the south side of the city? I imagine a more central location would be better, though I can't think of where.

This is why my thought is to have a number of small ones in the suburbs/villages so that you have a regular supply of local customers who don't have to travel too far to buy the produce but just as importantly the farmers/allotment holders also only have to travel a short distance.
Another location could also be the Ridgeway craft centre which seems to need a fresh injection of life. Again lots of residents live close by, the tram is close and there are plenty of farms in the area.

Farmer's markets in small country towns have to draw their produce from within a 30 mile radius, - but there is no such restriction on 'urban' farmers' markets held in places like Sheffield.

You may well get some local produce but I suspect a lot of the stuff on sale will be little different to what the supermarkets offer apart from the 25-30% mark-up.

.........................

This is why my thought is to have a number of small ones in the suburbs/villages so that you have a regular supply of local customers who don't have to travel too far to buy the produce but just as importantly the farmers/allotment holders also only have to travel a short distance.
Another location could also be the Ridgeway craft centre which seems to need a fresh injection of life. Again lots of residents live close by, the tram is close and there are plenty of farms in the area.

Ooh, yes, I see what you mean. Then the food miles are reduced even more, too!


Farmer's markets in small country towns have to draw their produce from within a 30 mile radius, - but there is no such restriction on 'urban' farmers' markets held in places like Sheffield.

You may well get some local produce but I suspect a lot of the stuff on sale will be little different to what the supermarkets offer apart from the 25-30% mark-up.

I've never seen buffalo meat in a supermarket...

There is one in Bath, I was reading about it in the Guardian yesterday. Sheffield is an unusual urban area, as it is only fiveor ten minutes (on a good day) from the centre out to the rural farming areas.

I would love a regular Saturday/Sunday market. The once a month is too hit and miss for me, as inevitably, I am away that day. I would definitely use one if it was set up; although I guess the downside would be that it would be at the expense of shops in the local community.

Pros and cons. I guess Sheffield City Council should give this more consideration. The are very keen to support the non-local continental markets and fairground rides on a regular basis.

Maybe if we get the Moor markets it might work.

Also, the farmers will be pretty exhausted if they are working all weak and hours on the farm and running a stall at the weekends.

The prices at a farmers market are a truer reflection of what it costs to produce the goods and make a living for the farmer, rather than artificially reduced prices that can be offset by other goods/services provided by a multinational company worth billions, such as you see in a supermarket.

I appreciate that but at the same time most people have a finite ammount of money and wages aren't based on paying £4.50 for a head of brocolli (the example on the show). If the farmer's market are going to draw the numbers they need to sustain themselves they have to offer prices people can afford.

I've been thinking about this, this morning. As much as I like the farmer's market idea, I think there needs to be an equal emphasis on home growing. You can get tomatoes and a stack of potatoes on a balcony (or equally small space) and too many people waste their whole garden with gravel or decking.

I believe that the plan for the new Moor market hall was to try and establish it as a place of quality food, incorporating the ethos of the monthly farmer's market. I haven't got hard data to hand so I might be talking out of my hat - or even the other end.

As for it being *expensive* food, and regarding geckoqueen's last post, the proportion of weekly income spent on food has plummeted over the last few decades. People's perceptions of what is cheap or expensive is somewhat distorted. I think when people had less money in the past the cost of fresh food and staples was probably more in real terms. Artificial cheapness at the point of purchase usually results in unexpected costs elsewhere.

But when the government agree a minimum wage or income support, ie. the amount they think people can live by, they are basing on what people spend now, not what they spent decades ago (distorted or not). I can assure you that when I meet people who have about £35 a week (rent and council tax covered) they don't have a lot of scope for wastage. That said, I do think that far fewer things were seen as necessities in the past but at the same time the cost of a lot of none food basics (gas, electric, etc) have gone up - apologies I don't have the figures either.

Farmer's markets in small country towns have to draw their produce from within a 30 mile radius, - but there is no such restriction on 'urban' farmers' markets held in places like Sheffield.

You may well get some local produce but I suspect a lot of the stuff on sale will be little different to what the supermarkets offer apart from the 25-30% mark-up.

Then let's introduce a restriction of, say, a 10 mile radius for farms supplying heavily populated areas like Sheffield.

There is one in Bath, I was reading about it in the Guardian yesterday. Sheffield is an unusual urban area, as it is only fiveor ten minutes (on a good day) from the centre out to the rural farming areas.

I would love a regular Saturday/Sunday market. The once a month is too hit and miss for me, as inevitably, I am away that day. I would definitely use one if it was set up; although I guess the downside would be that it would be at the expense of shops in the local community.

Pros and cons. I guess Sheffield City Council should give this more consideration. The are very keen to support the non-local continental markets and fairground rides on a regular basis.

Maybe if we get the Moor markets it might work.

Also, the farmers will be pretty exhausted if they are working all weak and hours on the farm and running a stall at the weekends.

A local co-operative could be set up to share out the workload of running the markets and the farms/allotments. They could also have some kind of ownership/shares in the facilities/buildings with cafes/restaurants incorporated that only use the products sold at that particular market.

I appreciate that but at the same time most people have a finite ammount of money and wages aren't based on paying £4.50 for a head of brocolli (the example on the show). If the farmer's market are going to draw the numbers they need to sustain themselves they have to offer prices people can afford.

I've been thinking about this, this morning. As much as I like the farmer's market idea, I think there needs to be an equal emphasis on home growing. You can get tomatoes and a stack of potatoes on a balcony (or equally small space) and too many people waste their whole garden with gravel or decking.

This is why I keep mentioning allotment holders as well as farmers. Allotment holders may grow a small amount of produce as a hobby for virtually nothing and may wish to sell some for a small return. This would then put pressure on the farmers to keep their prices as low as possible.

I appreciate that but at the same time most people have a finite ammount of money and wages aren't based on paying £4.50 for a head of brocolli (the example on the show). If the farmer's market are going to draw the numbers they need to sustain themselves they have to offer prices people can afford.

I've been thinking about this, this morning. As much as I like the farmer's market idea, I think there needs to be an equal emphasis on home growing. You can get tomatoes and a stack of potatoes on a balcony (or equally small space) and too many people waste their whole garden with gravel or decking.

Bloody hell! Sorry for the language but that is quite steep...
I don't have a TV so didn't see the show, but I've never seen broccoli that expensive!
I'd love to dig my garden up and give it all over to vegetables, but I don't think the landlord would be particularly happy with that :(

Allotment holders aren't allowed to sell their veg BTW sixxix

Bloody hell! Sorry for the language but that is quite steep...
I don't have a TV so didn't see the show, but I've never seen broccoli that expensive!
I'd love to dig my garden up and give it all over to vegetables, but I don't think the landlord would be particularly happy with that :(

Allotment holders aren't allowed to sell their veg BTW sixxix

So let's allow them to sell their produce if they so wish.

Bloody hell! Sorry for the language but that is quite steep...
I don't have a TV so didn't see the show, but I've never seen broccoli that expensive!
I'd love to dig my garden up and give it all over to vegetables, but I don't think the landlord would be particularly happy with that :(

Precisely... this was a farmer's supermarket essentially, 80% of the store was made up of produce from the neighbouring counties, and it was down south. I'm not sure a local one here would be so pricey but there's no way on earth I could afford to buy all my veg at them prices.

You don't really need to dig up your garden if you're just growing for yourself. We've had carrots in old bins and potatoes on tyres. You can gets a few things on window too sils. Its a bit of a tangent, so if you want to know more why not head over to the gardening interest section?