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BSE,
salmonella, GM foods, pesticides - food has hit the headlines for
all the wrong reasons.
We're
buying more and more food from supermarkets, and less and less from
the farmer's gate.
But
it's not always easy to find out about the origins of food sold
in large supermarket chains - and with people becoming more concerned
about what they're eating, alternative ways of buying food have
sprung up.
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The
lovely ladies on the Doncaster WI Market stall were selling
jams, cakes, chutneys and crafts.
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And
so I decided to head to Doncaster one Wednesday to find out about
farmers markets, a grass-roots movement which aims to bring local,
fresh, seasonal produce direct to people in towns and cities.
So
why is it that farmers markets, like box schemes and organic food,
are becoming increasingly popular?
Peter
Cook, who sells plants, flowers, fruit and vegetables, is based
in Selby. He explained their appeal.
"People
like it because they're buying direct from the grower. They can
ask questions about the produce - what it is, how it's grown.
"I
get a lot of repeat business because they like the stuff I sell
and because it's so fresh. These carrots were pulled up last night
- I had a trailer full this morning, but they've nearly all gone
now."
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Gerald
and some of the 300 packs of sausages he was selling
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Gerald,
from Highwood Farm in Doncaster, brings beef, pork, bacon and sausages
to the market. He explained the benefits of coming to a farmers
market in a town centre.
"We
have a farm shop, but it's a bit out of the way," he said "This
is another way of getting our produce to people - it's another outlet
for us.
"We
do quite a few farmers' markets. People like it 'cause they're sick
of the rubbish on sale in supermarkets. They like to know where
their food comes from, that it's natural and reared properly.
"We
have lots of regular customers - today I'll sell about 300 packs
of sausages."
And
it's not just about buying food. Elaine Thompson is a community
food educator for the Doncaster Royal Infirmary. She has a stall
once a month where she shows people how to cook traditional foods
in a more healthy way.
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Elaine
shows people how they can eat good food more healthily
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"I
give out free recipes, and people can try the food that I make during
my demonstrations. It's about educating people, so that they can
enjoy their food while trying to ensure it's good for their health."
Lorna
Fox is the daughter of a farmer, and she's married to one too. She
is passionate about local, natural, in season produce.
She
said, "It's about getting people to taste traditional English
country food, as opposed to processed food. The taste of produce
when it's in season is so much more fulfilling than when it's forced.
Take an English tomato grown in the summer - it's so much better
than one grown in January.
"The
food we sell has more flavour, because it's in season. It has no
additives, colourings or preservatives.
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Lorna
and some of the vegetables and chutney she sells
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She
explained why the farmers' market works for her. "For us, it
was a way of diversifying - and bringing good food to others.
"There's
a big demand for locally sourced produce, sold by the person who
makes it, so people can ask questions. And we love helping people
appreciate it."
The
produce at the markets depends on the time of year. "Today
I brought apples and green beans - they went straight away! At other
times of the year, we bring rhubarb, winter vegetables and so on.
I also make shortbread, gingerbread, jellies and chutneys."
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Chris
likes to know where her food comes from
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The
people shopping at the farmers market echoed the views of the farmers
themselves. Chris, who was buying produce for her family including
baby Nathaniel, said, "I came here by chance today, but I like
fresh farm stuff. I like to know where it comes from. It's also
fun to have a look around."
And
Chris Northern, who used to keep hens on her allotment, comes for
eggs and meat. She said, "I really notice the difference in
taste, particularly with eggs and meat. You can tell with steak
and sausages - for one thing, with sausages, you don't end up with
a panful of fat when you cook them."
The
market certainly seemed popular with the Doncaster folk.
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Ann
buys some eggs from the Grayson brothers
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The
eggs sold by brothers Richard and Edward Grayson from Nether Haugh
Farm in Rotherham were going so quickly that I couldn't catch a
word with them, and though I arrived at lunchtime, many of the seasonal
vegetables on sale at other stalls had been snapped up.
It's
not just produce on sale, though. The Doncaster WI Markets stall
had an amazing array of jams, marmalades, cakes and biscuits on
sale, as well as craft items. And on the Wildwood stall, Brian explained
how their work recycles wood and provides training and employment
for people in the Bentley area.
"We
take people off the dole and train them to NVQ standards,"
said Brian.
"We've
been running for about 5 years, and we have about 30 people working
with us at any one time. The majority of the wood we use is reclaimed,
except for the wood we use for fencing and bigger jobs like that."
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Chris
(l) and Brian from the Wildwood project which trains people
in woodwork
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"Markets
like this help us let people know about our project. They can buy
the things we make, and find out about how we can help them."
And
in my opinion, there's something really wholesome about knowing
and meeting the people who produce what you're eating.
I can
reveal that Anne Ashley's gingerbread is gloriously sticky, that
Mrs Brownley's lemon curd is superb, that Lorna Fox's shortbread
is unbelievably moreish. The eggs and carrots I took home were really
fresh and the bacon and sausages were delicious.
Farmers
markets might not be as convenient as shopping at a 24 hour supermarket,
especially for people in full time work, but they are an alternative.
And
though my pocket was lighter when I headed home, the prices were
comparable to those charged by the supermarkets, too - but the money
all goes into the pockets of local farmers and therefore back into
the local economy.
And
that, perhaps, is the most satisfying aspect of all.
-
Greedy Cow
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