to hate people who go to farmers' markets

[kittensrockmyworld]

I went past a famers market yesterday and the kids were totally sucked in by the cake stall, it was at this point that i had to drag them away due to the prices!

£5 for some chilly Jam & £10 for some pasta. Maybe I'm slightly jealous of people being able to afford it, however it is just plain annoying that people can waste so much money on the stuff!!!

[quoteunquote]

British farming is on it's knees, we are very close to becoming totally reliant on imports. At which point food prices will uncontrollable rocket.

Hating people who support local farmers is totally self defeating , you should be thanking them for helping to keep british producers going.

[FryOneFatManic]

I think people don't really consider the actual costs involved in making something.

I'm working on a one-off commission for a cross stitch picture. It's not something I normally do, and I reckon if I tot it up it could easily cost £70-£80+ once I factor in the time to stitch it. Probably more as I've just remembered the 3-4 hours of designing as well as stitching.

As I enjoy cross stitch and don't plan to make commissions a part of my earning potential, I'll only be charging a friend cost of materials, about £15 in all.

Work out what you're prepared to pay at a farmers market and stick to that. It's always down to your choice isn't it?

[pumpkinsweetie]

We don't have one locally anymore , i quite miss going.
I used to quite enjoy buying little treats from there, the apple juice and cakes were to die for and the jam & chutneys delish, much better standard and quality of those such as Tesco etc.

Yes we do live in a world where money is tight and saving money is optimum, but the occasional treat is a welcome and boosts the sellers money making potential. They have to make a living too, so yabu.
Although i wouldn't pay £25 for jam !!!

[mrsjay]

I do think people consider cost and decide they won't pay for it ,

[Viviennemary]

YANBU. They must be the most boring places on earth.

[VerySmallSqueak]

Would someone please help me out here.

On one hand I see some very wealthy arable farmers.
On the other hand I hear of tenant hill farmers struggling to survive.
I hear of how supermarkets are paying incredibly low prices for lamb (for example) but the average family can really only see lamb as a treat as it's so expensive.

If you can't afford the prices at these pretty pretty farmers markets (and not always the butchers prices),what is the best way to support the sectors of farming that need our support? (genuine question)

We have taken to eating less meat,bought at a butchers where we can,but this can't really help the livestock farmers. I am as to what to do for the best.

[AThingInYourLife]

It's easy to see why they get a bad name in places where the markets are selling £25 jars of jam.

[SirBoobAlot]

ihearsounds is the only person who has said a jar of jam cost £30, in central London. I've seen M&S charge nearly the same for something suitably ridiculous.

Average price for a jar of jam or chutney with post independent retailers, be in a market or a shop, is around £5. Sightly more or less to be expected, depending on what it is.

So not all farmers markets are expecting people to pay £25 a time, for goodness sakes.

[glenthebattleostrich]

I love our local farmers market, there is a buffalo stall, a venison stall, ostrich meat and a couple of local farmers (including the ice-cream farmer) selling locally produced products at reasonable prices.

I have been to some which are complete rip offs and you always get the tat but if you look between that you can get some lovely, unusual products quite reasonably.

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

Good posts from Sirboobalot and flatpackhamster

Whilst I support local business greatly I do agree with another poster in that some stalls at Farmers Markets sell goods not produced locally but are 'bought in'. Whoever arranges your local market is responsible for vetting the sellers and deciding if they want 100% local handmade or a combination of both. Food will be local and some crafts may be bought in.

I'm a bit funny about buying homemade food stuff as I need to know it was made in hygienic conditions. Having said that, you can't trust the stuff from the supermarkets these days!

A friend of mine used to make chutneys. She would give me a jar or two but to be honest I never ate it. Her kitchen was manky to say the least. She would scrub it on the day of she was being assessed for her certificate but apart from that it was BAD!

Most people on this thread seem to know their producers well though so that's good to hear.

[HoHoHoNoYouDont]

When I visit London I always like to go round Borough Market. Some of the stuff there is amazing.

[KobayashiMaru]

You hate people who buy things that you can't afford to? Is that chip on you shoulder organic?

[LeeCoakley]

I agree with squeaky. How can people on low wages support farmers in an ethical way? I can't afford any traditional 'Sunday' joints at supermarket prices let alone something that is produced organically or locally but I would like to. I definitely would like a farmers' market where I could buy reasonably priced meat, dairy, fruit and veg but my local twice-monthly one has e.g. 6 sausages packaged up with 'smoked for 4 weeks over hickory chips for your discerning palate' printed over them for £15. Turn the pack over and it says 'packaged locally in xxxxxxx', no air miles'. This tells me nothing only that I'd be a fool to hand over £2.50 for one sausage.

[TeaOneSugar]

Personal Choice.

[Mrsrobertduvall]

I love our local one. Great sausages. All the cafes and restaurants open up for breakfast too.

[mrsjay]

if you want to support your local farmers go to a local butcher if you have 1 and ask them where they get their meat from , I do understand not everybody has local shops they can go to, our butcher has his own farm and it really isn't that expensive to go and buy from him

[VerySmallSqueak]

I think the thing is that there can be a big difference between food produced for a discerning palate and basic food produced locally/organically/with high levels of animal welfare at the forefront.Whilst there can obviously be overlap between the two I would rather put my money (if I had it) on the latter.

[senua]

I like the idea of Farmers' Markets but the reality never seems to match the hype. If the farmer is selling directly to the shopper then they are cutting out (several) middle-men and their profit margins - yet that saving never seems to get passed to the customer. If anything, it's more expensive than supermarket.
I never buy cakes, jam or similar - why would I, when I can make them myself? I would like good quality, reasonably priced raw materials - like they used to have in the market hall before they knocked it down and moved the 'market' to the high street.

[MrsKoala]

i think £5 for a jar of jam is but i suppose that's because i make my own and it costs pence. (my own greengage trees, collected jars and some bought sugar - i have kilos of the stuff in the cupboards and i have already given loads away any mners in Bucks are welcome to it!).

The last time i went to the farmers market in West Ealing some tomatoes cost £8. £5 for a small punnet of cherry ones and 4 larger ones one the vine. By the time we got home DH had noshed the whole punnet. Everywhere one i have been to has been eye watering. I would love to buy stuff and support them but they are just so expensive, i couldn't justify it.

However, i do think people underestimate how much some non mass produced things cost to make/create. I do oil paintings and collage. For canvas and materials i am £50 down before i even start and then they can take 10-20 hours. Then with tax I would need to sell them for £200 to make it worth my while. I understand that people don't have £200+ to spend on art and there is mass produced stuff for a fraction of the price.

[anklebitersmum]

We go to the farm shop up the road. Literally a farm shop. None of this poncey twoddle. It's a small shop that sells farm veg and some local produce.

Once a month they turn up in town for the farmers market so it saves me the drive to a massive sack of so much more tasty-and-better-to-cook with-than-the-supermarket-fluffy-pish potatoes, a sack of carrots and a dozen or so parsnips and beetroots (yum).

But I don't do the over-priced chutney brigade. Just the nice veg, actual farmer

[MrsSchadenfreude]

Make your own chutney, jam, marmalade and chilli jam. It costs pennies, particularly if you use seasonal fruit, and recycle your jars. You can also use frozen fruit. If you can beg windfall apples from someone, you can pick blackberries and make jam for the cost of a couple of bags of sugar - and you don't need fancy sugar for jam making. If you're using fruit high in pectin, like apples, you only need ordinary granulated. I do use jam sugar for strawberries (very low in pectin) and chilli jam, as my recipe doesn't contain apples.

[VerySmallSqueak]

TheSecondComing do you not think that it would be the case that with organic lamb there would be strict regulation as to what goes into the lamb (ie feed etc)?

[VerySmallSqueak]

Oh sorry TheSecondComing I think I misread your post!

[ImTooHecsyForYourParty]

You hate people because of how they choose to spend their money?

I think you are being unreasonable. Yes.

If they were choosing to spend their money paying people to kick puppies, then maybe.

But an overpriced jar of jam?



I wouldn't waste my cash, but I don't give a shit if someone else wants to.