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What can I buy at London Farmers' Markets?
Everything on sale has been grown, raised, baked, caught, shot
or made by hand by the people selling it. We have strict rules guaranteeing
that everything is sold by the farmer who grew it. No one is allowed
to sell another farmer's produce. All of our markets are certified
by the National
Association of farmers' markets.
All the farms are within 100 miles of London. We even visit the
farms to make sure farmers are growing what they're selling. We
have strict rules that determine who can sell at our markets. Please
look in our policy section to find more
details
Producers attend different markets. New producers come in, some
change around, and not all attend weekly, so the following is
subject to availability and not set in stone!
There will always be fresh fruit and vegetables, salads, cheeses,
meats, juice, bread and eggs. We also like to have honey, preserves,
wine, cider, milk, cream, cakes, fish and herbs where possible.
Because we're seasonal, produce will vary throughout the year.
Expect to find unusual varieties you don't see at the supermarket,
like Tatsoi salad greens and striped or golden beetroots. You'll
find things you don't expect - red chilli peppers, edible flowers,
raw honey and buffalo cheese.
Seasonal Products
Some products at farmers' markets are not available all year round,
especially fruit and vegetables. Farmers are putting up more greenhouses
and polytunnels each year to provide you with an earlier supply,
but we still have to rely on the sun and rain. Here is a table to
show what to expect at market when.
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JANUARY and FEBRUARY
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Cabbages, Brussels, celeriac, beetroot, Jerusalem artichokes,
purple sprouting broccoli, celery, chard, kohlrabi,
leeks, parsnips, radishes, swede, turnips, carrots,
stored apples, conference & comice pears, crabs,
oysters, hare, partridge, mallard, pheasant.
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MARCH
and
APRIL
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Winter vegetables- potatoes, swede, onions, spring
greens, salad mixes, herbs, bedding plants, Bramley
apples, early spinach.
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MAY
and
JUNE
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Asparagus, lettuce and salad mixes, spring greens,
broccoli, cauliflower, new potatoes, cucumbers, new
carrots, courgettes, baby beetroots, strawberries, raspberries,
rhubarb, peas, pea shoots, early broad beans, spinach,
elderflowers, cherry tomatoes, cherries; black, red
and white currants; oyster mushrooms.
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JULY,
AUGUST
and SEPTEMBER
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All the spring crops plus, baby plum tomatoes, cucumbers,
broad beans, chilli peppers, golden beetroots, courgette
en fleur, patty pan squash, sweet peppers, corn salad,
pak choi, bunches of rocket, dill, mint, fennel, coriander,
parsley, mustard leaves, onions, broccoli, runner beans,
several flavours of basil, parsley, cut flowers, leeks,
pumpkins, sweet corn, Tuscan black cabbage (cavolo nero),
yellow and purple French beans, round carrots, cauliflower,
swiss chard, aubergines, globe artichokes, fennel, asparagus
peas and kohlrabi. 'Ever bearing' strawberries raspberries,
gooseberries and currants, blackberries, Tay berries,
elderberries, plums & cobnuts. Earliest eating apples,
full selection by the end of the month. Game season
starts in August with grouse, September with partridge
and mallard. You can still find samphire and sometimes
grapes, figs and melons.
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OCTOBER
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Apples and pears are at their best, plus all the late
autumn/winter vegetables. You might find some late season
peas: Carrots, potatoes, yams, onions, parsnips, winter
squashes, Jerusalem artichokes, pumpkins, broccoli,
kale, cavolo nero, Hamburg parsley and cauliflower.
We still have what you might think are summer vegetables:
red and green Swiss chard, spinach, lettuces and edible
flowers, tomatoes, pod radishes and even the last courgettes.
There are green tomatoes for chutneys and pies. Sometimes
red raspberries are still going. Pheasants and new season
mussels are coming into season. In early October, there
is still sweet corn!
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NOVEMBER
and
DECEMBER
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Jerusalem artichokes, all the winter root vegetables
such as cylinder beetroot, swede, celeriac, & carrots.
Cauliflowers, celery, kale, kohl rabi, leeks, Bronze
and Black turkeys for Christmas. Geese
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Special Items
Duck and goose eggs are in season from February to June and in
September. We have tomatillos and okra from one farmer, and callalloo
from another. Aylesbury ducks are available all year (from the last
remaining producer in the country). Native oysters come to market
from September.
Visit the Farmers' Market and see for yourself
Once you get to know a farmers' market, shopping and cooking with
the seasons is fun and simple. Don't fret about what's in season
when. Just look for the best-looking produce. If you don't know
how to cook it, ask the farmer, or the person next to you in the
queue.
It's much more sociable than the supermarket!
Organic Products
 Farmers'
Markets are not entirely organic. First and foremost, the produce
is seasonal and fresh. We like to have a range of organic producers
at each market. However, we would rather have unsprayed Kentish
carrots than organic carrots flown in from California. Organic farmers
are still hard to find in Britain, but they are on the increase.
If you want organic produce, look for the logos above. We also encourage
biodynamic farmers, who are like organic farmers but even stricter.
Demeter certifies biodynamic farmers. If a farm is organic, they'll
say so and have the correct labeling. If they're in organic conversion,
they will also have signs. Ask to see their certificate if you are
unsure, the farmer will be happy to show you.
 Farmers
may be in organic conversion, when the farmer is moving to
organic standards on things like animal feed, pesticides, antibiotics,
and tilling methods. This period can last for a number of year depending
on each farms conditions. When you buy from farmers in conversion,
you aid them during a difficult transition, when they are paying
the new costs of implementing organic methods, but not yet selling
fully certified organic food products.
As more farmers convert it should be easier to provide you with
a choice of more organic products at your market. We're always recruiting
new organic producers. If you would like to encourage organic
agriculture-or particular organic foods-tell the farmers what you
want.
For more information on organics please look at the following
websites:
The Soil Association www.soilassociation.org
Organic Farmers and Growers www.organicfarmers.uk.com
Demeter www.demeter.net
Green Alternatives to Organic
 Some
farmers have been farming without chemicals-organically, you might
say-for years, but have never been certified and don't intend to
be. The most common objection is that certification is costly and
bureaucratic. This does not mean their food is full of chemicals.
Most farmers who sell direct to the public are committed to producing
healthy food in a sustainable manner. What makes farmers' markets
unique is that you meet the producer directly and you can form your
own opinions. Ask the farmers about their growing methods. Do they
use pesticides or antibiotics? Do beef or dairy cattle eat grass,
which is healthiest for animals and humans, or corn? You may prefer
beef raised on unsprayed pasture to certified organic beef fed on
corn. There is a move to help farmers like this and a new organisation
has emerged called The Wholesome Food Association recognises
that being certified organic is not the only option and that farming
responsibly with limited chemicals is another alternative to organics.
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