Stroud Farmers' Market, Gloucestershire, wins FARMA Certified Farmers' Market of the Year 2008
On Tuesday (13 November) the National winner of the FARMA Certified Farmers' Market of the Year Award was announced. Stroud Farmers' Market in Gloucestershire truly exemplifies the ethos and energy that so many people love about farmers' markets.
Farmers’ markets in the UK are 10 years old. We’ve come a long way since 1997. There are now some 550 communities
in villages, towns and cities across the country that enjoy their farmers’ markets – and numbers are growing. They vary from a few stalls in schoolyards or village halls to larger, professionally organised weekly markets.
Farmers’ markets are lively and personal, none more so than the Stroud farmers’ market where organisers Clare and Kardien Gerbrands use a dizzying mix of innovation, marketing, publicity and retail skills to weave a unique community experience.
The farmers’ market takes over the winding streets of Stroud every Saturday from 9am to 2pm. At its core
is the Cornhill Market Place where the market started in July 1999. Steady growth in the number of stalls meant that the farmers’ market has spilled out into surrounding streets making surprises at each turn for the first-time visitor. On average there are 45 stalls attending every week.
The frequency of the farmers’ market was increased from
fortnightly to weekly in 2006, a change that increased the momentum of everything. Stallholders have commented on the surprising increases in trade now that customers can rely on getting their shopping every week. Supply is now under pressure and organic vegetables regularly sell out by 11am even though four organic growers already sell at the market alongside another two growers of vegetables and three growers
of orchard fruit/mixed produce. Farms are scaling up to meet demand and the market has accepted two more organic growers, neither of whom has sold at farmers’ markets before – one is within a mile of Stroud.
The story here is about growth, optimism and working with the community. The market café in Cornhill Market Place has become extremely popular and seating capacity has been increased to 40. A rota of different groups run the café including“The Full Monty Girls” – local mums who raise funds for Rosie, a local disabled 5 year old girl.
For being at the leading edge of everything about farmers’ markets, energy and commitment, Stroud is the national winner of the FARMA Certified Farmers’ Market of the Year 2008.
www.madeinstroud.org
www.fresh-n-local.co.uk
Stroud Farmers' Market
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Clare Gerbrands receives the commemorative engraved bell in the Certified farmers' market
Kardien Gerbrands rings the engraved bell at the FARMA Awards Presentation
Clare and Kardien Gerbrands at the FARMA Awards Presentation
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