24 yEars Of SoMERSET fARMERS’ MARKETS

Keynsham Farmers’ Market takes place on the 2nd Saturday of the month from February until December each year, 9am-1pm, in Market Walk. It is part of a not-for-profit organisation running for 24 years. Here is our story so far.

We have been organising monthly farmers’ markets since 1999 and so by now (on most days), we know exactly what we are doing and run eight monthly events providing regular sales opportunities for approximately 100 market members.

The ethos of why we need designated ‘Farmers’ Markets’ and the criteria to be allowed to sell with us have stayed true to the original intention.

Somerset Farmers’ Markets provide a protected space for farmers, food and drink producers and crafters who grow, rear, brew, bake or create their products to sell directly to the customer without ‘The Middleman’ taking the lion’s share of the profit. They are from within the locality of the market to keep unnecessary food miles to a minimum.

As SFM Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation, our priority is to keep stall fees as low as possible, this helps enable small businesses to become more financially viable, build a face-to-face customer base and be able to thrive, crucially important in these tricky times.

Many Town Councils, such as Nailsea, Keynsham, Midsomer Norton and Frome, have seen the benefit of getting involved and supporting their monthly markets via grant funding to enable the events to become large and vibrant community events with music, choirs, brass bands, and community organisations getting involved.

We have seen Farmers’ Market events encouraging people back into struggling town centres, increasing the High Street’s footfall and so maximising extra trade to cafés, shops, and pubs on market day!

So far so good, but this year people have less disposable income, as it is being used up on heating homes and filling cars, and we understand and share the challenges. In fact, we have seen some of our members cease trading and others are hanging on by a fingernail, many are resisting price increases and taking the hit themselves to stay competitive and survive.

Consequently in 2023, we need your support more than ever to keep small farms, cheese dairies, bakeries and market gardeners in business. How you choose to spend your money is a genuine ‘superpower’ and a vote against industrial size factory farming, poor animal welfare and nutritionally deficient ultra-processed food.

Thanks to those of you who already shop with us, even if you have less to spend; it’s really appreciated.

For those who haven’t visited one of our regular markets, do pop along, get to know the people who farm and produce food locally, try it out and you may want to make it a monthly habit!

To sign up for a newsletter for your local market, visit www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk

NExT KEYNSHAM FARMERS’ MARKET DATES:

March 11th / April 8th / May 13th

All markets run from 9am - 1pm