Despite the recession, and indeed despite the cliches about people's economic behaviour during a recession, farmers markets are booming.(Pic of dungarvan farmers' market, which is on every Thursday)
According to Stephenie Moe of Bord Bia �we had 135 on our books by mid 2008, we now have 149. Certainly there are slightly more opening a than closing� she tells me. �Anecdotally, the feedback from traders and orgnaisers is very positive. There is competition for traders stalls, which indicates that they are making money. A lot of producers are getting in touch.�
Organisers themselves agree: �we are creating a new market a month at the moment. There is more demand than there was during the boom� according to Sean McArdle, who runs farmers' markets in Dublin and elsewhere, mostly on the east coast of Ireland.
McArdle points out that he is being offered more sites than in previous years: �Of course, access to space may also be a sign of the recession� he suggests, in reference to closed premises, incomplete sites and other signifiers of post Celtic Tiger Ireland.
Jackie Spillane of the county council run CoCo markets agrees: �Buoyant is probably the word that best describes how the markets are doing. Several stallholders report increased sales, some report steady, and really it is only a small number who are feeling a general tightening. We're getting thousands of people at the markets.�
Spillane points out that the Dun Laoire local authorities have been extremely supportive, even down to locating and timetabling public events to coincide with the market. �Several local shops also now open on a Sunday because of the market�
There are now 45 stalls at the People's Park in Dun Laoire, with people travelling from as far as Cork with their own farmhouse cheeses. According to Spillane, about 1/3 of the traders are farmers at Dun Laoire.
In Cork, markets in urban centers are also doing well. Rupert Hugh Jones of Manon Point market: �The number of stallholders looking for stalls is absolutely crazy. We're getting 3-4 applications per day. We now have 50 stalls, and 300 on a waiting list. Customer numbers have increased with the stalls.�
All however point out that the recession is probably a cause of the increased interest in stalls:
�I've been inundated with applications from new vendors. Many are inexperienced, and may have lost jobs recently. We have 30 applications for cup cake stalls. Now, there's a place for good cup cakes, but its tricky to make a living from them. You need to be more innovative� according to Spillane.
Adapting to new consumer needs is important. Overall, it seems that people are eating out less, but are returning to quality home cooking. This benefits those selling staples in particular.
According to Tipperary farmer Joe Condon , who sells at Dungarvan farmers' market each Thursday: � my burgers are proving to be the real winner. It serves the purpose, it stands in in a meal instead of a steak�. Likewise Condon's mince is selling well.
However, he also points out that both his mince and burgers are made to a high standard:
�I provide a a democratic cross section of the animal. We make them from quality cuts, not off cuts, so the quality and flavour comes through.� Add to this the certified organic and grass fed upland Galloway dimension, and its clear that the consumer is getting a cut above the ordinary.
Stephen Baker of Listowel market has also adapted. He now sells hot dogs. However, these are no ordinary hot dogs, as the meat comes from Caroline Rigney's award winning rare breed pigs in West Limerick.
Another new development, in many ways connected to the recession, is the provision of space for produce from allotments and community gardens. Even Sean McArdle's privately run markets in and around Dublin, known for their significantly higher rents for stallholders, have integrated this into their set up.
It's not all kisses and handshakes however. Peri-urban markets are feeling the pinch. �I had to close both Bray and Wicklow recently�, Jackie Spillane tells me. Major job losses in the construction industry in satellite towns, coupled with small numbers of stallholders at the markets were cited by Spillane as the main reasons for this.
Indifferent or even belligerent local authorities are also causing problems: Due to the success of the Midelton Saturday and indeed other markets in the region, as well as numerous stallholders wanting a piece of the action, a Tuesday market has recently been established in Midelton.
However, according to Rupert Hugh Jones, � the town council wouldn't accommodate us, we've been hounded by them. They are trying to shut us down in every possible way. So we're on private land�.
Interest remains strong, however: �Within 5 days we had too many applications. So we prioritize local stallholders. Over 90% of the stallholders are locals in Midelton. The feedback has been great so far�.
Minister of State Trevor Sargent recently announced a new scheme for farmers' markets.
The 'Good Practice Standard' will be denoted by a Flag, which participating markets may display and which the Minister unveiled in the Food Market at BLOOM 2009.
According to the Department �Farmers' Markets signing up to the Good Practice Standard will under take to hold markets regularly; to source a substantial proportion, ideally 50%, of local produce from the county or neighbouring counties; to accommodate seasonal and local garden/allotment produce and to comply with food safety/labelling rules and criteria on good governance�.
When queried about this, most stallholders had not actually heard of it. While most I asked about it were cautiously positive, private market organiser Sean McArdle was initially very skeptical.
�It sounds impossible to do, they'll have no one. There is no grower in north county Dublin who could supply markets. There are a few heavily contracted to supermarkets. The last flower grower is struggling.�
He goes on: �North county Dublin has grazing land, we don't have the rich alluvial soils needed for for growing vegetables. We also don't have the tradition.�
�The real problem is that there is an idea that in a market, a farmer comes in in a tractor, puts down 10 bags of spuds and sells them with straw in his month. That Victorian image isn't there in reality. Growing is difficult, and it comes down to scale.�
All of that said �I would welcome a local grower in wholeheartedly. Any one producing from the land within a five mile radius comes in at half price already at my markets�.
However, even McArdle started to warm to the flag idea when he heard about the details. The aspirational and vague language, with words like 'ideally', 'substantial portion' and 'adjoining', along with achievable 50% local target meant that, in his opinion, his markets were in that ball park anyway.
Others, such as Jackie Spillane of the CoCo markets, were more positive: �We'll certainly be applying. 50% is achievable, it could have been higher, but this is a reasonable set of goals for the pilot phase�
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