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Farmers' market in Brixton

In all seriousness, I do not see why you want it to be like the one at Oval. It's crap.


Exactly. Same old pricey stuff. They used to have an excellent fish stall run by some mad French people (and Oysters on the spot mmmmm) but now it's just £3.50 for a loaf of bread stuff and some fairy cakes.
It's got a distinctly dead feel about it, that market.
The sausages are good though.
 
Sorry if this was posted but I got this email after signing up at the Country Show..

Dear friends of the Brixton Farmers' Market...

With a month to go, we're busy putting the list of producers together, and we think you'll be very happy. I visited a great fisherman yesterday, who fishes out of Poole on the Dorset coast; He'll be there, and I've just got back from visiting a couple of Surrey based flower sellers with a stunning selection of cut flowers. Their season will end with the first frosts, but you'll get a taste of what they do so well. Other producers confirmed include Perry Court farm from Kent, with a terrific selection of fruit and vegetables (you may have tasted their strawberries at the Lambeth County Show.) Wobbly Bottom Farm goats cheese, The Sallowes Flock lamb, Wild Country Organics salad leaves, Clare's Organics poultry, The Culinary Herb Company, and lots more.

We look forward to seeing you on the 13th September.

You can also follow us on Twitter/londonfarmers

Dear friends of the Brixton Farmers' Market...

With a month to go, we're busy putting the list of producers together, and we think you'll be very happy. I visited a great fisherman yesterday, who fishes out of Poole on the Dorset coast; He'll be there, and I've just got back from visiting a couple of Surrey based flower sellers with a stunning selection of cut flowers. Their season will end with the first frosts, but you'll get a taste of what they do so well. Other producers confirmed include Perry Court farm from Kent, with a terrific selection of fruit and vegetables (you may have tasted their strawberries at the Lambeth County Show.) Wobbly Bottom Farm goats cheese, The Sallowes Flock lamb, Wild Country Organics salad leaves, Clare's Organics poultry, The Culinary Herb Company, and lots more.

We look forward to seeing you on the 13th September.

You can also follow us on Twitter/londonfarmers

London Farmers' Markets
11 O'Donnell Court
Brunswick Centre
London WC1N 1NY
020 7833 0338
fax 020 7812 1061
www.lfm.org.uk



www.lfm.org.uk
 
I'm surprised not to have seen more publicity if it is starting this weekend - the London Farmers Market website has been updated with this:

Brixton farmers' market opens Sunday 13th September 2009

The first farmer's market for Brixton opens Sunday 13th September 10am - 2pm on Brixton Station Road.
Unpasteursised organic milk direct from East Sussex, fish straight from the fishing boat in Poole, London baked artisan bread, new season game, the freshest fruit and vegetables, Somerset cheddar, beautiful outdoor grown flowers, organic and free range meat and poultry, home made cakes and jams and lots more.
 
They were giving out leaflets by the tube station last saturday - I got one.

It sounds interesting, but sadly I'm away this weekend. Hope to check it out soon though and hope it lives up to all it's supposed to be sounding. Having said that, it'll probably be quite expensive, as these things often are, which will of course curtail how much I can enjoy in one go.
 
I signed up for emails at the Country Fair as well, but never received any. :(
 
Wow - I think there's been LOADS of publicity. I signed up for emails at the Country Fair and DID get them - (as evidenced in my C&P above). They've flyered my entire estate (which surprised me.... I can see the nice terraced houses being flyered, but was impressed they did us too). We've been handed out flyers all over the place too.
 
Hi everyone,
We're organising the market and it's great to see so much enthusiasm and interest. To answer some of your questions - if you haven't received an email after signing up at the Country Fair, it probably bounced back so please do sign up again at the market or via our website - www.lfm.org.uk. The council won't let us put up signs until 48 hours before the market; That's why you've seen nothing around - apart from the leafleting. From tonight you should see plenty of signs around. We're really looking forward to being in Brixton and I've chosen stalls with a variety of products and prices that should suit everyone. Come and say hello on Sunday!
bw,
Cheryl, LFM
 
Well if it's big as the current offering (one stall selling overpriced dried sausages of varying quality, Negril and a patty shack stand) it's not going to draw anything other than passing custom.

I don't really think Franco Manca's benefits its neighbours that much fwiw. That section of the market isn't showing much greater activity or growth anywhere outside the immediate surrounds of Franco and the bulging queue.


Do I note a tone of scepticism here? If so I agree. Ive had to have dealings with some of these "Green" people recently and they dont like questioning. Tescos/Iceland evil expensive Farmers markets good. Its your fault if you cant afford them.

I think your points are valid. Im starting to get the impression in Brixton scepticism like yours he now being started to be seen as heretical.
 
Do I note a tone of scepticism here? If so I agree. Ive had to have dealings with some of these "Green" people recently and they dont like questioning. Tescos/Iceland evil expensive Farmers markets good. Its your fault if you cant afford them.

I think your points are valid. Im starting to get the impression in Brixton scepticism like yours he now being started to be seen as heretical.

Is it a 'green' thing? I've had a look at their website and can't see any mention of it.
 
Well I got a leaflet today saying it's going ahead tomorrow (Sunday) outside the Rec so I'll go along and see how it is. Of course it may be full of people ranting "Tesco bad, markets good". Or it could be full of people trying to sell food from farms. Only time will tell.
 
Do I note a tone of scepticism here? If so I agree. Ive had to have dealings with some of these "Green" people recently and they dont like questioning. Tescos/Iceland evil expensive Farmers markets good. Its your fault if you cant afford them.

I think your points are valid. Im starting to get the impression in Brixton scepticism like yours he now being started to be seen as heretical.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not in any opposed to having a wider variety of good quality produce locally by any means. However I'm not convinced that a separate market day helps benefit the wider Brixton community or that new incomers will flood the surrounding economy with a new stream of income.

In a perfect world there's plenty of space in the vacant, decaying shells of the market halls for plenty of variety already. There's a need for more immediate investment in the central fabric of the market that I fear a Sunday upmarket offering just papers over and diverts from. I'll probably be the first in line for the odd item, but there's a wider issue I'm not sure's best served by a separate farmers market day.
 
Anything that gets people using Brixton Station Road as a market again has got to be a good thing. The street market used to stretch almost up to Valentia Place once.
 
I'm not convinced that a separate market day helps benefit the wider Brixton community or that new incomers will flood the surrounding economy with a new stream of income.
.

I think this is possibly one of the biggest problems - if it was on a day when the rest of the market and independent shops in brixton are open then it could encourage more use of the market in general. People who don't usually use the market may go to the farmers bit, then carry on pottering around the rest.

Having it on a sunday is more likely to do the opposite and may take customers away from what is already in brixton.
 
Having it on a sunday is more likely to do the opposite and may take customers away from what is already in brixton.
Why's that then? I live in Brixton and will be checking out the farmers market - and it's certainly not going to stop me using the regular market for the usual shopping.
 
I think this is possibly one of the biggest problems - if it was on a day when the rest of the market and independent shops in brixton are open then it could encourage more use of the market in general. People who don't usually use the market may go to the farmers bit, then carry on pottering around the rest.

Having it on a sunday is more likely to do the opposite and may take customers away from what is already in brixton.
Or perhaps it might just encourage some Claphamite-types who are normally reluctant to come to Brixton at all to visit the place and make them realise that it's not the crime-infested hole part of the media would have them believe.

Frankly I cannot see it as anything but a good thing.
 
Well I got a leaflet today saying it's going ahead tomorrow (Sunday) outside the Rec so I'll go along and see how it is. Of course it may be full of people ranting "Tesco bad, markets good". Or it could be full of people trying to sell food from farms. Only time will tell.

Turns out it was the latter, and pretty good too I thought. Shame there was no fish (and could do with better cheese), but a good range of veg, meat & bread/cakes and a good turnout despite the autumnal weather.
 
Well I popped down and it was pleasant enough. The usual smattering of sausages, bread and veggies across a decent number of stalls. Most of its unsurprisingly premium produce, although there are some more keenly priced seasonal items (3 cobs of corn for £1) and decently affordable plants. Came back with some tomatoes at a not absurd nor cheap £2 for 6.

Bit of a shame the usual Station Rd traders seemed to be cleared from the scene. Could have done with a quick roti from Tasty K's. The one hot food concession there (lamb burgers) probably wouldn't welcome the competition, but there's plenty of space and it'd be nice to allow the 'regular' stalls to benefit from Sunday opening too.
 
I popped down and got some lovely cheeses and a couple of loaves of posh bread as a treat. I think it's a great addition to Brixton on a Sunday.
 
Have just struggled back up the hill with loads of last minute bargains.

The freezer is now full up - the butchers from Boarstall were practically throwing minted lamb chops at me at a silly price at ten to two.

I thought the veg stall at the Brixton Road end was particularly good quality and value even without some late deals.

I was pondering who the dreadlocked guy in front of me in the cheese queue might be. :D
 
Don't get me wrong; I'm not in any opposed to having a wider variety of good quality produce locally by any means. However I'm not convinced that a separate market day helps benefit the wider Brixton community or that new incomers will flood the surrounding economy with a new stream of income.

In a perfect world there's plenty of space in the vacant, decaying shells of the market halls for plenty of variety already. There's a need for more immediate investment in the central fabric of the market that I fear a Sunday upmarket offering just papers over and diverts from. I'll probably be the first in line for the odd item, but there's a wider issue I'm not sure's best served by a separate farmers market day.

I agree with all of what you say in this post. :)
 
Is it a 'green' thing? I've had a look at their website and can't see any mention of it.

I got an email from Transition town advertising it.

Still it depends on what is meant by "Green". Seems to me that the term has become so mainstream that it can mean a lot of things.

After all I can go to a lot of supermarkets now and get Fair trade products and organic food if I want. M and S food products are nearly all fair trade or British sourced for example.
 
Why's that then? I live in Brixton and will be checking out the farmers market - and it's certainly not going to stop me using the regular market for the usual shopping.

I agree that there will be people who use both but that won't be the case for everyone who may shop in brixton.

I can imagine that if you only want to shop for the week ahead over the weekend but only want to go on one day you'll have to decide - saturday when most of the market and shops are open or sunday for farmers market and a reduced amount of market.
 
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