Victorian Farmers’ Markets accreditation, time for a review?
The Golden Plains Farmers’ Market at Bannockburn has been developed according with the Victorian Farmers’ Market Association (VFMA) definition of an authentic farmers market:
“A predominantly local fresh food and produce market that operates regularly at a public location which provides a suitable environment for farmers and food producers to sell their farm origin product and their associated value added primary products directly to customers.”
Koonwarra and the Yarra Valley hosted the earliest farmers’ markets, more than a decade ago.
Victoria has seen unprecedented growth since.
Accreditation aimed to bring accountability and credibility to the industry, but many smaller players have been caught in the middle.
Some markets, particularly regional ones, miss out on the farmers’ market ‘tick’, even though they comply with most requirements.
Miranda Sharp, president of the Victorian Farmers’ Market Association (VFMA), the body which accredits stallholders and the markets themselves, says the take-up of accreditation has been steady, with 17 markets accredited, but agrees the number could be larger.
“There are about 90 entities that call themselves farmers’ markets in Victoria.
“It’s not our business to be judgmental about the authenticity of markets - that’s why we established the accreditation system, so that people could align themselves with an absolute model.
“Accreditation is widely considered to have been successful, but we need to go back and see how it can be applied in recognition of small regional markets, not to dilute the farmers’ market part of it, but the additional elements of their market day.
“The VFMA has no part in that judgement; it’s the farmers’ market part that we want to ensure is right.
“The rest is entirely at the community’s discretion,” says Miranda.
One market in central Victoria has a stallholder selling handmade soap from goats milk and olive oil, both by-products from local farms.
Miranda explains that this doesn’t fit the farmers’ market criteria, because the soapmaker is a manufacturer, a maker, not a grower and that the product is not edible.
“This is the sort of crossroads we are at and why the accreditation program needs to hear the situation for regional markets.
“Arguably, soap is an everyday thing, made from a local ingredient that’s being used rather than wasted.
“This is holding a few markets back from being accredited, but they are fantastic markets with all the work and effort and attention to detail, the longevity and criteria, that are at the core of it,” she says.
“Rather than being strict just for the sake of it, the spirit of it needs to be about the collective good, without diluting the core and that comes down to not allowing resellers.
“We have to ensure the fundamentals are in place, rather than little elements that don’t adversely affect it and may actually add regionality and diversity.
“We need to concentrate on the big players, so they are more accountable for what they do and what they claim and at the same time, actively and positively support the small, little, regional community ones,” says Miranda.
Farmers’ markets will always be an alternative but important aspect of the conventional system, according to Miranda and that has always been the VFMA’S aim.
“We are about making it accountable, not disrupting it.
“If we make just the slightest difference to the industrial agriculture channels, then I think we’ve achieved a lot,” she says.
“Farmers’ markets favour small being given the credit what they do.
“Growth comes at a cost and often when people grow, they have to turn over more, but there’s a real cost involved in that.
“We need to be aware, not only of size, but the real cost of coming to the city versus staying local, selling local and all those affects of time and costs and food miles.” the for