26/1/2006

Annie Ennor, Staveley, sells free-range eggs at the Lyttelton farmers' market directly to the publicFarmers’ markets are sprouting up throughout the country and it seems they are as much a hit with consumers as they are with small-time producers.

Nationally there are about 12 farmers’ markets from Kerikeri to Invercargill, a figure expected to double in the next year.

While markets are predominantly located in rural provincial regions, two have recently started in Christchurch, at Deans Bush, Riccarton, and Lyttelton, and there is a push to set up more markets in Wellington and Auckland.

Chris Fortune, a chef and chairman for the Marlborough Farmers’ Market, says the philosophy of the markets is supporting local producers and selling direct to the public with no middleman.

It also eliminates food miles – how far food travels to get to the table. “It’s about talking to the producer and finding out whether it’s spray-free or organic, how it’s been grown and how best to cook it.”

Fortune says many growers were being squeezed out by big companies and supermarkets that buy in bulk and farmers’ markets create another outlet for products.

Visitors to the Lyttelton market can chose from country breads, olive oil, free-range eggs, fruits and vegetables, salad mixes, honey and pesto.

Organisers of New Zealand’s longest established markets – in Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay – have both been operating for about five years, and have combined forces to set up a national association to help kick-start other regions.