“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away …” No – wait. That’s the Star Wars opening … I’ll try again.
When I was a lass, a long time ago in the suburbs of Sydney, shopping for groceries was very much relationship-based. My mum and the families in our neighbourhood always purchased their meat at the local butcher. Mr Brown was always ready with a quick quip; there was sawdust on the floor; and we kids on occasions would be given some saveloy or devon as a treat. The milkman and the baker would come every day. Mr Barnes, the grocer, did home deliveries twice a week; and Mr Pye, the greengrocer, would deliver to all the houses in the street late in the afternoon. There was nothing better after school than chasing the baker’s van for fresh rolls that were crusty on the outside and still warm in the middle.
Families had longstanding relationships with the butcher, the baker, the greengrocer, the milkman – so much so that I can still remember their names many years on. They would all be able to tell the story of where every item in their inventory came from, they’d give ideas as to how to cook it, and spin a yarn as well.
As times have changed, our shopping habits have too. Women joined the workforce in greater numbers; every family soon had a car; and supermarkets became the fashionable ‘modern’ way to shop. These changes eventually drove the relationship-based suppliers like Mr Barnes and Mr Pye out of business.
Yet, in some senses, people now seem to be craving a return to those old-fashioned personal relationships. This is partly nostalgia for the past, when life was so much simpler. But it is also a reflection of the growing interest some people are taking in where their food comes from and in the value they place on trusting the source of that food.
And that leads me to talk about farmers’ markets.
In 2012, the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, conducted a survey into “Social and Economic Dimensions of Farmers’ Markets in Australia”. Despite the dry title, its findings make interesting reading.
The survey showed that:
Farmers’ markets (along with other alternative fresh food markets) are reported to represent 7% of all fresh food sales;
Market numbers more than doubled between 2004 and 2011 to 150-plus nationally;
69% of all markets surveyed reported increased stallholder numbers;
64% of all markets surveyed reported increased shopper numbers; and
97% of market managers reported long-term sustainability of their markets.
Farmers’ markets are an experience that some consumers value, motivated by the ever-growing emphasis on food provenance, seasonality, food miles and the acclaim bestowed by chefs on their producers. The farmers who sell their produce at these markets say they are an ideal pathway to market, because they deal with shoppers who appreciate the time and effort they have put in to getting their produce to market, and are prepared to pay a price that reflects that effort.
As with most things, though, there’s an exclusive segment in the food sector. Not everyone drives a Mercedes or a BMW. Not everyone buys their clothes at Louis Vitton or Ralph Lauren. And not everyone will shop at a farmers’ market.
Most consumers have neither the time nor the inclination to do their main shop at a farmers’ market. So farmers’ markets supply a very small segment of the total demand. They may be growing fast, but they are nonetheless niche products for a niche audience.
The reality is that the vast majority of Tasmanians buy their groceries at the supermarket; and most Tasmanian farmers primarily service this every-day market.
Eighty per cent of what our farmers produce is commodity product in various shapes and forms. It could be bulk consignments of carrots, potatoes, or onions bound for the major supermarket chains or overseas; it could be grains that will be milled into breads; milk that will be processed into dairy powders; or even poppies that end up as a mass produced pharmaceutical product. That is their bread and butter. This is where they get the money to pay their bills.
Having said that, farmers’ markets are an important part of the agricultural landscape. They are the ideal marketing tool for teaching kids not only about good nutrition but about the role of agriculture in society and the important role that farmers play in our own local food security. They also set a benchmark for our expectations of food quality; and provide an important opportunity for social interactions.
When it all comes down to it, though, the value of farmers’ markets is in the interchange experience – that’s jargon for what you and I might call developing a relationship. Like my mum had with Mr Pye, all those years ago.
TFGA CEO Jan Davis’ Mercury column today
