Thames Valley Farmers' Market Co-Operative

Thames Valley Farmers' Market Co-operative exists to manage and promote Farmers' Markets, enabling farmers and small producers to sell their produce directly to the public.

We began operating in the Thames Valley area in 1999. Since then our markets have flourished and we now operate in 16 towns.

Buying at farmers' markets helps to support local farmers and producers. There are no middlemen involved, and no profits for supermarkets and their shareholders.

We are a non profit-making organisation and in 2003 we became a co-operative. The funds that we raise through membership fees and stall fees are ploughed back into the co-operative. All the producers at our markets are voting members of the co-operative who can share in the way the co-operative is run.

Being a co-operative allows us to provide benefits for our members and customers. For instance, on top of our own certification scheme, all our markets are now accredited by FARMA, which inspects our markets to make sure they are what they say they are. This really helps to give confidence to customers looking for a wide range of quality, locally reared or produced and ethically retailed foods.

The criteria for a Farmers' Market is that produce is 'locally' produced, which is defined either as a county boundary or a radius of 30 -50 miles from the market and stallholders must be directly involved in the production process . Primary produce must be grown, reared or caught by the stallholder within the defined local area. Secondary produce must be brewed, picked, baked, smoked or processed using ingredients from the defined local area.

The purpose of a farmers market is to enable farmers and other local producers to sell with produce direct to the public - providing food traceability to customers as well as reducing the impact on the environment with a reduction in food miles and packaging. Local food is rarely sold in impossible-to-open moulded plastic supermarket-style packaging and you can buy as much or as little produce as you need, so less food waste. They are also a great way to introduce and encourage children to healthy, fresh food.

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Where to find us