Farmers’ Markets Conference: Food Fad or Food Future?
Radisson SAS Hotel, Athlone - 1 Day Conference: Monday 2nd July, 2007
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09:15 Coffee and Registration
09:45 Opening address
- Diane Dignam, Programme Manager, Accel
Representative from the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs
10:05 Chairman’s opening words
10:15 Farmers’ Markets: Where do we go from here?
- Darina Allen, Founder, Ballymaloe Cookery School
10:25 Sustainable Farmers’ Markets in rural locations
Drawing on the experience of setting up 5 Farmers’ Markets in County Clare, this session will offer advice on making a market work in areas of low population. It will offer tips on how to establish and manage a successful Farmers’ Market in a rural location.
- Michael Gleeson, Rural Development Officer, EIRÍ Corca Baiscinn, Kilkee, Co. Clare
10:50 Panel Session: Comparing and contrasting different models of markets
This panel session will feature different approaches to locating and setting up a farmers’ market, and enable you to ask questions to help you decide which path may work best for you.
- Different models – local group, individual stallholder, commercial business enterprise, community (funded)
- Local authority perspective on how to establish a Farmers’ Market
- A comparison with country markets
Facilitated by the chair. Panellists include:
- Ray Dunne, Quarry Mount Free Range Meats
- John Brennan, Manager, Leitrim Organic Farmers’ Co-operative
- Jackie Spillane, Market Manager, Dublin/Wicklow
- Michael Peters, Nuffield Scholar
- Emer Duffy, Vice Chair, Country Markets Ltd
11:35 Coffee and networking
11:55 Roscommon Farmers’ Market: Evaluation and Recommendations
- Aisling Roche, ARMS Food Marketing Specialists
12:10 Origin Markets: Insights and Evaluation
- Kate Burns, Senior Partner, First Western
12:25 Case study: Kilkenny Farmers’ Market
- Patrick Killeen, Food & Alternative Agriculture Development Officer, Tipperary LEADER
12:40 Marketing of Markets: Irish and international best practice
This session will explore the publicity opportunities presented by Farmers’ Markets, and how both the farmers’ market as a whole, and the individual stallholders can capitalise on them. It will draw on international examples of marketing farmers’ markets, and offer practical advice for raising the profile of your market in the public eye.
- Una Fitzgibbon, Manager, Small Business, Bord Bia
13:05 Lunch
14:20 Today’s Farmers’ Markets in Ireland: Overcoming the challenges to ensure a bright future
- How farmers’ markets deal with the pressures they’re under: distance and disconnection (how the products, the producers, the vendors and the customers maintain their connections); policy pressures; the challenge from other retail options
- The battle between integrity and variety: Examples of how different markets deal with these pressures
- Discussion of the prominent role of organic produce at farmers’ markets
- Stakeholder feedback: what consumers, producer-vendors and organisers say about their experiences at farmers’ markets
- Oliver Moore, Sligo Institute of Technology, Greenbox and the Irish Examiner
14:45 Panel Session: Successful Farmers’ Market management for best results
This session enables you to learn from what is working and what isn’t working so well in a range of markets. It is your opportunity to tap into the experience of the panellists and others in the room to find the answers to your own concerns. Topics to be addressed include:
- Tips for making your Farmers’ Market viable and sustainable
- Size and structure of Farmers’ Markets eg permanent or semi-permanent fixtures
- How to manage territorial tensions as new sellers enter the market
- Keeping the proposition fresh – features such as street entertainment, music, acts, bag crèche
- How do you measure the success of your farmers’ market?
Introduced by Clodagh McKenna, Food Writer and Broadcaster
Facilitated by the chair. Panellists include:
- Annemarie Mullan, Chair, St George’s Food and Garden Market, Belfast
- Ted Murphy, Market Manager, Midleton Market
- Caroline Robinson, Chairperson, Irish Food Market Traders Association
- Patricia Golden, Origin Farmers’ Market, Boyle, Una Bhan Tourism
15:30 Environmental Health Standards for Markets and Food Fairs
- Joanne Lorriman, Senior EHO, Health Service Executive
15:40 Coffee and networking
16:10 Practical Case Study: Certification and accreditation of Farmers’ Markets
There are some 600 farmers' markets in the UK and 4,000 in North America. Certification has played an important role in developing trust for shoppers and producers. FARMA introduced voluntary certification in 2002 and continues to network with schemes in the USA and Europe. Following five years of experience of implementing and further developing Certification, this session will explore:
- The benefits and drawbacks of getting your Farmers’ Market certified
- What types of standards should you consider: How local is local? Can produce be sourced from a greater distance for urban markets? Is wholesale allowed?
- How to ensure compliance using an independent inspection body to check Farmers’ Markets
- Gareth Jones, Managing Agent, FARMA (National Farmers' Retail & Markets Association)
16:40 Training and networking opportunities for producers
This session will examine opportunities available for sustaining and developing Farmers’ markets. It will highlight support and training courses available for producers.
- Eilish Broderick, Project Coordinator, Rural Food Company Training Network
- Sean McGloin, Project Coordinator, Western Organic Network
16:50 Roundtable Discussion: Developing a protocol for Ireland
This groundbreaking session will pool all the experience and knowledge from attendees in the room, and will be facilitated by the Irish LEADER Network to examine whether it is possible to formulate a set of standards for Irish Farmers’ Markets. Is it possible to define an Irish Farmers’ Market with rules governing eg the origin of produce sold, how close the trader is to production, and how the produce differs to what’s on offer in conventional shops? Such rules and regulations may be too restrictive in this country. This is your chance to contribute to a market-shaping debate to build the foundations for the future of Farmers’ Markets in Ireland.
- Facilitated by Isobel Fletcher, Small Food Business Co-ordinator, CLE – Irish LEADER Network
17:30 Market rights and the casual trading act
This presentation will cover aspects of market trading rights and the Casual Trading Act that are crucial for market traders in Ireland to be aware of and understand for the sake of their business.
- Toby Simmons, Market Trader, The Real Olive Company
