One of the many things I like about living in the countryside is the accessibility to really good food. Not only the many farm shops offering their own home-grown produce, milk and fresh eggs but also the Farmer’s Markets that are springing up everywhere. They are such an antedote to the drone-like experience that is supermarket shopping. Now I know in these cash-strapped times the supermarkets appear to offer good value (and I suppose I have to admit they do) but I get so annoyed when I see tomatoes from Spain, runner beans from Kenya and even worse apples from France! Where are all the local seasonal fruit and veg? That’s why I love going to Farmers’ Markets and if they’re accredited by NAFM then all the better. I prefer to grow my own wherever possible but there are many occasions when I do buy and I would rather hand over my hard-earned money to the farmers rather than Tesco (Waitrose I forgive, just because!)
One such Farmer’s Market is held every Saturday morning at Wyken Vineyards. The market is small but perfectly formed and has everything you need – fruit and veg, bread, cheeses and cold cuts, olives pickles jams and conserves, meat and fish products and flour from a local mill.
We went along on Saturday ... a crisp sunny day; first stop - the wonderful little café for hot chocolate and some home-made cookies – still warm from the oven – delicious.


There was a nice little man extolling the virtues of the good old English apple. He had open a beautifully illustrated book together with bird's feathers, broken eggshells, chestnuts and other items collected from the woods and fields, all lovingly displayed as a nature table. He was chatting to anyone who would listen to his tales, delivered in a nonchalent Suffolk accent, completely natural and unforced. He was happy just to share his love of the countryside. He seemed like a real man of the earth, a country man, he certainly knew a lot about apples and told us he runs an orchard nearby, we will visit him soon. A lovely man.

Just one picture of the market - I felt slightly self-conscious taking photos of people going about their shopping - do other bloggers feel this when taking photos to illustrate your blogs?

Wyken is also home to a wonderful shop called The Leaping Hare (often mentioned in Country Living), beautiful gardens and a thriving vineyard.


The gardens were closed to the public on Saturday but we were able to take just a couple of photos outside the little summer house – the peacocks were feeling just a tad shy!

I will do a post about the gardens another time, perhaps in the spring when it really does look its best.
LET'S HEAR IT FOR FARMER'S MARKETS!
Benefits for ConsumersYou can have contact with farmers and find out first hand where their food comes from and how it is produced.
Farmers’ Markets provide a good opportunity to exchange ideas about preparing and cooking fresh ingredients.
You have a much wider variety of products to choose from that do not always reach the supermarkets.
By buying local produce, you are also supporting the countryside you value and enjoy.
Benefits for FarmersBy selling direct to consumers farmers keep most of the profits which helps to keep their businesses viable in a supermarket-led society
By keeping in regular contact with the market, farmers can respond to consumer wishes and demands.
Farmers’ Markets provide an outlet which is particularly important for small scale or new producers.
Find out more about Farmers Markets
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