Latest News from FARMA

STOP PRESS! 2012 LOCAL FOOD AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:12:47 +0100

The Winners of the 2012 UK Local Food Awards from FARMA (The National Farmers’ Retail and Markets’ Association) were announced on 31 January, at an Awards Ceremony, as part of the industry’s flagship event, FARM & MORE, at the Edinburgh International...

FARM & MORE 2012 - book now

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:48:10 +0100

Details of the FARM & MORE event in Edinburgh from 29 January - 1 February are out now. All FARMA members should have received information in the post (if you haven't got your booklet by now, please call 0845 45 88 420 and we'll send you another) and details are...

Mary Portas and the Future of the High Street

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:04:26 +0100

Mary Portas delivered her eagerly-awaited suggestions for reviving the fortunes of the UK's ailing High Streets on Tuesday. On her list of 28 recommendations are:

- Establishing a national 'Market Day', when budding shopkeepers can try out their retailing skills; and making it easier for people to become market...

Welsh encouraged to 'Love Local Food'

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:14:22 +0100

A new campaign to encourage consumers in Wales to love locally grown fruit and vegetables launches later this month. 'Grow to Love' comes from the Horticulture Wales project at Glyndwr University and features special printed cards carrying fruit and veg facts, nutritional information, recipe ideas and serving suggestions. These will...

Great British Onions - get them now

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:37:09 +0100

Gray of Wokingham, Berkshire has a wonderful crop of large white onions, variety Sturon, and still has a quantity of 10kg sacks for sale to FARMA members. For more details and prices contact Peter Gray on 0118 978 5386 or 07792 920829.

Custom Built Market Van for sale

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:30:13 +0100

Custom Built Market Traders open sided van , near side sliding door and window. Stainless Steel refigerated chiller bed with drains and under bed cold stores. Electric powered 3 pin thermostatically controlled refrigeration unit. 2nd battery for Auxilliary powerered accessories...

Festival of Food & Farming Planned for 2013

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:19:47 +0100

THE organisers of a Festival of Food and Farming to be held in Hyde Park, London in September 2013, are looking to raise £3 million to stage the event. The Duke of Edinburgh officially launches the event on 14 December 2011 at a reception for 100 leading figures from food,...

Allotment identity parade - and pizza is a vegetable

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:33:13 +0100

Detectives dug deep to get to the root of an allotment theft in Brampton, Cambridgeshire, and brought two thieves to justice after they were found with a bag of fruit and veg. Allotment holder, Roger Wall had tomatoes, cabbages, beetroot and butternut squash taken in the raid on his plot...

Riverford Organics beats supermarket prices by almost 20%

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:17:01 +0100

Organic food from the farm is cheaper! That's the finding of Riverford Organic, which delivers vegetables and other farm produce through its nationwide network; its produce was 19.3% cheaper on average than the multiples, with the actual figures: 8% below Tesco, 18% below Waitrose prices and 32% cheaper than Sainsbury's.

Packington Moor Farm wins Diversification Farmer of the Year

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:50:48 +0100

Packington Moor Farm, Lichfield, Staffordshire won the Diversification Farmer of the Year Awards from Farmers Weekly, presented in mid-October. The Barnes family has diversified Packington Moor Farm to include a new farm shop and cafe, and an events venue as well as continuing to farm 750 acres of sheep and...

Be Egg Aware

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:47:58 +0100

The EU ban on eggs produced by hens in conventional 'barren' battery cages will come into force on 1 January 2012, and it's not only consumers who are being urged to become egg-aware. Retailers and caterers need to check their supply chain to ensure that the eggs they use are...

FOR SALE - Serve-Over Chillers

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:20:31 +0100

Ian & Victoria Byatt at Moorhouse farm Shop in Northumberland have three serve over counters for sale

Ten Years of Farmers' Market Certification

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:40:50 +0100

Farmers' market Certification was launched in 2002, and in 2012 it will celebrate 10 years of successfully steering farmers' markets to remain distinctive and worthy of the name. They remain popular, with some 27% of households now claiming to shop at...

Farmhouse Breakfast Week, 22-28 January 2012

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:44:03 +0100

Wake up the new year with the Farmhouse Breakfast Week promotion, 22-28 January 2012. The challenge is to get breakfast-skippers to start the day with a healthy, balanced breakfast meal and, with one in four consumers saying that the skip breakfast at some time during the week - 40% because...

Survey shows big business not cutting back on innovation spend

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:45:53 +0100

At its conference last week, the Institute of Grocery Distribution carried out a poll to find out how big grocery businesses were handling new product development (NPD) and product launches in the economic downturn. A significant finding was that Research & Development budgets were holding steady (39%) or increasing (35%) - meaning that...

Onions for sale - get them while you can

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:44:07 +0100

Gray of Wokingham, Berkshire has a wonderful crop of large white onions, variety Sturon, and is offering up to 200 x 10kg sacks for sale to FARMA members. For more details and prices contact Peter Gray on 0118 978 5386.

News about FARM & MORE 2012

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:01:04 +0100

Details of FARM & MORE 2012 in Edinburgh, 29 January-1 February are now being completed. There will be four excellent tours on Monday 30 January, the best conference ever on Tuesday 31 January and a sizzling trade show, with lots of highlights and new features, on Wednesday 1 February.

For Sale: Serve Over Counters - cheap to a good home

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:58:56 +0100

Ian & Victoria Byatt at Moorhouse...

For Sale - Ornamental Squash

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:54:08 +0100

Lucy Watts at Vine House Farm, Spalding, Lincolnshire says:
'I have an availability of ornamental squash that are ideal for upcoming Halloween festivities, that farm shops could sell or use as decoration. We have a lot of interest in our own farm shop but still have some to offer...

NFU says Wheat harvest down - but less than was feared

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:01:32 +0100

The 2011 cereals and oilseed harvest has not been as bad as was feared despite this year's very dry weather. Final results from the NFU's 2011 member survey reveals wide variations in yields across the country; wheat yields are below average while oilseed rape production is at record levels. UK...