What does Rog Wood think of farmers' markets?

As farming moved into a period of relative prosperity following the Second World War many livestock farmers considered that their job was done when they loaded their animals onto the lorry that took them to the abattoir. It was the same with milk that was taken from the farm to be processed into fresh milk and cream, butter, cheese or dried skimmed milk powder. They left the processing and marketing to others and effectively distanced themselves from their consumers.

With the ending of marketing boards and guaranteed prices farmers once again found themselves in the position of being weak sellers struggling to get a fair price from the processors or big buyers like supermarkets.

Some farmers have become disillusioned with the system that only pays them a small proportion of the end price and are reverting to the old ways of selling direct to the public.

Some set up temporary stalls in lay-bys next to busy roads to sell seasonal produce like fruit and vegetables, or have pick-your-own ventures. Others have made the considerable investment of establishing farm shops, often with an associated tearoom, while others sell at farmer's markets.

The launch of Bristol Farmers' Market in 1988 triggered a new movement across the country that eventually led to the establishment of the first one in Scotland in Perth in the spring of 1999.

That first market in Perth comprised 14 stalls selling meat, vegetables, frozen soft fruits, wines, plants, home baking, fish, eggs and preserves etc. Some of the goods were organic and all had originated within the Perth and Kinross area.

It was a roaring success with some completely selling out by lunchtime.

One of the most pleasing aspect for those involved was receiving the full retail price on the day. It also gave the farmers and their wives the chance to explain to the consumers how the food they were buying had been produced. Those with established farm shops and mail order businesses found a host of new customers.

The concept has been adopted by the farming industry and there are currently over 40 Scottish Association Farmers' Markets held fortnightly or monthly across Scotland,

Selling at farmers' markets isn't the easiest way to make a living. It can involve a lot of travelling and very long hours, and as a result quite a few give up.

In an ideal world, consumers shopping at farmer's markets or in farm shops should be able to buy wholesome, fresh farm produce, of known provenance at reasonable prices.

Sadly the quality is not always what it should be, the provenance is doubtful and the goods invariably over-priced. The reality is that many such outlets are frequented by the more affluent and shunned by cost-conscious shoppers.

Meat can be the most disappointing. Some farm shops have excellent butcheries, but others can only offer unappetizing-looking frozen, vacuum packed cuts of meat. That's down to the fact that their meat was butchered away from the premises, and then to comply with food hygiene regulations, had to be vacuum packed.

Perhaps the thing that annoys me most in a lot of farm shops and tearooms are those attractive jars of jams and chutneys with misleading labels suggesting they are homemade in a farmhouse kitchen, when they are actually cleverly marketed products from leading manufacturers.

Mind you, I have seen some farmers come up with some pretty ingenious marketing ploys of their own. One local farmer who butchered his own meat to sell at farmers' markets had the innovative idea of encouraging people to "adopt a pig". At no cost, people could adopt a piglet and follow its progress as it grew to slaughter weight, and even visit it at the farm. Once it was slaughtered, for a fee, you could then learn how to butcher it. The idea didn't take off and he stopped attending farmers' markets a few years ago after he closed his on-farm butchery.

Supermarkets, with their wide range of affordable food are hard to beat.