I recently attented the Farmers' Market New Zealand conference in Wellington. Farmers' Market New Zealand is the umbrella organisation for many of the farmers markets throughout New Zealand. Conference was a busy two days with lots of thought provoking presentations and a great opportunity to talk with other Market Managers, share ideas and troubleshoot. From my perspective several key themes came out of the Conferences which Farmers Market NZ and us local markets are working on addressing:

• There seems to be an entrenched minsunderstanding among the wider public about what constitutes a farmers market. There also seems to be a misapprehension that they are expensive and about 'high end' food not our every day staples, so a lot of public education is required. In case you are wondering farmers markets are food only markets which specialise in locally grown fruit and vegetables, as well as locally produced artisan and ready-to-eat food. Of course each Market interprets this differently. 
• Food Insecurity in New Zealand is increasing - there are many people who don't have access to affordable food. Farmers Markets have a valuable role of play in increasing food security and accessibility. There is real potential to build relationships with key organisations in this field. We had a couple of fascinating talks from Eat New Zealand and from Julio Bin on the Good Food Road Map. 
• Waste Minimisation is absolutely essential. We are literally choking the planet with waste. A couple of sobering quotes to ponder: 'Humans are the only species which produces waste that the earth cannot digest' and 'from our planets point of view there is no throwing our rubbish out, as there is not OUT'. Check out The Rubbish Trip for more information.
• Finally, the Nelson Farmers Market is one of, if not the smallest, farmers market in terms of stall numbers but we seem to be doing really well in terms of growers for fruit and vegetables. Several other Markets seem to be struggling with this. I think it is important not to confuse size with variety and availability and we have both at the Nelson Farmers Market. 

Article added: Saturday 08 July 2023