Chapter 3 – School Farmers' Markets project
School Farmers’ Markets are real farmers markets held in school halls, community halls or playgrounds and are organised by the schools. The school community and members of the public have the opportunity to have access to and purchase fresh local produce.
Running a market is an exciting journey that combines engaging educational activity in the classroom with a ‘wow day’ event which can be linked to farm visits, whilst also generating income for the school. The whole market journey often takes place over the course of two or three months.
Setting up a farmers’ market in school has proven to be an exciting way of engaging pupils in key curriculum areas by providing a real-life situation with which pupils take the lead and have the opportunity to take ownership of their very own business enterprise.
Over 100 schools have set up farmers’ markets across the United Kingdom – from Shropshire, Warwickshire and the Peak District to Durham, London and Devon. In each case, pupils have been instrumental in organising the markets and setting up and running their own stalls, selling their own grown and baked produce, and inviting local food producers to sell their goods.