What is farmers' market Certification? What does it do? Here's the place to find out...

Farmers' market Certification is a scheme run by FARMA and inspected by an independent body which assesses member markets to ensure they operate within our guidelines for what makes a farmers' market the real thing.

If you see this logo, you can be sure that the products sold at the market, and the people selling them, are working within a framework which is intended offer shoppers great local foods direct from the producer.

What is it?
Certification is an independently assessed scheme that ensures farmers’ markets are working to the recommended criteria. FARMA continues to develop and promote these standards; it is now a condition of membership that farmers’ markets apply for Certification within nine months of being accepted as a member. There are now some 200 farmers’ markets which have achieved this status, or are on their way. Look out for the logo. If your nearest farmers’ market is not Certified, please ask the organisers why not.

Development
The process was developed by a Certification Working Group made up entirely of market managers. Advice was taken from Trading Standards, Environmental Health, LACORS and accredited agents during its development. The process was piloted twice before completion and launch in June 2002.

The programme is owned by FARMA and can only be altered by FARMA in consultation with its Certification Working Group. The CWG has been broadened to include producers. Each application for Certification is assessed and inspected by independent accredited agents - SA Cert.

Certification is open to FARMA member farmers' markets and rewards markets that achieve the required standards with a Certificate, a promotional sign to display at their market/s and a license to use the term and logo on all their promotional material.

Farmers’ markets that have achieved Certification report increased customer confidence in the standards of the market and additional interest from both local and national media. Producers are also reassured to know that fellow stall holders at a market are genuine.

Developing market Rules that are based on the recommended criteria is the first step towards running a true farmers' market, it is a requirement of FARMA membership and is the basis of Certification. Good rules also enable market management to select producers that fit the criteria and reject those that don't.

To find out in more detail about the criteria of a farmers’ market and what FARMA Certification aims to ensure, please go on to the next page of this article.