Farm Shops

According to FARMA (the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association), there are over 1000 farm shops across the UK. In fact FARMA offers accreditation to farm shops to ensure that they genuinely sell local produce.

Farmers have long sold their produce to local people, perhaps at Farmers Markets or at the end of the farm drive, and modern farm shops have just taken this a step further. Some farm shops may simply be a hut selling fresh produce from the fields, whilst others are large, smart shops selling produce from the farm as well as other locally-produced items. These are therefore an excellent way to buy local, fresh, in-season foodstuffs, supporting the local economy and reducing food miles.

Rural parts of the country often have a wide selection of farm shops on offer, but in fact even urban areas are often not far from such an establishment. It is certainly worth checking online or in local business directories to see if there are any farm shops in your locality.

In addition to the food on offer, many farm shops also offer cafes in which local produce is served, and some also have farm trails allowing customers to find out more about farming and the countryside in general.