About the Kent Farmers' Market Association

Kent Farmers’ Market Association was formed in 2007 following a project carried out by the Kent Business School. This estimated that the value of the Farmers' Markets to the local economy was almost £3m per year, however it lso highlighted that growth was faltering because:-

• Almost all the markets in Kent were run by volunteers

• The sector was highly fragmented, 

• There was no general promotion and awareness of a Farmers' Markets ‘brand’. 

This stimulated an initiative to form the Association and exploit a cooperative ways of working.

The Association is now the largest regional grouping of Farmers’ Markets in the country operating over 1100 markets a year. It undertakes a range of activities, including:-

• The promotion of local food grown and drink produced in the Garden of England  

• operation of a common web site to help shoppers find markets, their opening times and produce sold

• promoting the health, environmentral and economic value of local food 

• encouraging best practice by helping managers and producers improve standards 

• informing all of changes in Food Regulations; 

• helping producers find additional outlets for their products and grow their businesses, 

• helping Managers find producers 

• Advising new markets on establishing strong foundations, 

We believe passionately that Farmers' Markets provide shoppers with higher quality, more nutritious, easily traceable and fresher local food and drink. In addition, they give Kent's farmers and small food enterprises the opportunity to sell direct to the public and so get a fair price for their products. They also offer a location  for local communities to get together and often to replace a closed village shop. 

We also offer Membership to Farmers Markets located outside of Kent so that they can also benefit from the work of the Association (e.g Insurance, suppliers, web site etc). 

The Association is 'Not for profit' organisation and is financed by Market and Producer subscriptions. In addition, we have been fortunate in receiving various grants from KCC and other organisations which enabled us to help Markets during the Covid pandemic and then to promote the markets by the development of co-operative projects. 

Data Protection

Kent Farmers' Market Association collects data in order to keep our traders, market managers and shoppers informed about local food in Kent. A full statement of our data policy can be read here. You have the right to view and amend the data we hold on you or be removed from our database entirely.

Please CONTACT US on info@kfma.org.uk for more information.