a) Community: In General
What is a community?
A community starts at ‘home’, and a circle of ‘friends’, then on to a street or road, with ‘neighbours’,
and a ‘neighbourhood’ with many streets, where friends meet in public or private – in groups, clubs,
pubs, local shops, cafes and restaurants. Children go to their neighbourhood school, and we get
married in our neighbourhood church.
A church is the centre of a ‘parish’, and many schools are affiliated to, or administered by their
parish church(s). (the parish is the basic unit of English local government – outside of London –
in London each borough is the smallest government unit)
Spreading out further now, each parish is a self contained community within the larger boundary of
a ‘District’ or ‘Borough’, which is itself one of many districts inside the boundary of a ‘County’.
(along with a small number of ‘Unitary Authorities’, which are the combined form of a District/Borough
and a County)
A county is the basic administrative division of this ‘Nation’, before we think of ourselves as being
English, governed by a parliament in our capitol city, that is itself a county (‘Greater London’,
but not including ‘the city of London’).
(I am born and bred in the County of Kent, where the farm i work for is located. I’m also a ‘Kentish
Man’ being born West of the river Medway. People born on the East of River Medway are, ‘Men of Kent’
or ‘Maids of Kent’.)
Nowdays we can watch live, the debates in the Houses of Parliament, and see and listen to the arguments
of the day from our nation’s elected officials. What is more important to us- in our immediate lives-
though, is what is said over our own kitchen tables. The basic building blocks of our community, are
still our own homes. The decisions we ourselves make, in the ways we live our lives at home and work,
where we do our shopping and socialize, collectively makes our community what it is: from a million
kitchen tables all over the country, to one national assembly in London.
This document will show how we can make a difference to the world, on a personal aswell as community level.
b) Community: Specific/Parson’s Green
The core Parson’s Green area boundary
There is more than one modern boundary to the Parson’s Green area, and so i am settling on one of
the modern Parish boundaries, as best fitting our markets’ immediate community boundary. This defines
the area in a three sided shape, like a triangle or wedge. This is just the centre/core of the part
of London i describe later as “The Wider Parson’s Green area of London”.
The ‘core’ Parson’s Green area can be defined as follows:
South side: The core Parson’s Green area, can be thought of as starting on the North Bank of the Thames,
at Putney Bridge, then following the North bank of the Thames all the way to Wandsworth Bridge (or
rowing right up the middle of the river from one bridge to the next, passing Hurlingham House and
Park in the middle as we go). That is our Southern boundary/side defined.
East side: Next we turn North at Wandsworth Bridge (we pass very close to South Park here) and follow
Wandsworth Bridge Road, until it’s end – at the New Kings Road/Eel Brook Common. We cross the New
Kings Road, and walk North Straight through Eel Brook Common’s – East Side, until we come to Fulham
Broadway. This is our Eastern boundary/side defined.
West side: From the busy Fulham Broadway,(which is very close to ‘Stamford Bridge’-Chelsea Football
club’s ground) we follow the Fulham Road West, and then for it’s entire length Southward, to where it
comes to a roundabout by Fulham Palace (‘Cravan Cottage’- Fulham Football Club’s Ground is now just
around the corner), a brief walk along the short Fulham High Street and we now approach Putney Bridge,
from where we started (you could do the route in the opposite/clockwise direction if you like). This
is our Western boundary/side defined.
The actual ‘Parson’s Green’ is more or less in the centre of this area, and is itself a triangular green
space. There are a couple of nice pubs on the Green, and many nearby restaurants, cafes and shops.
On the West side of the Green there is St Dionis, a vibrant church, housed in a Grade II listed
Gothic style building – with a modern community space. Facing the church on the East side of the
Green, is The Lady Margaret School for Girls, which celebrated it’s 100th anniversary in 2017. The
school is made up of three historic houses, that line the Green, which are also Grade II listed,
also some very modern buildings. Small though the Green is, it has a quiet charming character, like
that of a very smart village green, surrounded by church and school, and pub and shops, a place where
everything you need in life is in walking distance. There is an annual fair on the Green, the first
Saturday in July- just like any self respecting village, with a summer fete. The well laid out paths,
lined with tall ancient lime trees- of this quiet park, are a fitting centre for this quiet corner
of London near the River.
The Wider Parson’s Green area of London
The community of Parson’s Green, is a small area, and electoral ‘ward’ (Parson’s Green and Walham)
within the larger district of The Borough of ‘Hammersmith and Fulham’.
To the North is the large population centres of the Borough, including Fulham Broadway, and
Hammersmith. To the East the Kings Road leads into Chelsea and the heart of London. The South of
the Borough includes many quieter neighbourhoods, including around the Parson’s Green area, with the
Green itself retaining a village-like feel to it. The whole Borough has, as it’s Southern boundary-the
great River Thames.
Two bridges, over the Thames, cross into the area: Putney Bridge in the West, and Wandsworth Bridge in
the East. As with the districts on the South side of the Thames – the River, was and is an important
part of the area. Even though it is vastly under-used – the River dominates this part of London.
The areas on each side of the River Thames at Wandsworth Bridge, are some of the last remaining
industrial wharves on the Thames. At a time when HGV lorries, and industrial traffic, sometimes clog
the roads: the river is virtually empty of traffic.
(the main commercial traffic on the river are for bulk aggregates and construction project materials,
and also things too large to be put on an average lorry. With so few wharves left to land cargo,
there will maybe be even more lorries clogging our roads, when one small barge carrying bulk cargo
like aggregates or grain can take nearly 40 HGV lorries off our roads: each trip. In the same vein:
one commuter train can replace over 70, round trip, private car journeys each day. There is no reason
we should not keep access to river for private boating aswell as commercial trade. In an age where
‘the road is king’, the once mighty rivers and canals are not even considered in the plans of the
professions who design and build our infrastructure – aswell as the policy makers who have the last
say in the comprehensive plans of our modern world: why not? )
There are many new residential communities, along this part of the river, many on former industrial
sites- at one time some of the largest, residential construction projects in the United Kingdom. With new
riverside communities, come new opportunities, for this part of London – and maybe also the River Thames.
Further upstream at Putney Bridge, the famous annual ‘University Boat Race’, has it’s start each year,
and the river from here on becomes less built up, and almost rural in places. Heading up the river
along the South Bank of Putney – there are numerous rowing clubs, and direct access to the riverbank
for people and small boats.
Gardens: Market Garden, Botanic, Kitchen and Allotment
One of the features of this part of London, which is connected with a farmers’ market, is the numerous
noteworthy gardens, where food or medicinal plants are grown and where people can learn more about
these. In fact the area around Parson’s Green, was until the late 1800s a major centre for ‘market
garden’ farming, supplying fresh fruit and vegetables to the nearby city of London (the area was
very rural up until the late 1800s, with London being not much bigger than walls of the Roman city
(The City), and it’s neighbour to the west, the later built- city of Westminster which covers much
of what we regard as central London today.)
Just a short journey around the bend in the River Thames from Putney, is one of the most famous gardens
in the world, ‘The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew’. Back along the Thames in the other direction, towards
central London, is Chelsea Physic Garden, one of the oldest botanic gardens in Europe, and the oldest in
London. Coming right back into the Parson’s Green area, there is the Botanic Gardens of Fulham Palace,
the second oldest botanic garden in London, which also has a productive Victorian Walled kitchen Garden
(Also along the river at another of the Archbishops’ Palaces-‘Lambeth Palace’- there is a Garden Museum).
There is an allotment garden site at Bishops’ Palace Fulham, which is one of the largest allotment
gardens in London- at over 400 plots, and an essential part of the Parson’s Green area. Each allotment
garden hosts a wealth of experience, from the amateur gardeners- who can really be thought of in the
same way as, any farmer or smallholder- with many also using organic methods of cultivation.
In and near the Parson’s Green area of London, there are many places to visit, learn, and gain inspiration
from, and experience of food growing, and also the many health benefits of plants, fruit and vegetables,
and gardens/gardening. Our community market would, very much, be run in the same spirit of doing and
learning, and fostering wellbeing. If we meet our aims and the community embraces the type of market
we plan to be, i am sure we could become another asset, to the life of the area- and well beyond.
c) Why a ‘Community’ market? In General
Do you think that a farmers’ market is a good idea for your community? Should your community get
involved in running a farmers’ market?
I am sure many people would have an opinion about the first question, but the second might be harder
to answer. I will do my best now, to answer the second question, with my own opinions – which hopefully
will convince you that, it might be a good idea for a community (yours/you?) to run their own market.
Farmers’ markets are usually run by commercial market operators, ranging in size from large companies
with ten or more markets-on their books each week, to individuals with a handful, or maybe one, a’labour
of love’ market in their area. A community, can combine the advantages of both a large company budget,
and an individual’s intimate knowledge of a market. In the next section, i will list the advantages
for a community to run a farmers’ market for themselves.
(There is at least three more options: a trader, or group of traders
directly running their own market, an already well established local community group running a market-
like a borough council, or a church congregation. Or as in our case:- a mixed group of ‘like–minded’
people with some real affiliation to the area and community, established solely to start and run a
market, and any spin off or related projects that may grow from this, all on a not-for-profit basis:
a ‘Community Market’.)
+Reasons for a community to run their own farmers’ market:
++1) Promotion
Sometimes, people in an area which has a regular (weekly normally) farmers’ market, can be unaware
they have a great farmers’ market on their own door-step. I have seen this ‘time and again’, where
long standing residents of an area, have stumbled upon a market by accident, and are amazed to find
they have a farmers’ market where they live. Any large town or city, has a disconnected population,
that ‘word of mouth’ on it’s own, cannot reach. With the pace of modern life, it is very easy to
miss market advertising in your local area, aswell as personally knowing people who could tell you
about their favourite market, near where you/they live. Promotion and advertising, in an area, is
something a group of like-minded people from the ‘community’, can make a very good job of. Aswell
as placing adverts, word of mouth, and online mailing lists, groups and media outlets, ‘feet on the
ground’ make a real difference. Getting the word out in the immediate area, and beyond, especially in
the first few market seasons – is of the greatest importance. And who better to do this groundwork
than people from the community themselves?
+++Benefits of promotion by a community group:
- A passion to improve the community you love
- Knowledge of the area
- word of mouth in the right circles
-friends
-neighbours
-other groups in the community you might be involved with
-online
~~social media
~~forums
~~community-centric news websites and media - placing of advertising material in the right places
- door to door distribution of flyers, with local volunteers
- pop up promotional events in strategic places
- local contacts, and volunteers to make it all happen
- influence in your own community, as a group and individuals
- bargaining and fundraising power for the community, a market, and other related community groups
and projects - a local team, community spirit and story
When you, as a member of your community, are involved with promoting a community farmers’ market,
you are also promoting a community you love, live, or work in itself.
++2) Standards
Another aspect of markets a community group has real power over, is setting standards. The community
can make the rules, and tailor the market exactly to the needs of the community. This can be done
right at the beginning, with a questionnaire(s) in the local area, aswell as debating and voting on
these questions within the group.
Some of the questions that we could ask:
choosing the stalls
*what kind of mix should we have?
*how much, or any streetfood v farms and producers?
*non food related stalls?
*If yes what type?
setting the standards of the produce sold
*should stalls be organic, or some similar trusted standard?
*should one of our group visit each producers place of work?
~~could organic producers be exempt?
*should stalls be from the area, for certain produce?
If there are certain things that people in the community would like to see sold on market days, we
can share feedback with actual producers to find the best products and traders, who would also have
the best chance of success. The feedback loop will help guide us in making decisions, to best manage
the market, year in year out. The rules we make for ourselves, aswell as all those who trade in our
community, will keep our market on the path to a long and happy life.
++3) Trust
Creating standards to keep to, and rules to guide a market, both create trust in a market, from our
community and it’s customers. But how do we as a market, and as customers of a market, know all these
standards and rules are being followed? The answer is: without a close working relationship with farmers
and producers – we don’t. Without organic certification, (or other trusted standard) which means
a farmer or producer, is regularly inspected, to see they meet the requirements of the standard- we
have no idea what we are buying, how it is grown or made, the place it is from, and people it is made by.
To build trust in our market, and our traders – we need to form as close a relationship as we can. This
could mean, inspection visits to all or just non-certified traders, on thier farms, kitchens and
workshops, prior to trading at the market. Also visiting on a social and educational context, to
learn more about how things are produced and meet the people who make it happen.
Regular visits to farms, creates a direct connection between producer and customer. The closer the
relationship, the easier it is for a producer to know what they should be selling, and a customer –
what they are seeking they can buy.
( I always tell my boss on our farm, when people ask for certain things we may not be growing at the
time. If enough people ask, there is a chance we might plant and grow what people seek. The feedback
from close relationships is helpful for us all)
When we shop at a Farmers’ Market, we are expecting something we cannot get at most regular shops. That
is: quality, variety, sustainably grown, and locally sourced produce – sold by the people who produce
it. These principles should be celebrated, cherrished, and safegaurded. In this way farmers’ markets
hopefully will gain more peoples trust, and grow to become a common feature of every town and city
in the land. One day outside every town and city, there may be market garden farms, growing a diverse
variety of the highest quality fruit and vegetables, to sell at that town’s (farmers’)market.
++4) Social
Another reason for a community to run their own farmers’ market, involves the social aspect of farmers’
markets. People meet and make friends with people from their area, aswell as those coming into the
area for a market and farmers. Maybe you will meet someone from the road where you live, or who’s
children attend the same school as yours, or …? The possibilities to socialize are endless. There
is also a common topic for all conversations to start: food – aswell as agriculture, the environment,
and all things local to the community.
If a market is a social event within a community, who better than the local community to organize it?
Many village, town, and city communities, organize their own social events throughout the year,
from mid summer fetes to Christmas fairs. A ‘seasonal’ farmers’ market, shares many things with
these type of social gatherings, with food playing a more central role.
Everything in our lives is seasonal, even our social lives. As the seasons change, we change our
clothes, change our cooking habits, and the places we socialize change.
When a community run their own market, they are running their own seasonal social event, every week
or every month. What better way to celebrate the passing of the year than to attend a farmers’
market and see the seasons progress – week by week, month by month? As each new season unfolds, a
market showcases each new food that is ready for our basket. And as the season changes the types of
activity in our kitchens changes too. With new ingredients, come new recipes, and traditional annual
favourites. Winter foods, change to Spring – and maybe detox with the very first greens of the year,
turning to summers-end and plenty/harvest-time – then winter’s hardy breed of crop, and maybe winter
stores and preserves. A market is a year long event. A ‘production’ where each week the stars of
the show may change, and where the audience play as big a role on the market-stage as the actors.
++5) Economic
The last reason a community might want to run their own farmers’ market, and maybe the most important,
is ‘economics’.
+++Money out:
Larger market operators pay the costs of starting and running a farmers’ market, from a company
budget. Smaller operators and individuals may well, at times be paying from their personal savings,
‘out of their own pocket’. Community groups pay the cost of starting and running a market, from funding
from within the ‘group’ membership, from individuals and groups/businesses in the community, and from
‘national’ charitable and corporate donors. As you can see, the potential investment a ‘non-profit’
‘community’ group can attract, is much larger than any individual can hope to bring in, and equal,
maybe – to anything even the largest of business can afford.
+++Money In:
Larger market operators pay the costs of starting and running a farmers’ market, from a company
budget. Smaller operators and individuals may well, at times be paying from their personal savings,
‘out of their own pocket’. Community groups pay the cost of starting and running a market, from funding
from within the ‘group’ membership, from individuals and groups/businesses in the community, and from
‘national’ charitable and corporate donors. As you can see, the potential investment a ‘non-profit’
‘community’ group can attract, is much larger than any individual can hope to bring in, and equal,
maybe – to anything even the largest of business can afford.
d) Why a ‘Community’ market? Specific/at Parson’s Green
Parson’s Green had a well established, and popular weekly farmers’ market, which built a loyal
customer-base over the years. It was the customers, aswell as the regular traders at the time, who
encouraged the plan for an independently run market. Rather than starting a market from nothing,
we already have support and interest in having a farmers’ market in the area. We also have some idea
of what kind of market we should be, with experience of already trading in the community.
Sunday was our market-day each week, and Sunday will be our preferred trading day for the new
market. The majority of farmers’ markets in London are on a Saturday, but many people actually work
on a Saturday and there should be more Sunday markets available. Sunday trading markets are in short
supply, so we will be meeting a need, and not just in the local area; many people travel all over
London to come to a Sunday market. For farmers and traders there are also less opportunities for
trading on a Sunday, so a new market on a Sunday is a welcome addition for farmers too.
Our area of London, in the South of the Borough by the river, has many good shops and two markets
nearby. Bishops’ Park has a market on a Sunday, which is a great day out for the family by the river,
with an amazing variety, of some of the best streetfood in London, aswell as some farmers stalls. Earl’s
Court has a 100% farmers’ market which is now independently run: both these markets traded alongside
us in the area each Sunday. Also a new Saturday market on the scene is at Fulham Broadway, which is in
a lovely location, in the grounds of a quiet church in the centre of a busy shopping destination –
and a ‘stone’s throw’ from the traditional council-run streetmarket on the North End Road. All this
is very good for the area, but the reality is, London has a massive population with many communities,
and the community to the South of the Borough, near the river, the Parson’s Green area, sorely misses
a good Real Farmers’ Market.
New communities have sprung up all along the River Thames near Parson’s Green. On the Fulham side of
the River: is Fulham Wharf, Imperial Wharf, Chelsea Harbour and, the still under development, Chelsea
Waterfront. On the Wandsworth Side of the River there is: Wandsworth Waterfront, Plantation Wharf,
Bridges Wharf and Oyster Wharf. There are also developments in our Borough, further upstream from
Putney Bridge such as Fulham Reach. All of these new communities are close to Parson’s Green, and
all add a massive influx of new people into the area. Along with the ubiquitous new shopping centre
built in or near new communities like this, more options to buy fresh food, like from a good farmers’
market should be available. People’s aspirations and lifestyles have changed over the years, each
new development soon (or even before completion) has it’s very own state of the art gym, and so,
again, a Farmers’ Market of the very best quality would be a perfect partner, to the many sports
clubs and gyms in the area and to a modern healthy lifestyle.
Even with so much potential in this area of London, markets in the Borough have had a ‘chequered
history’, with many failed or short lived. ‘Hammersmith Farmers’ Market’ was trading for ten years,
at Lyric Square before becoming a purely street-food market; another ‘Fulham Farmers’ Market’ was
trading up until 2012 at Jerdan Place on Fulham Broadway, and apart from previous attempts by the
traders of the original Parson’s Green Market to start again in the area, there was also a short
lived Farmers’ Market in South Park in 2018.
A community run market has many advantages, in an area like Parson’s Green. From promoting it’s own
market, setting it’s own ‘community’ standards, establishing trust within the community regarding
the quality of products sold and by who, and providing a social-space, platform and funding, for the
market and community projects. A community group could harness the real potential of this part of
London near the Thames, and build something that will hopefully become an enduring asset to Parson’s
Green, Fulham, and maybe far beyond.