A handful – Farmers’ market bloggers around the world

Searching for farmers’ market bloggers

Some years ago, when I started writing about farmers’ markets, I was looking for like minded bloggers. To my surprise I did not find a lot.

Yes a lot of food or travel bloggers present individual markets, especially on those popular ones like Borough market in London, La Boqueria in Barcelona, Pike Place market in Seattle and the like. One of my favorite posts in this regard is a holistic architectural critique of the very impressive market hall in Rotterdam. And there are many markets out there who conduct a blog on their website.

But those who focus on a broader range of farmers markets from a culinary travel or passionate perspective are very limited. I found only a handful who publish in the English language, my search for German & French ones was without success.

So here are my farmers’ market heroes, really only a handful. They all have different backgrounds and motivations and they all gave me a rich diversity of inspirations for a long time.

And a little disclaimer to avoid confusion about the term “farmers’ market”. I have not found a good single term which can express the different types of markets which deal primarily with food, e.g. market halls, outdoor markets, indoor markets, weekly market, daily market etc. So the term farmers’ market helps to distinguish all those categories from let’s say stock markets.

Marjorie R. Williams – Focus on France

I will always be grateful to Marjorie because she educated me to become a better blogger. She once approached me for an interview and her questions made me think in a more systematic way on why I love markets so much. It helped me to write in a bit more personal way and hopefully in a better English.

Marjorie is from Massachusetts in the US but has a passion for markets in France, especially the Provence area and Paris. Her market blog is coming from a travel perspective and helps you to find and discover new spots to be experienced during your – culinary – vacation time.

She is for me the Paris market “authority” par excellence and made the big effort to create a very extensive listing of all the Paris markets – including craft and antique ones.There is no way that I would travel there without having consulted her blog.

She makes her living from travel writing and teaching.

Markets of Paris

 

Her links:

Joan Lambert Bailey of Japanfarmersmarkets.com

Joan from the US has been working once as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kazakhstan and I was a European Volunteer in Benin, West Africa, this is our connection beyond farmers’ markets. She is now living in Japan, focusing on food, its sustainable production and Japanese farmers’ markets  – all with a sense of community. And this can be felt in all her blog posts and Instagram pictures, it all revolves around great produce as a base for good food.

Especially in the Tokyo area she has visited many farmers’ markets held conversations and highlighted unique produce. Unfortunately I have never traveled to Japan despite having a great respect for its cuisine. Here Joan helps me to get a glimpse on the Japanese food & farmers’ market culture, which is different to the one in Germany where I live. Good to see this diversity on our planet.

Her links:

 

Chiara Ugolini – Markets of Rome

Chiara is the market authority for Rome, Italy. No doubt about this one. I looks almost like she has talked to every single market vendor in Rome, really! This passion for the markets and their main actors can be felt in each post. It gives the markets a very human face and shows to every visitor that listening to vendors gives lots of lasting memories, maybe more lasting than those taken through the camera.

Chiara also gives guided tours on the markets in Rome. One day I will make it as well to listen to the stories of the markets and their people – and not forgetting to get a bite as well.

Beyond that she is a great net worker, if there will ever be an international club of farmers market bloggers, she will create it I guess 🙂

Her links:

 

Karen Seiger – Markets of New York

Karen lives and runs in New York. Her blog is a comprehensive guide to the markets in this city, the purpose is to be a “resource for people who aspire to a higher quality of life and a sustainable lifestyle by supporting local businesses and buying directly from the people who make and grow the things we all need and want”. She goes to great length to list all the events which makes the markets even more attractive.

Her links:

 

Robyn Eckhardt – Eating Asia

I got to know Robyn via social media a long time ago. She has a passion for the Turkish cuisine, something I share since I lived there once for a few months. She published a more than well researched book on this subject.

Coming from the US, she is often living In Malaysia and/or Italy, but travels quite frequently with her photographing partner David Hagerman to do research for her books. Her blog is not purely focused on farmers’ markets in various countries (Turkey, south east Asia and beyond) but she provided me with lots of inspiration, also for taking pictures.

Unfortunately it has been a bit quiet on her blog lately, still I am hoping for better times.

Istanbul & beyond

Her links:

 

Askan Schmeisser – Food & Farmers’ Markets

Well, thats me 🙂 from Germany. And the only male on this list. I observe this as rather typical for food related blogs except for those on BBQ and its equipment. I was raised with good food, worked for sometime in agriculture and have therefore a strong respect for farmers. Years after “everybody” had created a blog I wanted to start one as well. There was not much left to fill in, but farmers’ markets was a subject close to my heart and kind of an empty field to my surprise. German is my native language, but I decided to write in English as many of the people I know do not speak German.

As I have the chance to travel a bit, I appreciate the variety of markets which I hope makes my blog quite diverse. And one day I will reach the level of my colleagues on this list 😉

Beyond my main blog, I also run with a friend a website on the markets of Bonn, Germany where I live. My latest project is the Bonn foodie calendar. For a living I work in telecoms.

My links:

 

Other inspirational blogs on farmers’ markets

There are still other bloggers I appreciate a lot and who inspire me as well:

Food Perestroika of Florian Pinel, a French guy living In New York. He covers the cuisine of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and at times farmers’ markets in a remarkably high level.

Traditonal Markets by Sara Gonzalez of the UK is more academic and activist when it come to the preservation of markets as important public places.

This Little Piggy by Megan Allan of South Africa  shows that they there is also a lively scene in this country, not only in the Cape area.