Cronyism in Farmers’ Markets while Slow Food only survives thanks to subs

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The food world is a small one in Australia, tiny in Melbourne. The same goes for the food media. In these cramped conditions it is not difficult for cronyism to develop and you might look carefully when you visit the farmers’ market this weekend. I for one wonder why Phillipa’s a company that makes excellent bread is there. Her products are made in a factory and are available in over 400 outlets. It’s actually quite a large company keeping out smaller producers who need the trade. This issue will no doubt become as big as Phillipa’s.

As Stickfingers at Deep Dish Dreams said, attracting some controversial comments on the local Slow movement:

“Then the organisers of the market decide that the vendor has grown too big for the circuit and tell them that they are not to return. What does that farmer do when removed from their customers? In one case they have gone bust, have had to liquidate their assets and lay off staff at the farm. They have no other outlet for their product.
Perhaps I’m a soft touch, but once again I find myself questioning the qualifications of the people who make the decisions pertaining to the running of the markets.”

In comments:

“Your story about the markets is a great example of what goes on in slow as well. You not quiet “slow enough” kinda crap. Which is very funny really. She who must be admired and is also dull can be tiresome but power will corrupt.
The politics are hard “you are either with us or against us” type of deal. Are you willing to risk your business’s reputation (income) by rocking the boat? I was not. If you are not in the inner royal circle it can be very confusing and even then it is hard, you never really know what is going on…
The fundamentals of slow in Australia are flawed, 35% of the subscription fee go to Italy ( a lot of that used to end up as “Admin fees” (but by good they were good dinners) and free subscriptions to the “right kinda people” I am very sure that doesn’t happen now of course. One of the previous el presidents was sacked by the state government because they could not work with her highness. The whole slow food festival is dead with out Government funding. “Culinary welfare for the well fed” very odd really when you think about it.”