Farmers Market for Corn

[guyver1000]

Does anyone know of any good farmers markets in Helsinki or Vantaa? I would love to buy Fresh Corn on the Cob. Two years ago they sold some in City Market where you could husk it yourself. All the sell now are the ones kept in plastic wrap in some salt water. I did see yesterday in city market 2 ears or corn from Israel packaged but were for 4 €. Please Help!!!!!!!!

Corn Lover

[Hank W.]

Well the farmers wouldn't be selling any as how many corn fields do you see driving about? Its an exotic imported fruit.

[guyver1000]

Well looks like I will just have to grow some on my own:) Just need to get a place with a garden! Well I hope they import some this year like they did a few years back.

[Hank W.]

I'd have a lot free, problem is that it grows but 50/50 chance it doesn't ripen. You almost need a greenhouse and an early variant. On the subject - is it too late to plant pumpkins?

[rinso]

is it too late to plant pumpkins?

No.
Here in East Finland we plant them in the end of May. (climate zone IV)
Each year a great harvest.

[Rosamunda]

I'd have a lot free, problem is that it grows but 50/50 chance it doesn't ripen. You almost need a greenhouse and an early variant. On the subject - is it too late to plant pumpkins?

I planted mine indoors about 3 weeks ago. I re-potted them at the weekend but I have brought them indoors as there could be a frost this week. I think it's not too late to start, or you could just wait a week or two and plant them outside directly. Then cross your fingers and hope it doesn't snow in October.

Will plant them out at the end of the month, on a pile of hen-poop at the mökki.

As for corn on the cob.... the fresh stuff grown in Finland is only good for cattle. Otherwise buy imported from Hungary or wherever. I buy frozen.

[carolinemaher]

Is there such a thing as farmers markets in Finland? I wish there was, I really miss the ones we used to go to in London, they were great, farmers and growers selling local produce to the public, the quality of food was outstanding..

[Hank W.]

Been to Kauppatori? Töölön tori? Hakaniemen tori?

[Rosamunda]

Our local farmer at the mökki sells direct to Citymarket or Prisma in Karjaa (can't remember which). Maybe this is not the case in the city but I guess the supermarkets in the sticks get a fair amount of their Finnish fresh fruit and veg direct from the farmers. He only does potatoes and onions though.

I think the farmers markets in the UK are not always what they are made out to be. Why would something sold in a farmers' market be any different in quality to something sold in a supermarket (you think they get carrots from carrot factories??). But yes, I agree it is "nicer" handing over the cash to a man with a JCB and grubby fingers rather than to some vast supermarket chain that is making huge profits on the backs of the producers and the consumers.

And I fail to see how a farmer can work on a farm, drive into the city every day and then stand on a market stall for hours on end.... not possible. Which is why I guess most of them sell direct to the supermarkets.

Hakaniemi and the tori and the other kauppahalli are good though. And isn't there a market in Töölö and sometimes there's one on Tapiola tori too. If you are driving out into the countryside look out for signs at the side of the road. You can buy from the farms (like the strawberries in Inkoo on route 51 and he sells lots of other stuff too).

[Hank W.]

We got a "torikauppias" and while he wakes up at 3-4 am with his big van and goes to the tukku and buys his produce there and then goes to put up his stall there, I really don't think the "farmers" at the market in the UK are much different.

I rarely go to the market as I can't be arsed to go to town that early.

[carolinemaher]

[b]Penelope wrote:[/b]
I think the farmers markets in the UK are not always what they are made out to be. Why would something sold in a farmers' market be any different in quality to something sold in a supermarket (you think they get carrots from carrot factories??).And I fail to see how a farmer can work on a farm, drive into the city every day and then stand on a market stall for hours on end.... not possible. Which is why I guess most of them sell direct to the supermarkets.


That of course is your opinion, it is not however been my experience. Most farmers markets happen once a week so of course the farmer isn't driving into the city every day. Also, the produce sold in a farmers' market can actually be very different indeed to something sold in a supermarket, it is without doubt fresher, hasn't travelled in some cases 1000's of miles to get there then sits in layers of unnecessary plastic packaging on the shelf for days/weeks, and I wouldn't have a clue who produced it, how the food had been treated. I loved the buzz of the farmers markets, being able to talk to the person who produced the food, eating in season, and seeing someone selling a singular food item that they had taken great care to produce, an artisan loaf of bread, a whole table of bursting fresh rhubarb or a stall of fresh goats cheese. There always seemed to be some fresh food on the go too, someone grilling some homemade organic burgers say and the smell of that and being outside, I don't know I just enjoyed the whole experience it felt more like being part of a community, a far cry from shopping in a supermarket. I have tried Kauppatori and Hakaniemen they are the best places to shop in Helsinki.

[Rosamunda]

Totally agree but I am just a tad cynical. I don't see how farmers can make a living running ambiance stalls in provincial town centres.... just because a carrot is being sold on a market stall doesn't make it organic or even any fresher than a carrot in a supermarket (most supermarkets do not "store" fruit and veg, they have it delivered daily). Where my folks live in Somerset, you see the same "farmers" doing all the farmers markets... If it's Monday it must be Glastonbury, Tuesday it's Wells etc... They move around from one to the other. I am not saying it's all a big con trick but you'd be pretty naive to think they all go home in tractors and milk the cows before they go to bed.

But I agree, they are nice places to visit and shop and have lunch.

[carolinemaher]

I worked in a supermarket as a teenager and they do have different fruit and veg delivered daily but that doesn't mean it ends up on the shelves the same day, they wait until the other stuff looks like it needs to come off and then the 'fresher' stuff goes on! I'm talking about the UK here, but seriously from the condition of the fruit and vegetables I regularly see in the K-Market and S-Market in Finland I find it hard to believe they don't store theirs, the vegetables seem fine but the quality of the fruit after a day in a bowl leaves something to be desired, it seems to go rotten overnight, very puzzling! That's why I'm looking forward to all the fresh berries soon to appear.. I never saw one farmer on a tractor either or one that was on about milking cows, nice thought though

[Rosamunda]

Yes, I agree that fruit and veg doesn't last long here... but maybe because it isn't "zapped" in a nuclear reactor before it's put on the shelf????? I guess some of it hangs around in a central warehouse somewhere "cool" for a few months... I remember a friend of mine who works for a food importer here telling me about her visit to a mega banana depot

In Hungary we always reckoned that the best tasting fruit was the the stuff with maggots and worms... at least that's proof they are not riddled with pesticides. The fruit and veg did taste a whole lot better in Hungary. Probably even better than the stuff we grow ourselves here!

[Hank W.]

I loved the buzz of the farmers markets, being able to talk to the person who produced the food, eating in season, and seeing someone selling a singular food item that they had taken great care to produce, an artisan loaf of bread, a whole table of bursting fresh rhubarb or a stall of fresh goats cheese. .

Oh, so you're looking for markkinat and not just tori. Those are a bit scarser... you want a maalaismarkkinat

17.5. LA HUITTINEN KEVÄTMARKKINAT
17.-18.5. LA-SU JOENSUU KALAMARKKINAT
18.5. SU RAUMA KEVÄTMARKKINAT
24.5. LA ESPOO TAPIOLAN MAALAISMARKKINAT
25.5. SU TUUSULA HYRYLÄN SUURMARKKINAT
1.6. SU HANKO KESÄMARKKINAT
1.6. SU NAANTALI AURINKOMARKKINAT
7.6. LA KOKEMÄKI HENRIKIN MARKKINAT/TULKKILAN YÖ
8.6. SU PERNIÖ SUVIMARKKINAT
13.6. PE SÄKYLÄ SÄKYLÄN KUHINAT
14.6. LA TAMMELA MAKKARAMARKKINAT
18.6. KE FORSSA JUHANNUSMARKKINAT
19.6. TO PORI JUHANNUSMARKKINAT
4.7. PE KEMIÖ SAARI-MARKKINAT
9.7. KE FORSSA KESÄMARKKINAT
10.7. TO LOIMAA KESÄMARKKINAT
11.-12.7. PE-LA ALAJÄRVI ROKULIPÄIVÄT
19.-20.7. LA-SU PORI MAAKUNTAMARKKINAT
24.-27.7. TO-SU KOTKA KOTKAN MERIPÄIVÄT
25.-26.7. PE-LA RAUMA MUSTAN PITSIN YÖ
27.7. SU NAANTALI UNIKEONKESTIT
2.8. LA HUITTINEN HULLUN MIEHEN MARKKINAT
16.-17.8. LA-SU SÄKYLÄ MUIKKUMARKKINAT
23.-24.8. LA-SU VANTAA MYYRMÄEN MAALAISMARKKINAT
24.8. SU HEINOLA JYRÄÄ-MARKKINAT
30.8. LA ESPOO ESPOON 550 V. JUHLAMARK. TAPIOLA
31.8. SU HANKO ITÄMERIMARKKINAT
31.8. SU NAANTALI AURINKOMARKKINAT
4.9. TO ESPOO LEPPÄVAARAN RAITTIKARNEVAALIT
7.9. SU TURKU MAALAISMARKKINAT
13.9. LA ESPOO ESPOONLAHDEN SYYSMARKKINAT
14.9. SU HELSINKI KANNELMÄEN MAALAISMARKKINAT
20.9. LA SOMERO SYYSMARKKINAT
21.9. SU HELSINKI ITÄKESKUKSEN MAALAISMARKKINAT
27.9. LA PORI PORIN PÄIVÄN MARKKINAT
28.9. SU TUUSULA HYRYLÄN SUURMARKKINAT
11.10. LA ESPOO ISON OMENAN MAALAISMARKKINAT
11.-12.10. LA-SU JOENSUU KALAMARKKINAT
12.10. SU LOHJA SUURMARKKINAT
17.10. PE HYVINKÄÄ SYYSMARKKINAT
18.10. LA ESPOO LEPPÄVAARAN MAALAISMARKKINAT
19.10. SU NURMIJÄRVI KLAUKKALAN SYYSMARKKINAT
1.-2.11. LA-SU KOTKA KYMEN SUURMARKKINAT
7.-8.11. PE-LA TAMPERE MAALAISMARKKINAT
15.-16.11. LA-SU SEINÄJOKI POHJALAISET SUURMARKKINAT
22.-23.11. LA-SU KUOPIO SAVOLAISET SUURMARKKINAT
22.-23.11. LA-SU ESPOO TAPIOLAN TUOMAANTORI
22.11.-23. LA-TI ESPOO TAPIOLAN TUOMAANTORI
29.-30.11. LA-SU ESPOO TAPIOLAN TUOMAANTORI
29.-30.11. LA-SU VAASA JOULUMARKKINAT
7.12. SU ESPOO TAPIOLAN TUOMAANTORI
12.12. PE HYVINKÄÄ JOULUMARKKINAT
13.12. LA VANTAA MYYRMÄEN JOULUMARKKINAT
13.-14.12. LA-SU ESPOO TAPIOLAN TUOMAANTORI
14.12. SU RAUMA JOULUMARKKINAT
19.12. PE FORSSA JOULUMARKKINAT
20.12. LA HARJAVALTA JOULUMARKKINAT
20.-21.12. LA-SU ESPOO TAPIOLAN TUOMAANTORI
20.-21.12. LA-SU JOENSUU JOULUMARKKINAT
21.-22.12. SU-MA PORI TUOMAANMARKKINAT