Markets stick with 'region' tag amid debate over foodie miles

But while some produce is coming from beyond the region, the organisers believe the integrity of the farmers' market is intact.

And they strenuously deny allegations that most of its stallholders are not producing their wares themselves. The market's compliance officer Tony Howard says the markets are remaining true to the paddock-to-the-plate philosophy of farmers selling direct to their customers.

He puts any criticism down to industry jealousy at the phenomenal growth of the market which has 100 to 150 stallholders each Saturday at Exhibition Park in Canberra and attracts up to 10,000 customers a week. About 50 to 60 producers are on a waiting list wanting to break into the market.

An email signed by several ''concerned citizens'' has been circulating this week questioning the integrity of the Capital Region Farmers Market and separate Southside Farmers Market. The person who circulated the email has not been contactable.

The email claims the market is not truly regional, is sourcing produce from the Sydney markets or wholesalers rather than farmers and ''taking business away from local retailers''.

Mr Howard denied the market was deceiving customers.

''I really believe this is a commercial attack,'' he said.

The market does allow about 25per cent of its producers to act as agents for other farmers, selling in a variety of ways - either on consignment, reselling or by commission.

Mr Howard said evidence that the market was keeping on top of rogue traders was the fact a cherry grower had been expelled last week after an inspection of his farm revealed he was not producing anywhere near the quantities of cherries he was selling.

Fake producers who had been found buying produce from the Sydney fruit and vegetable markets and selling them as their own had been expelled in the past.

Mr Howard said the market initially divided producers and agents into different sheds but had since distinguished them by green signs for producers and orange signs for agents. Approved agents must show who grew the produce and where it was grown.

The market is run by the Rotary Club of Hall with profits from all site fees going into community projects, with $1million distributed to date.

Mr Howard said the committee had considered changing its name to something like the Canberra Markets but still believed it had a regional flavour, with most producers coming from within a 200km radius of Canberra.

''Our philosophy has been, 'If you're a grower and you can get there, then we welcome you'. We've never, ever said, 'Oh you're from Victoria, you can't come here','' he said.

The Capital Region Farmers' Markets says it follows the definition of a farmers' market as stated by the Australian Farmers' Markets Association but the association refused this week to comment on whether the Canberra markets were remaining faithful to that definition.

There is a feeling among some in the industry that a farmers' market is not authentic if it allows any reselling but the association has declined to weigh into the debate in Canberra.

The Southside Farmers Markets is a separate entity, run as a commercial enterprise by Stanley van Wijk on Sundays at the Woden campus of CIT. Many of the same producers sell at Southside.

Mr van Wijk said the preference was for local producers but an agent selling on behalf of another producer was allowed, such as a farmer's neighbour.

''The intent is not to have people buying stuff and selling it at the market. That's definitely a no-no. We don't want people going to Flemington markets in Sydney and buying produce and selling it here,'' he said.

Mr van Wijk said his preference was for local producers but interstate producers were allowed because the Canberra region ''did not have the luxury of many growers concentrated in a small area''. He had expelled growers who falsely claimed to be growing their own produce.

''The growers keep an eye on it as well and say, 'Well, it's impossible for them to be growing that now in that region','' he said.