Farmers' market news with Gerb Gerbrands.

Funny. I had more feedback about last week’s column about the mushroom business closing than any column I’ve written before.

Bizarrely people seemed to think I was making up the impact from the Brexit vote; that somehow, I only mentioned it because of my personal political leanings.

I would just like to reiterate that the impact on our growers is not yet fully felt and we may indeed see more growers ploughing up their veg and fruit in favour of more machine driven agriculture.

The farmers’ market sector is focussed on sustaining those smaller farms that rely on labour, not machinery. The family businesses that sustain countryside diversity.

Sure, farming will continue; the fruit farm we lost at Gloucester last year are changing to arable; no labour required see?

But ask yourself if that is what you want? As pickers become less available, they also become more expensive. Growers are struggling to make ends meet as a consequence and this is a problem.

Anyway, enough of that! This week sees the return of the ever popular Funky Falafel and Olive stalls, plus Jonathan Crump Gloucester Cheeses, Godsell’s Cheeses, Bow Brook Farm and a guest stall from Down to Earth with fruit trees and bushes for our grow your own fans.

Regular free from bakers the Country Girls and Jack Bakes also return as well as the Happy Gut Hut kombucha man and those fabulous spinners and knitters at the In a Spin stall.

READ MORE: Brexit blamed for end of mushroom stall at Stroud farmers' market