It is a scene that few Bermudians remember... a farmer on his horse and cart heading to market with a load of vegetables freshly picked from his land.

But this scene is enacted early every Saturday morning by Andr? Landy, his wife Monika and their young son, Andr?.

They hitch up their pony Bongo from their farm Before and After in Smith's and ride to market to sell the labours of their own land.

"What I like about this market is that all these years I have been a farmer, and now I have a chance to show my stuff and take my horse to market, like in old Bermuda," said Mr. Landy. "I don't too much like this new farmer thing."

And Mr. Landy is proud to be part of the Farmer's Market - the first in 30 years - which was set up in February this year is now well established with foodies on the Island in search of the freshest produce early on Saturday morning. But Mr. Landy thinks that the market could even be expanded and an extra market day added to the week.

"I would like to see the market expand to Friday and Saturday," said Mr. Landy. "A lot of people get paid on a Friday, and so they do their shopping on Friday, and that is what I would like to look at."

Mr Landy says he does a good trade on the Saturday mornings at market, like the other farmers, with his wife and son at his side to help in the family business. "What I make is what I take. If I have extra, I stay back at the end, but I always make a profit. It has turned out pretty good."

Mr. Landy is not the only one to be happy with the way the market is going, his wife Monika said that it was a joy to go to market every week with the fruits of their labour.

And she explained that their going to market fitted in with the farm's name.

"In the beginning - that was the before - my husband cultured the garden for our own use, but after a while it was getting so good we had enough for more. That is the after. We are keeping a Bermuda tradition and it is our lifestyle here to do this."

And soon Bongo their horse, now a market celebrity which has been drawing in young families with children eager to have a quick ride, will not be the only attraction at the market for small children. From this Saturday, the Landys' will be bringing in rabbits for children to pet.

Frances Eddy, one of the market organisers, believes these touches are what makes the market the success it has become.

She said: "It has been going so well on all levels. The vendors seem happy and people are talking positively about it and word of mouth has gotten around."

She said that there are now over 20 vendors who come to the market, although not all come every week, and the crowds keep on increasing as does the community spirit felt in the market place.

And she said it was important for Bermuda and the way of life on the Island to support the market and the farmers.

"When you buy produce from the Farmer's Market, you are supporting Bermuda's farmers, not just getting a supply of fresh and good vegetables. When you support Bermuda's farmers you are also supporting farming as a profession. By supporting farming as a profession, you are also supporting the preservation of arable land - and that can only be good for Bermuda."

She also said that people were flocking to the market to buy and sell because it was a great place to go to during the day.

She said: "It is exciting in a market. It is a different kind of feeling. You get to know the farmer, what his or her face is like and you can ask about the produce and find the face behind the food.

"It is different from going to a supermarket and gives more profile to those that do not have stands every weekend."

Mrs Eddy also said that it gave the smaller producers a chance to sell their wares and added that it gave diversity in one place for the shopper.

Sprout grower Greg Hartley, who also runs Undersea Adventures, is one of the smaller producers who goes to market when he can to raise the profile of sprouts.

"People do not know what they are, so you want them to try them and learn to use them," he said. "You can use them in anything you would normally use lettuce for."

And his new sideline in sprouts is producing more than pin money and after the success of his alfalfa, he is thinking of expanding into other lines to sell on the Island.

"When you fly sprouts in, it has a shelf life of about a week. With the stuff produced here, it is more like three weeks. And that is proving popular."

Joel Cassidy, the owner of Bermuda Plant Nursery, said that coming to the market let more people know about his business.

"It's a good outlet here," he said. "People forget we are here in Hamilton because we are a bit off the beaten track but this not only gives us exposure, but brings in extra cash."

And the Saturday market is continuing to attract more and more traders and customers every week.

Mrs. Eddy said: "You have to remember that it is fun here, and people come here because of that. I guess there is something primeval about all this food laid out in the fresh air. Although it is in a car park, there is something marvellous about buying food outside, and that is what the real appeal of the market is."