The “Caipira Fernandes” stall at the Veredinha Family Farming Fair sells a little bit of everything: free-range eggs, cow's milk, goat's milk, dairy products such as cheese, cream cheese and dulce de leche, and even small animals such as chicks, chickens, ducks, hens and guinea fowl.
In addition, fruits such as oranges, lemons, papayas, bananas (caturra and prata), chayote, acerola, and avocado; vegetables such as yams, taro, cassava, pumpkin, potatoes, and okra; as well as coffee, annatto, and medicinal plants from the Cerrado, such as canela-de-velho and espinheira-santa, are also part of the diversity on offer.
At the helm of the business, Júnia Maria Fernandes grew up going to the fair. When she was eight, she remembers buying her first bicycle with the money she raised helping her parents. Today, at 31, it's where she earns her living.
Júnia's produce basket is as diverse as that of most Veredinha farmers. "Everything I sell is from my own farm; it's hard to even name it because there are so many varieties," she says.
But the fair is much more than a place to shop. "For me and my family, it's also a time for leisure, where we meet friends, chat, and exchange ideas. To give you an idea, my mom and dad would rather go to the fair than to a party!" jokes Júnia.
Like Júnia, farmer Thamires Aparecida, 31, also makes the market her main source of income. A resident of the Mirante community, she traded city life for the countryside five years ago. Today, alongside her husband, she grows green beans, vegetables, parsley, beets, and also beekeeping.
"Working with the land helped me with anxiety and connected me with nature. It's a pleasure to plant and harvest your own fruits, healthy and pesticide-free," he says.
Thamires emphasizes that the fair is also a space for women's empowerment. "It's wonderful to bring our products to market and also to meet, exchange ideas, ask questions, and learn from each other."
The presence of women is remarkable. Maria Aparecida Alves Guimarães, known as Cida Macaúba, has been participating in the fair since its inception and emphasizes the importance of this leadership role. "It's wonderful to arrive at a meeting and learn that we, as women, are taking up this space at the fair, at a meeting, at an event. It's a source of immense pride."
The three farmers are members of the Veredinha Family Farming Market Vendors Association (AFAVE), established in 2011. For Cida Macaúba, the organization is crucial: "Every day we see only improvements. For us farmers, the association makes a huge difference."
Recently, AFAVE was one of the organizations selected in the notice 36 of the Ecos Fund, with the project “Traditional Family Farming: in the fight for water, soil recovery and biodiversity”, Implemented with resources from the Small Grants Programme (SGP-GEF), the main objective is to facilitate access to water and promote the value of biodiversity and street market products in the rural communities of Veredinha.
The project involves 118 Families and includes the development of social technologies for rainwater harvesting and storage, courses on rational water use and the production of organic inputs, promotion of landscape extraction, and strengthening of the municipal open-air market. In addition to ensuring better production conditions, it seeks to restore the quality of life of farming families.
More than just providing income, the fair is a symbol of collective identity and resistance in Alto Jequitinhonha. "I see customers as friends; they're part of my story," says Júnia.
The fair also plays a strategic role in keeping young people in the countryside—a challenge for family farming in Brazil. In 2017, the IBGE Agricultural Census showed that there were approximately 570 people up to 34 years old working in the countryside, representing less than 4% of the total, and the majority of them men. In Veredinha, young people like Júnia and Thamires are bucking this trend and demonstrating that the fair can be a path to income, culture, and a future.
Even so, challenges remain: the distribution of produce, access to water and the encouragement of rural youth are highlighted as priorities.
In Veredinha, the open-air market shows that family farming is more than just economics—it's community culture. As Cida Macaúba summarizes: "Don't give up. We often have gains and losses, but when we see a good harvest, we can only thank God. Working the land is believing in tomorrow."