THE Frome Farmers’ Market is promoting the benefits of supporting the local market held on the second Saturday of every month.
Organisers say, “In April 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted the fragility of the industrialised food system, labelling it a ‘major culprit’ in the ‘catastrophic levels of global heating’.
“So what’s the alternative? Over the last 20 years, Frome Farmers’ Market has sought to encourage local food production, reverse the decline of small family farms, and re-introduce the concept of selling directly to the public, thereby reducing unnecessary food miles and the reliance on imported foods.
“The Frome Farmers’ Market is held inside the Cheese & Grain on the second Saturday of the month as part of a not-for-profit network of farmers’ markets organised by Somerset Farmers’ Markets. It has its loyal regulars, yet many newcomers to Frome don’t know it exists, or confuse it with the Mendip Saturday Market in the car park!
“Come inside the Cheese & Grain Hall on Saturday June 11th and you will find over 20 stalls of local farmers, vegetable growers, beekeepers, cheesemakers, cidermakers, smallholders, and plant nurseries. There are no middlemen – you will be buying directly from the people who raised the pigs, crafted the cider, and grew the vegetables and even butchered the beef, so their businesses can be supported to become financially sustainable.
“The Farmers’ market has strict low-mileage rules and prioritise welfare-friendly farming, so all meat and poultry are free range, and many of our members are certified organic and practice regenerative farming methods. Non-farming food producers must use local ingredients in their products where possible including free range eggs.
“We have created a ‘protected space’ for food producers and have recently begun working alongside the Frome Food Network who are bringing together several grassroot organisations in the town to collaborate on a shared vision for local food. On Saturday for example, we have invited along organisers of The Frome Food Hub, so the public can find out about more ways sustainable food is finding its way into Frome.
“There is no better time to visit your local farmers’ market, or to get involved in any other initiative that supports the eating and growing of more local food – the health of the planet calls for it.”
For more details visit www. somersetfarmersmarket.co.uk
