Hovingham breathes life into Britain's farmers markets
Step up Hovingham Farmers Market, also known as Hovingham Village Market. Managed by Peter Stark, it takes place twice a month. It started in 2009, long after the main contenders were up and running, but has forged a tremendous reputation, has won awards and can attract in excess of 1,000 visitors to the village hall, where it boasts more than 50 stands, offering nearly every meat, vegetable, fruit and other type of food produce imaginable.
“We’d had a survey in the village and residents had said that one thing they would like to see was a food market. Half a dozen of us got together to organise the first one. We had 20-plus stands when we started out in October 2009. We thought it would be all over by December - three months and that would be it, but it took off." Stark said.
“You have to interact with customers, tell people how you’ve reared the stock or grown the vegetables and how, what we are doing, is good for the land. Our farm system works well. The muck from the cattle helps grow the potatoes, the leftover potatoes feed the cattle and the vegetables help feed the sheep. The way we farm solves a lot of the problems that others have with monoculture, that they try to sort out with chemicals and cans. I have no problem at all with telling our story and if I have to put a piece of straw in my mouth, because that’s an image a customer likes, then I’ll do it.”
“It’s definitely a destination village. People come to Hovingham when there isn’t a market on. We have a village bakery, tearooms and a couple of hostelries but the village market has become a real community project. We all give our time freely and because we’re not paying anyone, except a nominal rent to the village hall, we are able to promote and advertise more than others. We get regular trade not just locally but from as far afield as Hartlepool, Scarborough and the West Riding. We’ve a coach load coming from Pontefract to either this Saturday’s or the one in a fortnight.” he added.
source: yorkshirepost.co.uk
