Love your local market

Ever wondered how to spin the business plate?  A simple way is to support your local market, a mecca for local produce and local producers.

Every year the National Association of British Market Authorities encourages us to use our local market through their Love your local market campaign, which this year runs from 17^th to 31^st May.  Markets provide an easy way for local food producers to get their fresh crops straight to you, without increasing a potato’s carbon footprint by being transported the length or breadth of the country – or the world for some crops!  And by supporting your local farmer you’re helping create more sticky money in your local economy – sticky money stays in your community (when the stall holder spends some of their profit getting a cuppa in the local café, or uses a local mechanic to repair the tractor) instead of heading off into the pockets of an offshore shareholder.  How we spend our money helps to create connected communities.  By spending your pound(s) in your local market, you’re helping your wider community services and infrastructure to thrive.

So this week, why not find out when and where your local market is held and pop along to see what amazing produce is grown and produced locally.  Have a chat with the stall holders to find out their story and learn more about where the cows are grazing whose milk is used in your local cheese, or what vegetables are in season right now.  Some of our Incredible Edible groups have supported their local market by providing chalk boards so they can promote local produce – helping to tell the story of the food they’re selling.  Incredible Edible Middlesbrough is all about supporting and connecting local food producers.  And Incredible Edible Radcliffe has recently launched, and will soon be providing locally grown produce to the local market.

As Pam Warhurst, Incredible Edible co-founder, said, “Markets are the heart of our communities and a wonderful outlet for any local businesses, including local food growers and makers.  We all get the economies we choose, because we use the power of the pound in our pockets to make a difference in our local economy.” Spinning the business plate isn’t difficult, it can be as simple as where we choose to spend our money.

To find your local Incredible Edible group, search our map here.  Sign up to our website to access a range of useful resources and information.  And if there isn’t a group near you then have a look at our Ten steps to being Incredible guide to find out how to set up a new group in your area.