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In search of an English apple

- - | 03.09.2004 22:36 | Liverpool

The end of South John Street and half of Chavasse Park in Liverpool is now fenced off so construction work can start on this part of the Paradise Street Development Area.

Liverpool Farmers Market
Liverpool Farmers Market


One small consequence of this is that the Liverpool Farmers Market disappeared a couple of weeks ago to be replaced by a stack of drainage pipes. While local enthusiasm for the absentee landlord’s masterplan knows no bounds, the market gets virtually no publicity. Given this lack of support, regular visitors to the market could be forgiven for thinking the enclosure of South John Street marked the end for local farmers selling their grub in Liverpool. But apparently not - the market has moved just down the hill and round the corner, somewhere off towards Canning Place.

As globalisation of the food chain destroys farming and the environment around the world – everything from subsidised western production to corporate theft in patenting seeds to food import air miles cranking up global warming – it gets ever more important to think again about what kind of food we ought to be eating. When it’s seemingly impossible to buy an English apple in Liverpool, something’s got to be wrong.

The market sells fresh regional produce, quite a bit of it organic, and appears somewhere near to South John Street / Canning Place every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month.

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Comments

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farmers market gets new home

04.09.2004 11:46

... at Monument Place, London Road - that's just in front of TJs.

next market: Saturday 18 September

starts early.

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till the pips squeak

05.09.2004 14:26

I'm not from Liverpool but I know this area a bit. What's the chance of there being any space for farmer's markets at all once the PSDA gets underway? The developers talk of sustainability while planning to cut Chavasse park down to half its size.

A bit of awareness raising among farmers over their impending loss of trade at the market might be useful - it's surprising how effective several tractors can be at slowing down city centre demolition work.

Crash


Update

05.09.2004 18:17

We've actually been working with the Farmer's market regarding this issue. We press released it so it was actually in the Liverpool Daily Post before the first change of location, and the Post gave the market some positive coverage.

It is disgraceful that profitable long established religious meeting points, BBC Radio Merseyside and local businesses have been moved for this development. Come the next major recession, all of these "national" chains will be the first to pull out of Liverpool when the going gets tough, reasoning that those that can afford it will still go to the Trafford Centre. It is always local businesses that fight to keep going and keep on employing local people.

And it is another bit of green space in Liverpool, under concrete. Keep your eye on the Garden Festival development under the new owners Langtree. It is receiving favourable local coverage, with the Garden Festival Campaign not even getting quoted any more.

Peter Cranie
mail e-mail: greenliverpool@hotmail.com