THE coordinator of Brackley’s farmers’ market is appealing for landowners to come forward as he investigates a change of location.
On the third Saturday of month for the last 11 years Chris Blunden, a member of Brackley Town Council, has coordinated the market on the piazza which featured around seven or eight farmers.
But after the council started charging the stall holders for the use of the piazza and the town hall amenities, and a decline in the number of stall holders, Mr Blunden took the decision to suspend the market during the lean winter months.
He is now planning to reinvigorate the market with a new location and wants to sign up at least two new stallholders ahead of a re-launch in March.
Mr Blunden said he was not at the town council meeting when the decision was made to charge for the use of the piazza, but would have voted against the proposal.
The decision to charge the farmers brought the arrangement in line with other piazza users.
Mr Blunden said the market was founded to build the vibrancy of the town centre, and added: “We are in a market town and people choose to live in a market town. And at a farmers’ market they will get fresh produce, and know where it comes from, as well as being able to the speak to the person who produced it.”
Existing stall holders have agreed to return in March, including, poultry and game farmers, lamb, beef and pork producers.
Mr Blunden added: “We have had a vegetable stall before, some they grew themselves, some they bought in, But I won’t mind as long as it’s fresh and British produce.”
Mr Blunden said when they started the farmers’ market it was the only one of its kind in the county, but since then such markets had become a mainstay of many farming businesses.
Anyone who thinks they may have suitable land for the market with access to parking, or anyone who would like to take a stall can contact Mr Blunden via email at cj.blunden@talktalk.net.