Farmers markets and farm shops in the Lake District
If you are a foodie, and you want to sample some of the best Cumbrian produce, take a trip around the farmer´s markets, which are held throughout the year. Most farmer´s markets and farm shops remain open during Autumn and Winter, and you can find a wide range of food to suit every taste.
Offering a wide range of delicious local cheeses, meats and vegetables, directly from the Lake District farms, this is the perfect way to sample Lake District delicacies for a fraction of the price you will pay in the shops.
Farmers' market produce is renowned for being locally grown and very fresh. People argue farmers' markets allow farmers to pick produce at the peak of flavor, preserve the nutritional content of fresh produce, and since locally grown produce does not travel as far to get to your table, the difference in mileage saves fossil fuels.
Farmers' markets often feature produce grown naturally or organically, meats that are raised humanely on pasture, handmade farmstead cheeses, eggs and poultry from free-range fowl, as well as heirloom produce and heritage breeds of meat and fowl.
Farmers' market advocates believe the markets help farmers stay in business as well as preserve natural resources. Wholesale prices farmers get for their produce are very low, often near the cost of production. Farmers who sell direct to the public by cutting out the middleman, get a better price. It can be shown that the preservation of farmland is important for the health of the environment and water supply, which is vitally important in the Lake District. Sustainable and managed farms conserve soil and clean water and provide a habitat for wildlife. Moreover, modern farmers' markets help maintain important social ties, linking rural and urban populations and even close neighbours in mutually rewarding exchange.
Lake District Farmers Markets being held in Autumn and Winter, 2010 include:
1.Borderway - October 9th, November 13th and December 11th.
2.Brampton - September 25th, October 30th, November 27th and December 18th.
3.Brough - October 16th, November 20th and December 18th.
4.Carlisle - October 1st and November 5th.
5.Cockermouth - October 2nd, November 6th and December 4th.
6.Egremont - October 1st and 15th, November 5th and 19th and December 3rd and 17th.
7.Greenhead - October 10th, November 14th and December 12th.
8.Kendal - September 24th, October 29th, November 26th and December 24th.
9.Milnthorpe - October 8th, November 12th and December 10th.
10.Ulverston - The third Saturday of every month.
Locally reared meat including tasty Herdwick Lamb, sticky toffee pudding from Cartmel, Morecambe Bay Shrimp and Smoked Trout from local fisheries are just some of the foods to be found, plus a range of local cheeses to whet the appetite.
Local, as in ´local produce´,is defined as a radius area around the farmers market, with producers ideally situated within a 30 mile radius. Find out more about Farma certified farmers markets in Cumbria and the UK at www.farmersmarkets.net.
Check out www.thefoody.com, which is also a top independent website for information on locally produced foods, farmers markets and farm shops across Cumbria and the UK. A choice of Farmers markets in Cumbria are also organised by the Made in Cumbria network at www.madeincumbria.co.uk. Wherever you decide to stay in the Lake District, you won´t be far from a Farmer´s Market or farm shop, where you can find the very best Cumbrian produce at reasonable prices. Make the most of it!
