Visitors enjoyed browsing a range of produce and plants, as well as chatting to neighbours over a bowl of allotment soup, followed by a cuppa and delicious cake made by ActivLives’ team Julie Seager and her mum.
The market will be one of a series of similar events showcasing our offering at ActivGardens and is an opportunity for members of the local community and other plotholders to get involved.
Maidenhall Residents’ Association sold household items and handmade gift cards, while Healthwatch Suffolk attended to get feedback from the community about health services in Suffolk.
The CRESS Pavilion is a perfect space to build your own business with our support and help. One of our volunteers is already running a school holiday print-making workshop for families, and plotholders are interested in offering their surplus produce.
The market was an opportunity for the People’s Community Garden and Chantry Walled Garden to make produce available to the community including fresh lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and curly kale, as well as fresh herbs to flavour them with. It was also the perfect time for garden-ready broad beans, cabbage and tomato plants, as well as sweet peas, bedding plants and more unusual bulbs such as Canna rhizomes.
As the market develops throughout the summer there will be a wide range of seasonal produce and plants which will not only be available on the market but also in the café as fresh soup, salads and in jams and chutneys. We hope our bees will produce a bumper crop of honey too.
This first market was a great success with everyone pulling together to make a great day and a lively atmosphere with volunteers being as crucial as ever. Trevor and Clive were a great help in setting everything up and Steve did the cleaning beforehand, meanwhile Colin and Pat helped to harvest and Pat, Linda and Sarah ran the produce stall.
We hope to build on this success by getting more of the community involved and to make more stalls and produce available. If you would like to get involved or find out how to book a stall just get in touch with jo@activlives.org.uk or on 07760583950.
The next market will be Friday 15 May 2015 between 10-12.30 and at the same time on Friday 19 June, 14 August and 11 September.