Farmers’ markets around the island are bursting with new season goodies.

Sheila Gawne, who is president of Isle of Man Farmers’ Markets, said that he late spring has meant that a lot of vegetables are only just being harvested.

Her own stall is laden with home made pies, bonnag, duck and hen eggs, veg plants and lots of vegetables, including big bunches of freshly-picked spinach, said that it had been ’a bit of a rollercoaster year’ for the markets. She went on: ’We were able to carry on through lockdowns with our food producers only, none of the craft people. ’People who couldn’t come before because of work were able to come and discover what is available on the island and some of them have carried on coming.’

The farmers’ markets also received support from DEFA’s agriculture and fisheries grant scheme, to facilitate the survival of their enterprise.’

And weekend markets mean that people who work during the week can still come and buy fresh locally-grown food. Sheila says: ’Because we have Ramsey farmers’ market on a Saturday and Colby on every third Sunday we have tried to cover the whole spectrum, of when people can come.

’And we also have two new traders coming to our Onchan market.’

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