So much more than a farmers’ market – our market benefits include:
- 10% discounts to all unemployed and those receiving the old age pension.
- You can also avail of a higher discount off all your cupboard groceries if you volunteer with the market set up or close down (2 hrs max)
- We are happy to order you discounted bulk on any item we carry or to order you any special requests, either food, herbs or supplements that you require from our large wholefoods catalogue. Just ask at the top desk.
Other benefits of shopping at our market include:
- No Genetically Modified (GM) ingredients in any of our produce
- Local produce from local producers
- A one stop shop for all your cooking and household needs
- Organic meats, fruit vegetables, eggs, cheeses. Olives, wholefoods, dairy, fish, bakery, cosmetics and household goods.
- Wide selection of Fairtrade products
- Competitive prices and discounts
- Environmentally friendly
- Minimal packaging and waste
- Local Irish producers creating and supporting micro economy
Food poverty
Food and Nutrition are the key determinants of health. What people eat and how much they eat, influences how healthy they are and even how long they live. Food poverty arises when people lack the money or other resources to eat a healthy diet. Many people think that eating healthily is more expensive but the very opposite is true!
Fresh produce such as fruit and vegetables and cupboard staples of whole grains and pulses are far cheaper than a basket of branded, processed and packaged goods that are devoid of nutrition.
Low income households will spend a higher proportion of their income on food but eat less well than those with higher incomes; the foods they do eat are less likely to meet their nutritional needs as the main influences on purchases are cost and special offers. Further to this in poorer households the food budget is often the deemed the most flexible and is often reduced to pay other household bills such as gas or rent or to avoid a debt. So cheaper and less nutritionally adequate food is bought.
Food poverty has a variety of causes such as:
- Accessibility of affordable, healthy produce
- Lack of knowledge and skills
- Budget and shopping planning
- Health inequalities
- Education
- Social welfare
- Lack of equipment and storage.
The three A’s –Accessibilty, Availability and Affordability are key to supporting and promoting healthy food choices for everybody. Our market as a community food initiative helps address food poverty in a number of ways
- Improving access to good quality, affordable food
- Addressing gaps in dietary knowledge and skills
- Supporting bottom up appraoches to food provision and consumption
- Improving the quality and extent of that distribution and consumption
- Facilitating social participation in the food economy
- Empowering local communites to address local food needs
Source- The Good Practice Guide for Community Food Initiatives published by the all island, multi initiative Healthy Food for All.