Village Post Office hosts digital farmers market

Killin’s first digital farmer’s market will open on Monday 13 April with weekly food collections from the village post office on Fridays between 3 and 5 pm.

The launch of Killin NeighbourFood has been brought forward by market hosts Ellie Banwell and Paula McDonald from the Scrumptious Garden, in a bid to support the local community during the current Covid-19 crisis.

Ellie Banwell said: “We were planning to open the new online market in late April but decided to bring the launch forward to support locals, especially those who are self-isolating. It’ll also give a boost to local businesses who are suffering as a result of the pandemic.”

Locals will be able to place an online order for a wide range of products from local farms, food producers, market traders and specialist suppliers including vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, dairy products, preserves and breads.

Paula McDonald said: “Under normal circumstances, the market will be a great way for locals to meet and get to know the people who make or grow food locally. But given the current restrictions, we’ll be taking special precautions at our weekly collections to keep our suppliers and customers safe – including regularly sanitising our hands and surfaces as well as only having one customer at a time in the shop. We’re also asking customers to wash or sanitise their hands before and after collecting their order, unfortunately we can’t supply gloves or hand sanitiser on site. If you’d rather not come into the shop we can bring boxes out to your car boot and we’ll be delivering to vulnerable groups or those self-isolating.”

Charity Forth Environment Link, has been instrumental in getting Killin NeighbourFood off the ground, thanks to a £208,000 grant from the Scottish Government’s EU LEADER programme to set up 8 new click and collect farmer’s markets across Scotland.

NeigbourFood markets have already been established in Stirling, Balfron, Peebles and Blairgowrie, with 2 further markets opening soon in Errol and Falkland. Regional Food Project Coordinator, Stuart Guzinski from Forth Environment Link said: “NeighbourFood is a sustainable way to food shop, that supports local producers and cuts down food miles and food waste. In the current crisis, we need our local producers more than ever.”

Anne-Michelle Ketteridge, Programme Manager for Forth Valley & Lomond LEADER, added: “We’re really pleased to see this EU funding being used to bring forward the opening of the local food hub in Killin, as now more than ever, local food producers need to be supported, and local people need access to local food.  In normal circumstances NeighbourFood provides a fantastic opportunity to get to know your local food producers face to face, but in the meantime, you can learn about how your food gets from farm to fork on the NeighbourFood website. Shopping local means your food has only travelled a matter of miles to get to your shopping basket.”

To register for Killin NeighbourFood visit:  www.neighbourfood.co.uk/killin