A food market stretching for 100 miles [160km] is set to be at the heart of this year’s Waterford Harvest Festival, which aims to support local and regional food producers and educate people on sustainability.
The festival will take place from September 9 to 11, and will include demonstrations and discussions on the best of Waterford’s food and drink as well as the market, which will be located across a number of squares and streets throughout the city.
The market will run from John Robert’s Square into Arundel Square and onto Michael Street, where it will continue up to Patrick’s Street and down into Barronstrand Street.
Meanwhile, there will be a ‘Food Done Right’ stage where food sustainability talks will take place with some of Ireland’s most well-known food writers, chefs, activists, journalists and business people.
A second ‘Kitchen Stage’, which is sponsored by Waterford’s local enterprise office, will host some of the county’s top food producers and chefs, who will share their favourite recipes and tips, before meeting with audience members.
Other special events that will be taking place at the festival include a restaurant trail, live music and the Waterford Honey Championships.
Supported by Waterford City and County Council, this year’s festival is being organised by food education and promotion company Grow It Yourself (GIY), which plans to make sustainability central at the event.
There will be a large ‘Junior GYI’ area on Broad Street where families can take the opportunity to learn how to grow food throughout the different seasons with Muireann Ní Chíobháin, co-author of the GIY Know it Almanac.
There will be seed sowing, bug bingo, an art area, and the Nore Valley Mobile Farm will also be in the vicinity. Speaking about the market and the concept behind it, Harvest Festival co-director Shona Dubois said:
“Our goal is to support and showcase as many local food and drinks businesses who each hold the same sustainable values as the Harvest Festival.
“Local food is fresher, it’s more nutritious and with fewer travel miles it has less of an impact on the environment.”
She added that supporting local food and drink producers will help to spur on the local and regional economy.
“From a business perspective we are determined to support producers. By creating a 100 mile food market for the Waterford Harvest Festival we hope to achieve as many of these goals as possible,” she concluded.