Farmers’ market founder returns to his roots
The man who founded the Perth Farmers’Market over two decades ago took a break from campaigning to try and become an MSP to pay a visit to the stalls.
Last weekend was the 22nd anniversary of the first Perth Farmers’Market, and SNP candidate for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire was on hand to help support the local produce on offer.
Jim Fairlie started the initiative in 1999.
He said:“I am very proud to have been involved at the very start of this market which has gone from strength to strength over the past two decades, becoming a mainstay of life in Perth and led to so many offshoot businesses as well as being a pioneer for similar enterprises around the country.
“It was great to catch up with some of the much-loved regulars and to talk with old friends about how the market has been a springboard from which fabulous businesses have been developed.
“Farm shops like Gloagburn, Jamesfield and Brig, are all firmly on the Perthshire map as must visit destinations, providing jobs and sale opportunities for small local producers.
“For many of the small local businesses we now see represented at the market, this was their entry point to getting their products on show and available to customers in a way that was far more accessible and involved less risk. Stallholders have become a support network for one another too, sharing ideas and advice to help one another grow.
“That is exactly what was hoped for when we started the market back in 1999, and I am absolutely delighted that it is still providing opportunities today.”