Can we have more, please?
More food events planned
Forth Valley Food Festival, which ended on Sunday, saw a week-long celebration of produce from the area.
Thousands of residents and tourists visited events which included picking pumpkins in Arnprior and milking goats in Port of Menteith.
There were also community garden tours at Stirling University and shopping for local produce at farmers’ markets.
At Arnprior Pumpkins, residents were able to dig for potatoes and pull up turnips as well as obtain a pumpkin for Hallowe’en.
Port of Menteith smallholders Kat Goldin and Kevin Harrison also used the festival to road test their new ‘Meet the Goats’ experience, which was a sell–out success.
Visitors to Gartur Stitch Farm also had a go at handfeeding the sheep and geese and collecting eggs from the roost.
Thanks to equipment loaned from Transition Stirling’s Tool Shed, there was also the opportunity to press apples from the farm’s orchard.
The festival, which was supported by Stirling Council and Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER, also highlighted over 20 of the region’s food producers and providers through a special Stirling Farmers’ Market and Stirling NeighbourFood collection.
To mark the occasion some producers laid on special produce, such as Theo Laffargue from Riverside Bakery CIC, who created harvest-inspired spiced apple buns using locally-sourced apples, butter and eggs.
Stirling University Students’ Union’s Green and Blue Space held a film screening and garden tours, showing students and the wider community how they can support, and get involved in sustainable food.
One of the project’s volunteers, Rosi Koll, said: “Every day I make small choices, like where to get my food, and I think each of these choices are important.
“Of course we’re also students and supporting local food also often means spending more money on it.
“However, there’s other ways too, like growing your own food, or swapping volunteering time with producers for some of their produce.”
Food and Drink Coordinator Ashley Robinson said: “We’re looking forward to more food events, food trails and farm tours throughout the coming year.”
A Hallowe’en Tasting Night will be held at Stirling NeighbourFood on Thursday, November 1.
The event offers the chance to meet producers and sample their food, and will take place 4.30-6.30pm at Stirling High School.
We’re looking forward to more food events