It was founded at the beginning of 2021, on land southwest of the city. Countering food insecurity is a primary aim, along with teaching young people how to farm sustainably, progressing to earning a living from the land.
Co-founder Liza Lightfoot sees the fledgling market as an ideal opportunity to introduce customers to the joy of fresh produce, grown free of chemicals.
Cohen said: “To have the support of Kidlinks, which has a great reputation, is a big tick for the project. It has committed to supporting the market and we are thrilled to have them on board.”
Kidlinks delivers fresh vegetables to homes in East London as well as holding regular roadside stalls on the road between Kayser's Beach and the N2, just past the airport.
Initially the market will be run by the BKCOB Agri Committee, in conjunction with Spargs.
“At this stage we do not have the infrastructure to equip the stalls, so every vendor must bring their own display stands, tables and supplies.
"We will, obviously, be vetting the suppliers for the quality of their produce. Linking the chamber’s name to this venture places the onus on the chamber to ensure that the offerings are top-class.”
Cohen explained that the market is a “for profit venture”, but not for the chamber.
“The proceeds made from the entry fees will go back into a fund which will be used to purchase gazebos, tables, banners and the like.
The market's objective is to assist small-scale farmers with direct access to consumers and consumers with direct access to the farmers.
A byproduct is helping the community make healthy choices by making more easily available vegetables and fruit that are free of pesticides and fertilisers.
“I am convinced this initiative will be one of the first steps to get rural farmers to focus on quality and display.”
At this stage, the East London Organic Market is not a registered name.
So far -- and it is early days, said Cohen -- ten farmers will be presenting their produce, but there have been several more inquiries.
For more information on the market phone 082-872-3150.
DispatchLIVE
Loving it local: open-air fresh produce market in B Bay
Sparg's parking lot the venue for Border-Kei Business Chamber's project expected to grow in leaps and bounds
Image: SUPPLIED
In a perfect win-win scenario, small-scale farmers in and around East London will soon have a regular outlet for their seasonal, home-grown, harvested fruit and vegetables.
The Border Kei Chamber of Business’s (BKCOB) Agricultural Committee, in conjunction with the Spargs Group, will be running the East London Organic Food Market (ELOFM), said Galit Cohen, who chairs the committee and also heads the NPO, Ripples of Change (RIP).
Cohen said that the market will be held twice a month, to start with, at Spargs, in the parking lot behind the KFC. The opening Saturday is scheduled for October 14, and will run from 8am to 1pm.
Angie Chappel runs the Khula Dharma Natural Farm and Holistic Retreat, which is surrounded by one of EL's most successful farming communities.
They are about 10km inland from the coastal hamlet of Haga Haga, on the Transkei Wild Coast.
“The BKCOB market is an exciting development. I am involved with a project which helps villages grow food. An outlet such as the food market puts a whole new slant on small-scale farming and market gardening.
"It can turn into an opportunity for farmers to develop into fully-fledged organic produce suppliers, with an outlet that is bound to grow, which ensures regular demand.”
The fresh produce for the market will be sourced from surrounding Eastern Cape farmers. The supplying farms will not be contracted, at least in the early stages of the venture.
So to start with it is on a biweekly "first come, first served" basis.
Another organisation that is enthusiastic about the market is the Kidlinks Small Farm Incubator.
It was founded at the beginning of 2021, on land southwest of the city. Countering food insecurity is a primary aim, along with teaching young people how to farm sustainably, progressing to earning a living from the land.
Co-founder Liza Lightfoot sees the fledgling market as an ideal opportunity to introduce customers to the joy of fresh produce, grown free of chemicals.
Cohen said: “To have the support of Kidlinks, which has a great reputation, is a big tick for the project. It has committed to supporting the market and we are thrilled to have them on board.”
Kidlinks delivers fresh vegetables to homes in East London as well as holding regular roadside stalls on the road between Kayser's Beach and the N2, just past the airport.
Initially the market will be run by the BKCOB Agri Committee, in conjunction with Spargs.
“At this stage we do not have the infrastructure to equip the stalls, so every vendor must bring their own display stands, tables and supplies.
"We will, obviously, be vetting the suppliers for the quality of their produce. Linking the chamber’s name to this venture places the onus on the chamber to ensure that the offerings are top-class.”
Cohen explained that the market is a “for profit venture”, but not for the chamber.
“The proceeds made from the entry fees will go back into a fund which will be used to purchase gazebos, tables, banners and the like.
The market's objective is to assist small-scale farmers with direct access to consumers and consumers with direct access to the farmers.
A byproduct is helping the community make healthy choices by making more easily available vegetables and fruit that are free of pesticides and fertilisers.
“I am convinced this initiative will be one of the first steps to get rural farmers to focus on quality and display.”
At this stage, the East London Organic Market is not a registered name.
So far -- and it is early days, said Cohen -- ten farmers will be presenting their produce, but there have been several more inquiries.
For more information on the market phone 082-872-3150.
DispatchLIVE
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