A scheme to boost Farmers' Markets in Teesdale and the Wear Valley will see local produce showcased at the Food Festival and Museum Open Day to be held at Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle on August 30.
The project is the latest venture for the area's Local Food and Produce Initiative and is being staged with support from the England LEADER+ programme which is managed and part-funded by defra and the European Union.
The LEADER+ programme promotes dynamic rural communities and economies by funding grass-roots projects.
Katrina Palmer project coordinator said: “We've purchased new stalls, enabling more stallholders to attend and with a greater variety of produce on sale, the markets are becoming more and more popular.
“Since January, the Barnard Castle Farmer's Market has grown from 18 stalls to 23 and as well as attracting consistent support from local people, there are more and more people travelling to the market from Newcastle, Durham and York, while tourists in the area also enjoy visiting the market.
“The financial support from LEADER+ has also enabled us to launch a new website giving details of the markets and the stallholders who attend. We aim to develop this further to create a page for each producer so other businesses such as hotels, B&Bs and restaurants who want to use local produce, can easily identify what is available.
Judith Mashiter, chair of the LEADER+ Durham County group of the North Pennines Local Action Group praised the work of the food and produce project.
She said: “This is a good example of what LEADER+ is all about ñ responding to the needs of local communities and through innovation bringing benefits which improve the quality of life for local people. The produce is good, the project is good and the benefits are good for the North Pennines.”
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