A GOUROCK minister has spoken of her delight after hundreds of people attended the town’s first farmers’ market that she helped to organise.
The Rev Teri Peterson came up with the idea of holding the monthly community event and tirelessly worked with others over many months to make it a reality.
The minister of St John’s Parish Church and local councillor Lynne Quinn formally cut a red ribbon to declare the market open last Saturday.
It was held in part of the local train station car park between 10am and 2pm and featured 20 stalls selling a wide range of products including meat, seafood, vegetables, baked goods, coffee, cheese, jam and honey, crafts and handmade soap.
Ms Peterson said the public response was “fantastic” and there were queues at practically every stand. Most of the local producers ran out of stock by 12.30pm.
“It was a great day, the weather was beautiful and everyone I have spoken to so far said the town was buzzing and was busier than it has been for years,” she added.
“As a parish minister, I am invested in the wellbeing of the community and one of the ways of doing that is building supportive relationships between groups in ways that are different to what we are used to.
“The market is a really great first step in generating fresh community spirit.”
Ms Peterson explained that she first mooted the idea at a local community engagement group last autumn.
She explained: “It is a forum for people to get together to talk about what they would like to see happen in the area and I said I think we should have a farmers’ market because it would be amazing for the community.
“As it was my idea, I was tasked to try and make it happen so myself and a few others did some research and we got in touch with a group called Renfrewshire Farmers which runs the only other farmers’ market in Inverclyde in Kilmacolm.
“We set up a meeting with them and they offered to organise one for us in Gourock on the basis that we identified a suitable location, got local people on board and sorted out the publicity.
“So that is what we did and they recruited the stall holders and sorted out the paperwork with the local council.”
Ms Peterson said the group has agreed to run the market on the last Saturday every month.
She added: “Going forward, we have plans to expand it and are looking into the possibility of using grassy areas around the car park to stage live music and host activities like face painting and balloon art.”
“The market has a stall for charities to use which rotates on a monthly basis and in the future we hope to have a stall for promoting local groups and businesses and a reduced-price stall for local artists and artisans who do not have premises of their own to showcase their wares.”
The next Gourock Farmers’ Market is on 30 April.
