Holders Farmers Market is an organic market held on the historic Holders House grounds every Sunday from 9am-2pm.
A shaded canopy of trees lines the driveway entrance
Holders House (owned by the Kidd family) is a 17th century plantation house which happens to be one of the oldest plantation houses on the island.
Holders House also hosts Holders Season, a musical and theatrical event which is staged in an open-air theatre style.
Holders is also the home of the first polo field in Barbados, and hosts many international tournaments annually.
The market is the brainchild of Jack Kidd, whose philosophy is to give back and you will always get back.
The Holders organic farmers market strives to host vendors who are truly interested in the environment and whose produce is pesticide free.
Here you can find both locals and visitors alike enjoying the atmosphere and chatting with each other, and purchasing whatever tickles their fancy.
Vendors offer for sale a wide variety of items such as arts and crafts, sculptures, paintings, soaps, plants, home made jellies, jams, chutneys, flavoured oils, local fruit wines, and of course local produce.
Locally made soaps and skin products
Lots of incense and Bugg Off sticks to choose from
BPA (Bisphenol A) used to make plastics is now declared a toxic substance
Flavoured oils and marinades
Locally made wines from every conceivable fruit on the island
Pottery and sculptures
Jewelry
Trinkets made from our local Mahogany tree wood
I didn't try the bangers, but I'm told they're GREAT!
Healthy cakes and pastries
Exotic condiments
Lovely paintings
Nutmeg products
All different kinds of honey
A large jar of honey filled with delicious honeycomb
Honeycomb on display..how intricate and amazing at the same time
My friends also had some produce for sale
What mangoes? They were gone in a flash!!!
Lovely paintings
Local fruit juices
Plants and more plants
Yes, there were massages available as well
Look who's really running the whole show
Reminds me of the black and white scotch whiskey dogs
You know I have griped before about our agricultural lands being sold off for housing projects. This has led to a high food import bill (about 90%) for the island.
The organizers of the farmers market are trying to create an awareness of organic foods in Barbados, and to this end they are doing a great job.
Can you guess what I came home with?
Yup, a bottle of local wine (Bayleaf) and a jar of All Purpose Marinade suitable for vegetarian meals......perfect for moi.
What a lovely day!
Do I take it that you are a vegetarian? Should I know that? I don't think so.
ReplyDeleteI love Farmers Markets although now in the UK and New Zealand they have become rather commercialised and in one I go to in NZ the same people supply to the shops and sometimes charge more at the Markets than the shops sell for. It puts me off a bit. However we do have craft fairs on the Island (Carol and I used to go with our pottery) and CJ and I went to one a few days ago and there were some lovely things there.
GB, guilty as charged, I am a what you would call a semi-vegetarian. I eat lots of fruits/vegs and no red meat or pork. I however have 32 sweet teeth. Does that balance the equation?
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the commercialization of the Farmers Markets in your area, I hope the ones here don't go that way as well.
Oh, I would love to go to this market. I like them in the US and Europe, but I haven't seen one where the produce and culture is really really different
ReplyDeleteYes, bad, bad short sighted to sell off farm land for houses! short term profit, long term problems. Good for the market!
Hi Jenny, welcome, so nice of you to stop by.
ReplyDeleteThe market organizers truly stand for what they believe in... genuine folks, not sell outs.
A warm invitation is open to you anytime you are in my neck of the woods to visit.