| Staff of Life |
|
NEEFM has appointed Kathryn Potts as Manager to lead the Local Food’s funded project. Having been both a market trader selling her own organic bread, and a market manager, Kathryn is uniquely placed to represent all the stakeholders involved in organising a successful market. She will be responsible for working with Farmers’ Markets throughout the North East, from Teesside to the Scottish borders. In her new role with NEEFM Kathryn will be managing the £100,000 project in a two-fold approach:
She will also be encouraging more producers to use the markets as a selling platform while raising consumer awareness of local food and drink. By emphasising the social, environmental and health benefits of eating local, fresh, seasonal produce, NEEFM aims to create a long term sustainable future for its members. Originally from Yorkshire, Kathryn's interest in food began early, aged eleven she was selling bread from a stall in Barnsley market. As a student, she trained in nutrition and her subsequent career path has continued to combine these early interests in food and commerce. She has also been involved in several overseas projects as well as being instrumental in obtaining Fair Trade status for Alnwick in Northumberland, the market town she now calls home. So understandably Kathryn is looking forward to her new challenge: "I am very excited about helping to promote the fantastic Farmers' Markets we have in the North East. NEEFM is aiming to make them a social and economic hub for the whole community. We want the local Farmers' Market to be first place people think of when buying their food. As a nutritionist I know that this fresh, unadulterated food is some of healthiest around and as a business woman I know how important thriving markets are to the local economy, not just to the market traders but the whole town." Any Farmers' Markets wishing to find out more about becoming a NEEFM member should contact Kathryn Potts on Tel. 01665 576148. |