Mercat de la terra, market of the land. Starting on Wednesday 21st October Le Boulou will host the Pyrenees Orientales first 100% organic market.

Mercat de la terra from 9am – 13.00 in the centre of town on the Rambla local organic producers and transformers from around the region will be there selling their own locally grown, raised and transformed produce. Organic fruit vegetables, cheese, beef, chickens, lamb and pork, as well as jams, honey, bread, cakes and patisseries. And yes there will be wine and maybe even locally produced beer.  And of course their will be our organic herbs and flowers.

Organised by the Slow Food Pays Catalan movement and Le Boulou in Transition the Mercat de la terra will be the third Wednesday of the month, further Wednesday organic markets are to organised in Elne and Cabestany. Hopefully we will also be involved in them too. This is a brilliant initiative, the Pyrenées Orientales has long been a major producer of organic produce but the Perpignan organic market was judged to be too small to  be sustainable and was folded into the Saturday market in Place de la Republique.

By concentrating solely on producers and not resellers Mercat de la terra will be a real chance for customers to meet directly with the women and men who do the farming, baking, growing of the produce they buy. Their money will go straight into the hands of the small  producers rathe than the large distributors that dominate the organic retail sector.

Wearing masks in the market is compulsory for stand holders and clients alike. Please wear one, the Mairie and the police are obliged to enforce this rule; If either stand holders or clients do not wear masks then the Mairie will be forced to close the market. It would be stupid to spoil this great project. Clothes on the other hand are optional but it can get a bit chilly in Winter even in the Pyrenees Orientales

Slow Food Pays Catalan’s Jean Lheritier talking about the Mercat de la terra Elne Sunday market

Mercat de la terre in the Press