Leeks, lettuce, lemon juice, lamb, loaves of bread and lovingly made mozzarella. The Dargle Valley is home to many small producers of good food. Most homesteads have a vegetable garden to supply their kitchens and often share the surplus with neighbours.

Dargle Local Living is an initiative aimed at building a better future for our community, starting by listing as much of the food which is locally produced in a small, sustainable way as possible.

At the market held beside ilPostinoResturant, you will find handmade cheese, mixed greens, pickles, jams, quiches, gooseberries, tomato plants, compost, farm yard eggs (duck, quail and chicken), pumpkins, homemade muesli and natural yoghurt too!

This astonishing array of delectable Dargle fare is shared with neighbours and visitors on the first Sunday morning of each month. The Dargle Dealer, which is open daily, stocks lots of delicious local food including chickens, ducks, dairy produce, trout, vegetablesand cakes.

Recognising that food is actually a conservation issue, (biodiversity loss in areas affected by drought, crop failure, poverty and other adverse conditions, is enormous), the Dargle Conservancy has for the past couple of years screened a series of inspiring and informative films dealing with Climate Change, Peak Oil, Sustainability and Transition.

Many local people have accepted that it is necessary to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and the industrial food chain, and have responded by making real lifestyle changes with some now committed to living as locally as possible. Nikki Brighton, initiator of the project says: “I believe everyone has the right to good, wholesome food, produced without harm. We need to think seriously about building resilience in our entire community if we are to mitigate some of the scary effects of Climate Change. Dargle Local Living is not just for ‘foodies’.”

Make sure not to miss the next Dargle Local Market on 6 May. Rosemary Downard commented after the last one “It was so nice buying lovely fresh home-grown and home-made goodies produced right here in the Dargle and we had an absolute feast when we got home! Visit: www.darglelocalliving.wordpress.com to see pictures and find out more.

Photos & blog by: Nikki Brighton