Farmers market pioneer to go full-time
23 November 1999
Farmers’ market pioneer to go full-time
By FWi staff
THE founder of Londons first farmers market is to quit her regular job to work full-time on boosting the number of producer-run markets in the capital.
Nina Planck, who founded the Islington market opened by agriculture minister Nick Brown last summer, will leave her job at the American Embassy on 1 January.
The Islington market, which is operated by farmers who sell their own home-grown farm produce direct to the public, has proved a big success.
Ms Planck has opened two more markets in Notting Hill and Swiss Cottage since farmers set out thier stalls in London for the first time in June.
The aim now is to open as many as five more regular farmers markets around London by next summer, taking the number of sites in the capital to eight.
Ms Planck, who is American, grew up on a farm in Virginia, where her family sold fruit and vegetables at farmers markets.
There are about 30 farmers markets in the greater Washington DC area, four of which the Planck family helped to start.
Ms Planck said she was delighted to be working full-time on farmers markets in Britain, and is editing a book of recipes by British farmers.