SCORES of shoppers and stall-holders flocked to a North Yorkshire town's first farmers' market.

So many people turned out to sample the wide range of fine farm foods on offer at Easingwold Farmers' Market that organisers Yorkshire Ridings Produce (YRP) declared it "a massive success." Yorkshire Ridings Produce chairman John Piercy, who farms pork and bacon at Huby, near Easingwold, said: "It is on a six-month trial at the moment, but if it carries on as well as this, it will be made permanent.

"Obviously we want the market to benefit the farmers, but we want it to benefit the whole community as well. We want local shopkeepers to feel the benefits from the extra shoppers being brought into the town."

One stall-holder, Rowena Swiers, who runs Green Hammerton-based Woodhouse Wildboar, said yesterday's market had gone "brilliantly".

Rowena, 24, was selling wild boar and Aberdeen Angus beef, and had almost completely sold out. She buys the boar from her brother's farm and the beef from her father, who inherited his farm in turn from his father, a North Yorkshire beef farmer for 65 years.

Rowena said: "Strong local outlets like this one are good for food producers and good for the consumer. We are glad it has gone so well, and hope the market will be made permanent."

Henry Johnson was running his friend Brian Rusling's honey stall, while brother David was running the Johnson family fruit, veg and flower stall. Henry said: "We get all over Yorkshire to these markets, they are a great idea. It is up to farmers to get out and about to make enough to get by these days. We enjoy it, going to different towns and meeting different people," said Henry, of Flixton, near Scarborough.

Debbie Bell, who runs The Village Pantry Farm Shop, based at Raskelf, said: "I have done well. I think people are realising more and more the benefits of buying their food directly from local producers."

Shoppers Mary Stacey, Edna Gregory and Greta Mekelburg, all of Huby, said they would be regular visitors to the market.

Mary said: "The farmers want supporting, don't they? They have had a raw deal recently."

Edna added: "We live locally and we like to shop locally wherever we can." Peter Holmes, 74, of Easingwold, said he had enjoyed the pork and apple pies.

He said: "I'm all in favour. Sometimes you don't know what you are buying these days, but here you can get it straight from the farmers, right where it's come from."

His friend, Alec Millar, 83, of Tollerton, added: "A bit of fresh grub is always a good idea if you ask me."

Nominations are still being taken for the Eat Local scheme. See our Eat Local page, in the campaigns section, for details.

Updated: 09:52 Thursday, January 23, 2003