WATERFORD HARVET FESTIVAL bringing local back

As a lot of you know by now I am a huge support local advocate. Fresh locally sourced food is my passion in life. promoting local to me is just beyond vital. Therefore last year myself and harvest had our first big fight. I full blown boycotted it. Now you might not think that is a big deal but... I feel about harvest festival the way 5 year old feel about Christmas. I am like a giddy over sugared child wandering around harvest I also have my birthday in conjunction with harvest festival most years. and I work as a market sub during the year so due to the high prices harvest last year you also cost me a job.

For local traders Harvest is one of the final big deals before the long cold winter. And believe me it is long and cold.
For four years I operated as a sub for countless incredible companies for big and small events and trust me, the winter is one of the hardest times. Do not get me wrong, markets are one of the most rewarding enjoyable places you will ever work (if you are a people person this is )
but the Irish winter is unkind to traders and they deserve every bit they can earn before they have to brave it.

So last year you and I where not friends harvest, quiet the opposite. and that really upset me. I felt I was loosing a best friend. I suppose much like when children grow older and Christmas looses a bit of its magic. But much to my absolute delight harvest you won me back this year.the magic was reignited.
There where countless incredible local traders you though of everything.
children had wonderful opportunities to both play and learn. You looked back on last year and saw the areas people where unhappy with and you changed it back.

 Harvest I am so sorry we had that fight! can we please stay friends from now on. will you come back again before next September??? Please??? No. Ok well that's fine with me I will just have to call out to the butlerstown farmers market and stock up on Anna's authentically middle eastern hummus and pure food company's spinach pesto two of the most delicious products I tried this year.  Indulge bakery is only a short trip out to Dunmore and it would give me a good reason to go enjoy the view. And then of course Mount Congrieve gardens are now selling the most extraordinary plants so extra reason to pop out and enjoy there gardens and cafe also. But there was so much more.

I ate crocodile, wild boar. I had a boogie to fantastic bands. A pig escaped and the video of it has gone viral. I sat in a wheelbarrow and got a wonderful few picture moments in one. I met people I hadn't seen in ages. we all had smiles a mile long on our faces. Harvest keep doing what you did this year and we will be best buds forever. Heck if you could have a little word with your big brother Winterval maybe??? And see could we get him more local too??? that would be my absolute happiness made. A li'll birdie told me that might already be the case. but just have a word with him any ways.And just in case both you and Winterval didn't realize this there is a lot more to Waterford than the viking triangle and the mall. there a cool square called john Roberts and there this incredible green off this place called Ballybricken and i do think perhaps we could spread out more? but that's just a suggestion.

Here are the links to some of these on facebook :

https://www.facebook.com/ButlerstownMarket?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/hummusireland?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/purefoodcompany?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/IndulgeAtDingleys?fref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/Tastewithgusto?fref=ts