Welcome to The Cottage Market Crew! We look forward to meeting you and your Cottage Marketeers as you too create a space for people to meet, have the chats and support local producers who are making, baking, cutting, carving, knitting, sewing and growing all sorts of things as cottage industries aka micro enterprises. Markets are not a new invention of ours, they have been a cornerstone of communities for centuries but the monopolisation of production and de-valuing of our food and craft producers has pushed markets to the edge and in some cases out of town altogether. The Cottage Market is your way of redressing the balance - of taking back space, time and money from those that have gotten too big for their mass produced boots and keeping it local - keeping it grassroots. All the while enjoying the most amazing food, coffee, music and crafts with people from your area and visitors to it. The growing network of Cottage Markets has unearthed some incredible talent and unbelievably community spirit and while the principals are the same for everyone we all put our own stamp to them. Get the blackboard paint, tables and gazebos out - you've work to do!
- Karen O'Donohoe
I have truly enjoyed this venture and look forward to its future. The community that has evolved is amazing and it is great to work on a local level with like-minded people in creating something new. I am delighted to be part of this Cottage community and witness friendships develop, aid collaboration, and give local people a platform to show off their talents. To many this is the start of something very new and the opportunities the market give to them go far beyond the trade on the day. “
- Eimear Cullen, The Cottage Market Drogheda
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