2 minute read
Community: Balerno Village Trust
Lockdown Community Spirit
If you’d asked a few months ago if a virtual farmers market would work, the answer would probably have been, “Why would you even want to do that?”
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But it’s amazing what you can do when necessity strikes. The monthly Balerno Farmers Market went virtual from April, and has been very successful. “We wanted to support the traders who come, as well as make sure locals access their usual quality products. So via the Farmer’s Market website and customer email list, we advertise those traders who can take orders, and they deliver on the usual market day.” explains Val Reid, who administers the market for Balerno Village Trust.
There were some unexpected bonuses - the cheesemonger had managed to get excess flour and yeast from a neighbouring bakery, and delivered it along with his cheese - a true hero, as anyone who tried to buy flour or yeast during lockdown will know!
Please check the Facebook page and Balerno Village Trust website for updates www.facebook.com/balernofarmersmarket and www.balernovt.org.uk
The red telephone box at the top of Harlaw Road was purchased by Balerno Village Trust last year. And it’s been put to work as a “share box” during lockdown, where people have used it as a sheltered space to drop off items to share such as board games, jigsaws, plant seedlings or bulbs, and many other things. Sophie Soboleva, who lives opposite the phone box, and other Harlaw Road residents, have been the self-appointed guardians, cleaning and sanitising it every day.
The phone box on Harlaw Road, Balerno, is the community lockdown Share Box
Photo: BVT
Give what you want, take what you need: the phone box is still being used as a share box. Just no more books please for now.
Balerno Village Trust welcomes a new board member, Annie Lacey. Annie lives in the grounds of the National Trust’s Malleny House in Balerno which is currently closed to the public. However Annie and her husband David have been working hard in the community market garden within the grounds of Malleny House. They planted out all the seed potatoes that risked going to waste at the beginning of lockdown, and have been keeping the garden in hand so that there will be plenty of produce which will be offered for sale at the Farmers Market later in the year.
Finally, our bees have of course been working throughout! Balerno Village Trust has a number of hives, and the bees are thriving. We don’t collect the honey from the hives, we leave it as food for the bees in winter. Look out however for Balerno Beeswax at our bee-themed August market!
To keep up to date with Balerno Village Trust activities, please follow the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ BalernoVillageTrust
This article was written by Helen-Jane Shearer after speaking with Val Reid at Balerno Village Trust. Helen-Jane is the Editor of Konect magazines.
