FOR the past few years I have written about the great food and drink that is on offer at your local Worcestershire farmers’ markets.

Hopefully, it has prompted some of you to head down to your nearest market and sample some of the fantastic things that the stallholders have – whether it is fresh, just-baked bread, locally-reared meat or justpicked fruit and veg.

The great joy of the food on offer at your Worcestershire farmers’ market is that it is grown, baked or produced locally – it has not been flown in from around the world, been driven up and down the country in massive articulated lorries, stored for weeks in temperature-controlled units at “distribution centres” and then finally been labelled “fresh” and put on a supermarket shelf.

All the things on offer at your markets will have been grown, reared or produced within just a few short miles, most often by the person standing on the other side of the stall.

They are there to serve you, answer your questions and offer any advice they can.

There are some fabulous things at all of the markets, which change as the seasons change – whatever is fresh, you will find at your Worcestershire farmers’ market.

There are plenty of people who believe that only eating what is in season where you live brings some crucial health benefits – it’s certainly a more tasty way to eat and has the added benefit of being good for the environment, too.

Of course, it is not just food and drink that are available – all manner of plants are there too, at different times of the year.

As this is my last Worcestershire farmers’ market column, I would like to thank the Worcester News for allowing us the opportunity of letting me write about all the fantastic things that are on offer at the markets and thank readers, too for supporting them.

Today’s farmers’ market is at St Peter’s Garden Centre, Worcester, from 9.30am until 2pm. Next week’s markets are in Victoria Square, Droitwich, on Saturday, July 2, and in Angel Place, Worcester, from 9am until 3pm, on Sunday, July 3.