Food Barn, Tregew, Flushing Crowdfunder campaign

The Food Barn Tregew Community Interest Company has launched a Crowdfunder campaign to improve the facilities at its site just outside Flushing and give back to the wider community.

The not for profit company's aim is to reliably shorten food supply chains and support local businesses for the people of Falmouth, Mylor, Flushing and beyond.

The Food Barn was started by Sailor's Creek Shellfish and Soul Farm owner Laurence Jarrett-Kerr, right, pictured with Ian Brydon

The project was started when Sailors Creek Shellfish and Soul Farm came together with the landowner to sell more directly to local people.

At the time, the barn was full of farming equipment. It was quickly cleared out and the first Saturday market was held in December 2020.

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Since then the barn has gone from strength to strength and has proved so popular with customers and its stunning views over Falmouth that they have launched a Crowdfunder to improve the site and give back to the community.

So far the campaign has raised over £8,000 of its £12,000 target with just four days to go as of September 30. Rewards are being offered to bigger donors.

Nowadays, the barn features sail-dredged oysters and local mussels, Flushing-grown, no-dig, agro-ecologically-grown veg, hot Origin coffee, organic sourdough bread, cakes and hot food, among others.

The Food Barn was started by Sailor's Creek Shellfish owner Martin Laity with business partner Tom Knights along with Soul Farm

The company says since the launch, the market has grown steadily with more producers coming on board and they now want to lay sturdy foundations to ensure that they remain a reliable offering for the community for a long time to come.

The Food Barn opens its gates every Saturday from 9am-1pm and 300 to 500 people have started to rely on it as a place to regularly get fresh, local sustainable and regenerative produce.

With the public's support they are looking to provide a more robust electricity system for vendors especially hot food and drinks vendors that use hot plates

Provide full-access compost toilets and baby changing, pop-up shelters for more stalls to operate outside of the barn in bad weather or hot sun, add tank tracks in the field so people can park there in the winter and rain

And if they reach their target, their stretch target investments will include:

• Weather-proofing the inside of the barn so it is more protected from the wind and rain

• A defibrillator for the community

• Cycle racks to encourage more people to avoid driving

• Planters to make the place more attractive to spend time in and to encourage pollinators

• Increased landscaping and planting trees

• Play equipment for young people

Soul Farm owner Laurence Jarrett-Kerr said: "We aim to sell foods from producers dedicated to the ecological health of the land and sea, to the highest standards of animal welfare and to fair and just employment and we are very strict that all producers are either food vendors, associated food businesses or in farming or land work of some kind.

"Recently we have also opened the market on Wednesday evenings during the school holidays and expanded the offering to more hot food vendors and craft stalls. The Food Barn also now has an alcohol license so local gin, wine and beer producers can trade for takeaway or onsite consumption."

Regular food producers include:

Sailors Creek shellfish

Soul Farm

Matt and his fish stall

Homage to the Bovine

Little Crumb Bakery

Pavillion Bakery

New Dawn Traders

The Dessert Shed

Green Rabbit Flowers

Jack's Kombucha

Green Elephant Beer

Tinbox Coffee

Falmouth Distilling Company

Roobarbs

Situ Cafe

Holy Molé

Sue's Cornish Kitchen

Cornish Spiceman

and more...

You can find the Crowdfunder at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-food-barn