Hot tip

CHECK out the Irish Food Market Traders Association website www.irelandmarkets.com to find new farmers, and town and country food markets both old and new in Ireland.

Use it to discover the vast array of organic and fresh local foods available directly from small food producers in a town near you.

Find out too about local country markets in a town near you, and the smaller, locally-run markets.

* Oxfam Ireland has opened its fifth Fair Trade shop in Ireland at 18A Frenchchurch Street, Cork. Oxfam shops have the biggest selection of Fairtrade food products in Ireland - their food range includes coffee, tea, chocolate, honey, rice, sugar, biscuits, snack bars, dried fruits and much more. They are all excellent quality and taste great. There is also a nice range of crafts and gifts which changes regularly, so it’s worth a visit.

* Organic beef - available from Gortnamucklagh Organic Farm, Skibbereen, Co Cork, telephone [phone] - can be ordered in large or small quantities for the freezer. Also available at Skibbereen Farmers Market every Saturday from 10am to 1pm. email:[e-mail]

*A Foodwise Conference will be held at Drumalis Retreat Centre, 47 Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim from 27 to 29 January, 2006

There will be presentations on Food and Health, Food Poverty, Food Waste, Food Distribution and Fair Trade, Genetic Engineering and Biodiversity, Look to the future, Food Memory and many other food issues.

For details, email:[e-mail], Tel [phone], Fax [phone].