Fruits of the earth

IN AUTUMN 2004 I donned my wellies and visited the Ploughing Championships for the first time. I was impressed by the sheer scale and organisation of the event, but baffled by the absence of a food pavilion to showcase Irish food.

Where could visitors to the biggest farming event in Europe buy the produce of Irish farms?

The big food manufacturers were there in force with large and impressive stands but there was no sign of the farmhouse cheese makers, the artisan producers, the home bakers, jam makers, etc.