Who does not know the Farmer’s Market, Wine and Crafts, has not been in La Matanza de Acentejo. The venue, located next to the Carretera General del Norte, is one of the most emblematic and visited enclaves of the municipality, which today and tomorrow celebrates its 23rd anniversary with the raffle of baskets of products among customers and various tastings.
It was inaugurated on October 2, 1999, with the purpose of supporting the products of the area and promoting the agricultural production of the municipality, in which agriculture is part of its landscape and local identity.
More than two decades later, a total of 30 artisans and farmers directly market vegetables, fruits and vegetables that stand out for their freshness and high quality, as well as cheeses, honeys, meats and pastries produced in La Matanza and in the whole region with which assures customers of the quality, freshness and proximity of the products offered. The only requirement to be able to sell there is to have a plot in agricultural production and the essentials of the administrations, such as being in possession of the phytosanitary and artisan card.
Ecology
It is noteworthy that three of the stalls are for organic farming, responding to rising demand and adapting this activity to an increasingly demanding public.
The Market is an authentic showcase of the agriculture of the municipality. Proof of this is that in all this time it has been visited by 2.5 million people. Open on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., it also has spacious and modern facilities, easy access to them and free Wi-Fi internet access service available in the building.
Added to this is an offer of car parks that exceed 250 spaces, which together with the nearby bus stops, constitute a plus of quality that visitors have known how to value and have been decisive in positioning the venue in an outstanding manner in whose facilities the commercial, agricultural and educational uses with a diversity of socio-cultural events of a local and insular nature, such as the case of meetings of the caliber of the Potato Fair, Matanceros Wine Fair, Chestnut Fair, crafts and Tapa-Saldo.
New opportunities
The operation of the Market is closely related to the Center for the Transformation of Agricultural Products, located in the same building. This facility, whose ground floor is already operating as a space from which to manage the production of chestnuts in the region, aspires to host in all its facilities an activity of processing, conservation and marketing of agricultural products that diversify the way in which that reach the consumer through the production of preserves, flour, jams and creams. With all this, new and promising opportunities are opened for agriculture in La Matanza de Acentejo, a municipality that has always opted to maintain the close relationship that its neighbors have with the land and that has survived several generations.
