Shropshire Good Food Trail closing ceremony to celebrate local producers
The third Shropshire Good Food Trail is set to conclude on Sunday, August 31, with a celebration of the county’s rich food and the people who produce it.
Since launching on July 21, the trail has been hosted by the Shropshire Good Food Partnership in collaboration with Sustain: The Alliance for Better Food & Farming, and the Bertha Foundation.
Over 120 venues and hosts across the county have taken part, highlighting the benefits of locally-produced food.
Closing Celebration at Community Farm
The trail's free closing event will take place at Babbinswood Farm, an organic family farm near Oswestry. Local councillors, community leaders, and the public are all invited to attend. Organisers hope the venue will highlight the crucial role that small family farms play as stewards of the land and their importance in community building.
Half of Babbinswood Farm is currently for sale, and a non-profit group, Babbinswood Farm Community Benefit Society, is raising funds to purchase a portion of it. Their goal is to ensure community ownership to protect the land from development and industrialisation.
A Call for a Fairer Food System
Daphne Du Cros of the Shropshire Good Food Partnership extended a warm invitation to everyone. "It highlights how food and farming and the local economy are key to building a fairer, greener, and more resilient food system across the county," she said.
The closing celebration will also feature the Goddess of the Wye, the 12ft puppet that launched the trail in July. Accompanied by her ceremonialist Lady Wye, she will lead a ceremony to honour farmers and their role in supporting the local landscape and food sources.
Daphne said the trail has brought local food into focus and the partnership wants to continue the conversation. "A new National Food Strategy was published in June which presents an opportunity to consider how Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and our town and parish councils can show leadership on food resilience strategies, climate, planning and support for farmers," she added.
A Shared Meal and Film Screening
The closing ceremony will begin with a welcome at 11am, followed by the main ceremony at noon. A shared meal will be served at 1pm, with visitors invited to give donations.
There will also be a free screening of the 45-minute film Common Ground, which explores how regenerative agriculture can help heal the soil, human health, and the planet. The film screening will be followed by a Q&A session with Daphne Du Cros and the Babbinswood Farm farmers, Casha Bowles-Jones and Barbara Jones.
