Get away from it all and have a much more relaxing Christmas shopping experience. Even if you do have to queue, at least you can have a decent chat!! Buy direct from the grower, get great cooking and serving tips, and have your freshest Christmas Dinner yet from the farmers' market.

Join our Christmas Campaign in Gloucester and buy an extra item from the market to put in our shopping trolley for a cracking Christmas dinner for the homeless in the City. Donations will be taken to the Vaughan Centre in Southgate Street who will be providing a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings for people without kitchen facilities or their own.

For the very freshest Christmas produce, from sprout stalks to sweet parsnips, Christmas puddings to delicious apple juice, wine and real ale, come along to a farmers market this Christmas. Don't forget to order your free range goose, duck or chicken early from the stallholders to aviod disappointment.

Our new range of fairly traded market tea-towels are now on sale at the markets alongside our re-usable shopping bags - an ideal gift and easy to post.

At last - a range of Christmas Hampers that (quite literally) don't cost the earth...

Choose from;

• The Little Stroudie
• The Big Stroudie
• Gloucestershire Feast
• A Taste of Gloucestershire
• A Gloucestershire Christmas
• Our Bespoke Service

Still need more Christmas shopping? Visit the Made in Stroud shop in Kendrick Street, Stroud and Made in Gloucestershire in Westgate Street, Gloucester for a truly stunning range of beautiful hand made gifts.

Christmas shopping was never so much fun. Don't forget to bring along some re-usable shopping bags and cut down on plastic - or buy one of our organic cotton fairly-traded shopping bags from our information stall.

Throughout the month we will be having special entertainments at the markets, and hope local singing groups will join us at Swindon and Gloucester to add to the festive cheer. Call us on 01453 758060 to book yourselves in - you can collect for your group or charity and sell your music CDs if you would like to.

Dates for your diary 2008

Friday 5th December - Gloucester farmers market with 29 stalls. 9am to 3pm. Genuine local produce direct from the grower. Winter warmers, Thai snacks, organic salt marsh beef burgers, Indian snacks, ready meals, hand made fresh pasta, locally grown fresh vegetables, seriously good meat and more. Plus, new, locally grown orchids.

Friday 6th December - Traditional Christmas Market Held in Stroud's Cornhill market for Goodwill Evening - with beautiful live music from local singing groups and choirs. 4pm to 9pm. 30 stalls. Market cafe, organic burgers, Thai food, mulled wine from Selsley Herb & Spice Co., fairly traded and directly imported gifts and local food and drink.

Saturday 6th December -

9am to 2pm. Locally grown Christmas trees today and on 13th December.

Sunday 7th December - Swindon farmers market with 20 stalls including locally made glass beads, organic soft cheese, planters, and all your favourites. 10am to 4pm

Thursday 11th December Last chance to shop at Stow on the Wold farmers' market before Christmas. 9am to 1pm in the square. With 15 stalls including Crudge's cheeses, Donnington trout, Cotswold Lager, Wickwar real ale, Newtown Wines, Foxbury Farm and all your favourites.

Friday 12th December - Gloucester farmers market 9am to 3pm. Entertainment from Roy Kirby's Jazz Band. With 28 stalls including Madgett's farm free range chicken, ducks and geese, Slimbridge soaps and all your favourites.

Saturday 13th December - Book Day at Stroud farmers market with book signings from local authors including Katie Fforde, Sue Limb, John Dougherty et al.Stroud farmers market 9am to 2pm. With 57 stall including last chance to buy locally grown Christmas trees.

Sunday 14th December - Swindon farmers market 10am to 4pm with 25 stalls including Warcop Ales, Simon Weaver's soft cheese, Lyne Down Cider, Wiltshire Cheese and honey and all your favourites.

Friday 19th December - Join our Christmas Campaign at Gloucester farmers market this Friday. Buy an extra item from the market and put it in our shopping trolley collection for a Christmas feast for the Vaughan Centre in Southgate Street to provide a delicious Christmas dinner for the homeless in the City. Gloucester Christmas farmers' market 9am to 3pm with 32 stalls including Birdwood Farmhouse cheese, Simon Weaver's, Ceri's cheese, Ruddle Court and more.

Saturday 20th December - Stroud farmers market with choirs singing traditional carols from Cornwall and Yorkshire. With 54 stalls. 9am to 3pm.

Sunday 21st December - Swindon farmers market 10am to 4pm with 25 stalls including goat's cheese, country wines, fresh vegetables, and all your favourites.

After a brief Christmas break, markets return on Friday 2nd Janaury in Gloucester, Saturday 3rd Janaury in Stroud, and Sunday 4th January in Swindon.