Querença experienced an unusually busy Sunday this week. This time, it wasn't the famous chorizo sausages from this village in the municipality of Loulé that attracted hundreds of visitors, but the Market, whose realization was recovered by the «Projeto Querença» and had its first edition yesterday.
Locally produced agricultural products, using ancestral techniques, delicacies from Serra do Caldeirão with the Querença brand and lots of handicrafts were spread on several benches in Praça da Igreja, in the center of the village. Around him, many people gathered, some from far away and not always by car.
The sunny autumn day invited outdoor activities and many chose to make the trip to Querença by bicycle. Rigorously equipped groups mingled with outing families, locals and many foreigners, who joined in forcefully.
And if some of the exhibitors were, in this first edition, energized by the «Projeto Querença» of the Manuel Viegas Guerreiro Foundation, the presence of local artists and producers has already been noted.
As illustrated by João Ministro, coordinator of this project, the idea is for the event to grow even more. «In the next edition, we hope to have our products here», he revealed.
The young multidisciplinary team of this project is already cultivating several products in a land of about one hectare, on the outskirts of the village, although still at an experimental stage. Later, the idea is to produce more and more agricultural products under organic farming and open doors to those who want to help.
“We currently have about 50 hectares of land, which were assigned to the project. We are going to launch a project of community gardens for those who want to have a piece of land here», announced João Ministro.
Another idea that is already very mature and ready to bear fruit is the traditional seed bank. In the near future, project members will develop some of these seeds in a greenhouse, with the aim of selling juvenile plants to the public.
Also very traditional, but in a different light, is the handicrafts from the mountains. His presence was a striking element in the 1st Querença Market and will also be an important part of the project with the same name.
«We have recently guaranteed the coordination of the second phase of the Ancestral Techniques, Current Solutions (TASA) project, promoted by the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission», he revealed to Sul Informação, in “first hand”, João Ministro.
Pieces produced within the scope of TASA, which promotes the reinvention of handicrafts, through the search for new uses for what is traditional, were already on sale at yesterday's fair and will always be found in this monthly market.
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