Inspired by the logic behind this post from Jenny Vorwaller and this successful initiative by James Corbett, I’ve started a map of places where you can find healthy fresh farm produce.
The map will include farmers markets, artisan food retailers and individual farmers who sell directly to the consumer. Let me know, if I should add to that list.
The idea is that anybody can see at a glance, who is providing fresh food in their immediate vicinity and when they are open for business.
This is an open collaborative map, which means that anybody can add a location to the map. If you are unsure how to add a location, have a look at this video to see how. It’s really easy and will only take a minute or so. Click here, when you’re ready to add a location to it.
If there are any bloggers out there interested in this subject, it would be great if you could link to this post and spread the word. If this is popular, I’m going to try and creat a badge for it, so that people can put a permanent link to it on their sidebar. Update:
There does seem to be an interest in this, so I have created a badge for it, which you can see on my sidebar. If you want to add this badge to your blog, you can use the following code snippet:
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I’ve done a number of things this year. Firstly, I left my job in the summer. The best decision I ever made (’I hope’).
I’ve now decided at the tender age of 42 to try and start my own business… a bit scary I know and it really is an uphill battle as anybody who has tried it will testify to. But despite the relentless challenge of it, it has to be better then working a job you’re not comfortable in.
I tend to get lots of business ideas, which is good in one sense but it can lead to indecision.
So I resolved in the end to follow the project I felt most passionate about…. Getting artists on the web. In a previous blog of mine I wrote about the rationale behind my belief that artisan work is ideal for selling on the web. Through blogging about artisan products and my contact with other artisan bloggers, I quickly came to the realisation that blogging is the ideal platform for artisans. If you are an artist and you are still not convinced about the power of blogging, have a look at the comments i received on that post from long time bloggers.
Originally, I started Siopa Eile to highlight mostly Irish artisan products, but I eventually ran out of artisans to write about, because so few here have a credible web presence. Having seen countless bloggers from abroad, successfully selling their art through blogs and reveling in the process, I decided to try and kick start an artisan blogging revolution in Ireland.
First off, was to offer a free group blog to 10 select artisan bloggers. In the end I received an amazing 30 applications. All of this came through my blog and the contacts I made through the blog. I even had a very nice intern over from the U.S. to help me with the project, all thanks to the blog.
An added bonus was the contact I made with Karen Harper. Karen has helped me find artists for my group blog and many other things. I have also helped her set up 2 very important blogs. First off, Irish Craft Update, which is a fantastic source of information for craftspeople and has already notched up 100+ subscribers.
Karen will be launching the Irish Crafts Association shortly and is really doing a great job of making things happen on the crafts scene.
So what of the new year?
I’ve got lots of things planned. First off, I intend to launch the Irish Arts Blog in the coming weeks. I want to see if I can promote it online and if successful we might look at organising an exhibition to officially launch offline in the springtime.
I will also be doing something similar with Cliodhna Quinlans new blog called Cliodhnas Wave. Cliodhna hopes to cover a lot of topics on her blog, her art, her stories, lessons in creativity and self expression as well as practical information on embroidery and fabric dying. So make sure you subscribe to it.
I have 2 other major projects in the pipeline, which will both revolve around getting artists to blog. But for the moment that’s a bit hush-hush.
That’s it for now. Just a reminder to everyone that the Irish Blog Awards are accepting nominations at the moment. I’m not sure if my mother is voting for me this year, so you might need to;-) And you only need to vote in the categories that you are familiar with. I guess I would come under craft blog category, although sometimes I wonder.
I haven’t paid much attention to Irish bloggers this year, I’m sad to say….(Strike me down Oh Satan!)
Damien Mulley, I read on a daily basis, but I don’t think I can vote for him as he’s organising the awards.
Bloggers I’ve recently discovered are Sabrina Dent (she’s a fabulous web designer, but also writes very well) and Ellen McDermott (member of the Irish Arts Blog and a really funny and talented blogger).
Irish Sally Garden run by Rebecca and Dan Hillman is another extraordinary blog I think.
Of course as mentioned above Irish Craft Update has created a bit of a stir in the craft world too.
Ok, I’ve set up the blog now for our group of Irish Artisans. I’ve also picked Cliodhna Quinlan for the free solo blog. Well done to her. For now, I’m going to soft launch the blog and wait until after Christmas before I do any serious work on it, as I believe most of the artists are too busy now with christmas fairs and so on. Thanks to everyone for their patience and for taking the time out to contribute to the blog.
I feel confident, we can make a successful blog out of this and I may add a few other artists after Christmas to it.
Do make sure to link to the blog from your website and let other people know about it.
On an aside, good luck to the Paddys Valley crew on their way to a tour of Silicon Valley. Well done especially to Damien Mulley, James Corbett and Conor O’Neill on all their efforts in making it happen.
Well, a few weeks ago I sent out my press release. Initially, the response was dissappointing with only 2 online technology magazines picking up the story.
However, since then, a number of international craft bloggers have highlighted the offer, and thanks to several mentions on the Noticeboard email newsletter for arts and crafts people, I have managed to attract 13 applications for the group blog. So things are looking good. I hope to have at least 25 applications by the end of October.
Now, to the exciting bit. Last week I launched a new blog called Irish Craft Update for Karen Harper. Karen recently contacted me about my group blog offer and mentioned that she had an email newsletter. Out of curiousity I asked her to send me a copy of the newsletter.
As soon as I read it, I thought, that she would make a great blogger. So I set up a blog for her. She has loads of great information about every aspect of the crafts world and has a witty, down to earth writing style. Karen has some very ambitious plans for the blog and I will be contributing to it as well with a series on the online marketing of art.
This should be an excellent way of demonstrating to artists the benefits of blogging.
I’ve just sent out my press release for the group blog offer. If you are new to this blog and would like to find out more about the advantages of artisan blogging, have a look at some of the interviews I have done with successful Artisan Bloggers or read through some of my past articles on the topic.
If you are convinced by my arguements or even if you are not sure, please do consider applying for this blog. Participating in this blog won’t cost you anything. It will be professionally designed and marketed, so you should get at the very least some good exposure from it.
I will also set up a forum for questions relating to blogging and give one to one training to each member of the group.
Do you hear it? That soft rumbling sound from over the Hill. A marching rhythm. The faint echoe of a horn blowing and the frantic scurrying of wild animals in anticipation of some terrible climactic upheaval. Could it be that the Artisan Blogging Revolution is about to take off in Ireland? Certainly I hope so! Though I hasten to add…It is will be a bloodless revolution and I’m only talking figuratively here;-)
Some of you may be wondering what has become of my Group Blogging offer for Irish Artisans. Well the word is starting to get out and already several Artisans have applied for the offer. And that’s before I’ve even started on the Press Release.
Of course, many artists are confused by the term blogging, so at the risk of offending the sensibilities of some of my regular readers, I am going to try and summarise in the next few posts what blogs are and how they are, in my view, superior to websites in many ways.
The Painting is of Princess Parizade bringing back the Singing Tree from the tales of the Arabian Nights, from the absolutely amazing collection of classical paintings on Ceannas’ Stumbleupon blog. The Singing Tree was a tree whose leaves were so musical that every leaf sang in
concert, which is hopefully what the artists who join our group blog will sound like;-)
Welcome to Lauren Porterfield who has come all the way from America to help me out with this blog. Lauren is doing a Communications Arts Major in college and much to my amazement has applied to do an internship with me. So, when I say, that blogging can make things happen for you, I’m not kidding, am I? Of course, I have immediately made Lauren head of international marketing and distribution for SiopeEile.com;-) My daughter is very impressed with her anyway, as she plays hide and seek really well. And she has also learned a new word.. “awesome!”. Thanks so much for coming Lauren, and hope you have a great time in Ireland! Now I better get down to some work. Yikes!
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How do you like my new blog design? I thought, it needed a bit of a feminine touch, so I got my friend Yahya to help me out. Let me see, a bit of Magenta (its not pink guys!) here and there, some curly wurly flourishes to accent my titles, some soft fadeouts topped off with a nice new curvy logo. Now I have a female blog. Well, seeing as most of my readers are female, I don’t think thats such a terrible thing.
I’ve got to say I’m pretty pleased with it myself. YouTube - Bjork - Big Time Sensuality (Fluke Minimix)
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