It’s National Farmers Market Week!

The week of August 2-8 has been dedicated to celebrating all things Farmers Market. This is a great chance to get out and visit your local Farmers Market, if you haven’t already done so.

According to the Farmers Market Coalition, there were over 8,200 Farmers Markets throughout the Unites States by the end of 2014. That’s a 50% increase in just 5 years! Which means increasingly more farmers are able to sell their products directly to the people in their communities. And, more and more people are able to spend money that stays within their local economy!

Here is a really great info sheet from the Farmers Market Coalition website, which illustrates some of the key benefits of shopping at a Farmers Market.

For more great info and download about documents head on over to their website at http://farmersmarketcoalition.org/programs/national-farmers-market-week/


Along with celebrating the local food system, we should also take the time to reflect on ways to improve. There are still many people for whom Farmers Markets are out of reach. Perhaps shopping at a Farmers Market is still financially prohibitive. Or maybe you don’t have the means of transportation necessary to get to the nearest market. Is there a market anywhere near you? Perhaps the market operates at a time or on a day that doesn’t work with one’s schedule. As we move forward it is worth examining these issues to ensure that all people who need or want to access fresh and local food have the opportunities to do so.