Do You Farm Your Market?

The definition of Farmer’s Market is a market that sells food directly from farmers to consumers. Typically farmers markets are open-air markets in which various farmers sell their items from a booth-like setting. Featured products include fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats. Prepared items, usually in the form of baked goods, jams, jellies, and pastries can also be purchased. Today begins National Farmers Market Week, so let’s take a closer look at all of the wonderful things about Farmers Markets!

Farmers markets can provide benefits to the consumer, the farmer, and the community. Thousands of farmers markets across the country offer fresh, affordable, convenient, and healthful products sold directly from the farm.  Community benefits include maintaining social ties between rural and urban populations, generating traffic for nearby businesses, and keeping money in the community. Less transport, handling, refrigeration and storage time are benefits afforded by farmers. The market is also intended to benefit small, typically family-run farms, giving them the opportunity to remain competitive in a vastly commercial food industry. With increasing interest in fresh and local foods, farmers markets have popped up all over.

Recently, the United States Department of Agriculture expanded support for farmers markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The expansion provides monetary support to farmers markets to obtain wireless electronic point-of-sale equipment needed to process SNAP benefits. This is a great stride toward increasing the opportunity to redeem benefits for low-income women, infants, children and seniors participating in WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs. It is often a misconception that fresh, wholesome, healthy food is expensive and difficult to obtain. This fallacy plays a major role in supporting the rising rates of obesity in this country. The presence and increase in farmers markets can help fight the obesity epidemic. Education is key in letting people know that farmers markets exist and that good, healthy food can be obtained at reasonable cost.

Fortunately for the nutrition conscious and foodies out there, this week is Farmers Market week. The following link is a great resource for finding local farmers markets, as well as a glossary brochure that can help “green” consumers navigate their way.

Your turn to take action: Visit a local farmers market this week and let me know about your experience.

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