Farmers Markets Growing All Around the Country!
- Topics:
- Blog, Local Food, Organic Food & Farming
Thursday, August 5th, 2010, 11:33 AM
This week, August 1 to 7, is National Farmers Market Week (have you gone to buy your peak season tomatoes and corn yet??). And what better way to celebrate than with news from the USDA that farmers markets have grown by 16 percent since last year! The 2010 National Farmers Market Directory lists 6,132 operational farmers markets across the nation.
“Seeing such continued strong growth in the number of U.S. farmers markets indicates that regional food systems can provide great economic, social and health benefits to communities across the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Farmers markets provide fresh, local products to communities across the country while offering economic opportunities for many producers of all sizes.”
To find a market in your area, click here.
August 7th, 2010 at 11:40 am
Hello. First I want to say that Diet for a Hot Planet is an incredible book. I have read nearly every book written in this genre and was not planning to buy yet another (borrowed this one from my library). However, there is so much excellent information within these pages I just may break down and buy it anyway.
My comment regarding National Farmer’s Market Week has to do with farmers who bring their non-organic produce to these markets. I think the general thinking is that all food sold at a farmer’s market is grown organically and sustainably but that is not always the case.
As an example: the closest farmer’s market to the very rural area where I live is 75 miles away. The only requirement for being a vendor is at least 10% of your product must be grown in Arizona. No mention of organically or sustainably grown.
August 10th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Thanks for the feedback!
The rules about who can sell at farmers markets, and what they can sell, certainly varies place to place–as it should. In some areas, a 150-mile radius of produce makes sense, in other regions it would be possible to source food much more locally or it might be impossible to source that locally.
As for requirements about organic certification, or not, that too really varies. Though I have often talked with farmers who sell at farmers markets without being certified USDA organic even though their practices are as ecologically sound, or even more so. Farmers who sell directly to their customers sometimes feel like the USDA certification is not necessary because they know their customers and their customers trust them. I’ve met others who feel the cost of reporting in order to receive the certification is too burdensome. And still others who find the paperwork for the USDA certification a really helpful way to track, monitor, and assess on-farm practices. In other words, it really varies farmer to farmer.
Have you talked with the farmers market manager in your area about your concerns?