UCS Celebrates National Farmers Market Week
Visits to markets across the U.S. highlight their importance to communities
UCS agricultural economist and "Market Forces" author Jeffrey O'Hara speaks his mind at the August 4 event in Michigan.
With National Farmers Market Week following hard on the heels of our August 4 Market Forces report release, UCS decided it was time for a road trip. UCS staffers Jeffrey O'Hara, Karen Perry Stillerman, Ashley Elles, Lael Goodman, Sarah Goldberg and Elliott Negin visited farmers markets in Michigan, Oregon, and the Washington, DC metro area, meeting with farmers, shoppers, and fellow local food advocates to spread the word about Market Forces and the importance of local and regional food systems.
In Lansing, two visitors share their enthusiasm for local food.
Michigan
To kick off National Farmers Market Week, UCS traveled to Lansing, MI for Farmers Market at the Capitol on August 4th. The event was sponsored by the Michigan Farmers Market Association and Michigan Food and Farming Systems. More than 65 vendors from around the state showcased their goods to thousands of satisfied shoppers, including Governor Rick Snyder. The UCS booth attracted many shoppers by offering hundreds of reusable shopping bags and publications on local food and gardening.
In Oregon City, O'Hara poses with members of the POP (Power of Produce) club, an initiative to foster healthy eating habits for children by providing funds for fruit and vegetable purchases. (Photo: Barbara Fleming)
Oregon
UCS toured three Oregon farmers markets on August 6th along with other local food advocates and leaders. Each market serves a diverse and unique role: the Hollywood Farmers Market was established by neighborhood leaders in 1997; the Oregon City Farmers Market features a program that provides funds for children to purchase fruits and vegetables; and the Portland Farmers Market is a large market occupying multiple downtown blocks at Portland State University. By speaking with market managers and interacting with farmers at each of the three markets, UCS was able to see how these markets help build stronger communities, educate citizens about their food choices, and support sustainable agriculture.
Accepting WIC, food stamps, and other forms of EBT payment helps make farmers markets accessible to low-income shoppers.
DC metro area
UCS visited the Crossroads Farmers Market in Takoma Park, Maryland on August 10. The market was the first in Maryland to accept federal nutrition benefits from low-income shoppers to purchase fresh and nutritious foods. The Crossroads Farmers Market is a recipient of a Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) grant that it used to help implement similar nutrition benefit programs at farmers markets around Maryland. The Crossroads Farmers Market also promotes community, education, and civic engagement with music and children’s activities. UCS received many visitors at its booth, giving away hundreds of reusable bags and copies of Market Forces.
Also in the DC area, UCS Director of News and Commentary Elliott Negin wrote in an August 11 Huffington Post blog about his recent visit to the FreshFarms market in his home neighborhood of Dupont Circle, where he talked to vendors about the importance of farmers markets to their business and the impact of federal policy decisions. FreshFarms began with the Dupont Circle market in 1997 and now operates 11 farmers markets in DC, Maryland, and Virginia, which served more than 350,000 customers in the past year. This success story "mirrors the explosion of farmers markets nationwide," Negin writes.
