Wednesday Whats New: Farmer’s Markets & the Economy
Nearly every week my kids and I try to go to a local farmer’s market. Why? Because farmer’s markets provide fresh, locally grown, and often organic, produce for consumers, even in places with short growing seasons like Vermont! But not only is shopping at the farmer’s market good for you health-wise, it’s also good for the local economy.
In 2006, there were more than 4,385 farmer’s markets in the US according to a study conducted by Gail Feenstra, of the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program based at UC Davis. Ms. Feenstra recently wrote an article titled “The Roles of Farmers Markets in Fueling Local Economies,” in the journal Gastronomic Sciences, and reported that direct marketing venues such as farmer’s markets helped farmers sell their products in local communities for higher prices than they could get from wholesalers.
Farmer’s markets also provide a venue for interaction between customers and farmers and are a draw to get people to come into town and shop at other businesses and patronize restaurants says Feenstra who estimates that $1,000 spent at the farmer’s market, customers will spend $800 in the downtown.
It was also noted by Feenstra that more and more people seem to be coming to the market as they realize the importance of eating healthy, shopping locally and supporting local agriculture. Meeting the farmers face to face also provides a sense of food security in light of the recent outbreaks of E. coli in everything from hamburger to spinach.
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