Photo courtesy CJThomas
Doesyour farmers ’ marketdeserve big kudos for it power to connect local farms and farmers to public health and economical growth ?
If you cerebrate it ’s doing top - notch workplace , now ’s the prison term to ride behind your market to bring in the most votes in American Farmland Trust ’ first “ America ’s Favorite Farmers Markets ” competition .
Farmers market place managers can register to join the contest by visitingwww.farmland.org/marketmanager .
Market shoppers willvote to confirm their favorite farmers ’ marketat starting in June . Results will be foretell during Farmers ’ Market Week August 2 – 8 , 2009 .
The contest is a nation - wide challenge to see which of America ’s 4,685 sodbuster market can mobilise the most support from its customers , according to the organization .
The contest helps advertise further the invigorated local food , local farms and tilth connection .
“ sodbuster markets are one of the skillful ways for consumers to support local farm and farmers , ” says Julia Freedgood , managing theater director for American Farmland Trust ’s Growing Local Initiative .
Since 1994 , when it began to track Farmer ’ markets , the number of farmers ’ markets nationwise has grown by well-nigh 3,000 , reports the USDA ’s Agricultural Marketing Service . The 2007 U.S. Agricultural Census report a 49 percent growth in gross revenue from farm at once to consumers since 2002 — constitute $ 1.2 billon that stayed in local communities .
A concern cited by American Farmland Trust , however , is how much farmland is being develop each yr : more than a million acres , it says . Most development takes place near city where the demand for local food is the greatest .
Freedgood says , “ We necessitate to make the connection : there ’s no local solid food without local farm and farmland . ”
American Farmland Trust , a national organization working with biotic community and individuals to protect the country , plan for factory farm and keep the solid ground healthy , is working to back up policies and programs to protect farmland , reduce barriers between farmers and consumer and encourage community to plan for USDA and regional nutrient systems .
The “ America ’s Favorite Farmers Market ” contest will help raise cognizance also .
At the ending of the contest , one big , medium , and small farmers market will succeed the championship of “ America ’s Favorite Farmers Market ” for 2009 .
The reward will be a shipment of No Farms No Food ® tug traveling bag for the winning market place managers to shell out to the shoppers that made it occur .
