Farmers’ Market Week in Virginia

Jul 29, 2015

Weeklong event will take place August 2nd – 8th

United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack declared Sunday, August 2^nd to Saturday, August 8^th as National Farmer’s Market Week. In conjunction with that, the states of Virginia and Maryland will also take part in celebrating farmers’ markets in the states and all they do for the community and economy.

“These markets play a vital role in giving Virginia farms direct access to consumers, and consumers direct access to farmers,” reads a press release put out by the Virginia Department of Agriculture. “Farmers’ markets spur economic development, foster community engagement, support local farmers and, best of all, provide fresh, nutritious food for Virginians.

Delegating the week to celebrating farmers’ markets was made official in a proclamation by Governor Terence McAuliffe. In it, he says that the number of farmers’ markets in Virginia has increased from 88 in 2006 to nearly 250 in 2015.

Virginia Farmers' Market

A list of all the farmers’ markets in Virginia can be found online.

Virginia’s top five producing crops are:

Hay
Soybeans
Corn
Tobacco
Wheat

While only a week is being dedicated to the farmers’ markets, the entire month of August will be dedicated to peaches in Virginia.

As of July 23^rd, the National Agricultural Statistics Service said the state’s peaches were about 38% harvested.

The 2012 Census of Agriculture showed that Virginia has 244 peach farms. In 2014, the state had 1,200 acres of peaches that helped produce 5,300 tons of fruit.

Looking for a farmers’ market in your state? Check out our Farmers’ Market Directory to find your closest farmers’ market.

Video: Fendt Slicer - Automated adjustment of the conditioner intensity

The Fendt Slicer explained: Grassland and forage stands show a high heterogeneous biomass growth when cut, which leads to different initial dry masses and drying speeds. The aim is to have a consistent dry matter content of 30 to 40% across the entire field. The Fendt Slicer 960/1010 Pro models with optional tine conditioner offer variable adjustment of the conditioner intensity thanks to the innovative ISOBUS control. The automatic adjustment is made using sensors in real time measurements or using application data based on the position registration of the biomass.