Celebrating National Farmers Market Week

Aug 08, 2017

Weeklong celebration ends August 12

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

The USDA is putting farmers and fresh, local food in the spotlight with National Farmers Market Week, which is on until Saturday.

2017 marks the 18^th annual celebration.

As of 2013, there were 8,144 farmers markets across the U.S., according to the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

American farmers markets contribute about $9 billion to the country’s economy, and the weeklong celebration is a small way to thank farmers for their hard work.

“I call upon the American people to celebrate farmers markets…,” reads a proclamation signed by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.

A number of states are following Perdue’s lead and encouraging Americans to visit local farmers markets.

"Our farmers markets support local economies; offer fresh, healthy food sources for our families; and provide a way for farmers to directly engage with consumers,” Asa Hutchinson, Governor of Arkansas, said in a release yesterday. “We are proud to join a national week of highlighting the role agriculture and farmers markets play in strengthening our communities."

In Iowa, local farmers markets are also participating in the state’s Farmers Market Scavenger Hunt.

Elementary school students are encouraged to visit local vendors to find a total of 37 fruits and vegetables. Participants who complete the hunt will be eligible for a variety of prizes.

“Farmers markets are a great place to find healthy and delicious Iowa grown fruits, vegetables, meats and other products,” Bill Northey, Iowa’s Secretary of Agriculture, said in an August 4 statement.

And in Louisiana, market-goers are reminded of the unique opportunities farmers markets can present.

“When you visit a farmers market, you often get to meet the person who is actually growing your food,” Mike Strain, Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, said in an August 3 release. “This is a reminder to support your local farmers and vendors at your area farmers market.”

The states with the most farmers’ markets are California (759), New York (637), Illinois (336), Michigan (331) and Ohio (300).

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.