Support Your Local Farmers' Market

Saturday is the last day of National Farmers' Market Week, and by no coincidence also the day most Farmers' Markets are open.

If you're discouraged by the age, distance traveled, tastelessness, homogeneity and pesticides of what passes for "produce" in the grocery store, raise your spirits and your health at your local Farmers' Market.

Farmers markets are an integral part of the urban/farm linkage and have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm. Farmers markets allow consumers to have access to locally grown, farm fresh produce, enables farmers the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with their customers, and cultivate consumer loyalty with the farmers who grows the produce. Direct marketing of farm products through farmers markets continues to be an important sales outlet for agricultural producers nationwide. Today, there are nearly 4,800 farmers markets operating throughout the nation.

Click here to find a Farmers' Market near you.

First Lady Beshear at Lexington Farmer's Market Tuesday

If you live or work in Lexington, you of course patronize the Farmer's Market on the corner of South Broadway and Maxwell every Tuesday.

Even if you don't, swing on by next Tuesday, August 5, at noon.

First Lady Jane Beshear along with Commissioner of Agriculture Richie Farmer will commemorate “Farmers’ Market Week in Kentucky,” on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. during the Lexington Farmers’ Market.

Kentucky’s farmers’ markets continue to provide a local marketplace for consumers, farmers and entrepreneurs. The First Lady encourages Kentuckians to visit their local markets, buy locally-grown food including Kentucky Proud products not only during this week but throughout the year.

If you're still eating grocery store tomatoes, shame on you. Buying your fruits and veggies from (mostly) local farmers helps the local economy, preserves the environment, and gives you the priceless gift of knowing how the Flying Spaghetti Monster intended real food to taste.

And if you have rude questions to pose to Jane and Richie, here's your chance.

Cross-posted at BlueGrassRoots.