Stuart Farmers Market joins markets across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 6-12.
The Patrick County Library will be on site on Friday, Aug. 11, with programming at 10 a.m.
Farmers markets foster shared values between community members and farmers which can work to create a more fair and sustainable food system. This community focus has been on display throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic, as market managers innovated to continue their essential operations for the farmers and shoppers who depend on them.
National Farmers Market Week is an annual celebration of farmers markets proclaimed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition, a membership-based nonprofit organization that supports farmers markets nationwide through training, technical assistance, and network-building. This year, the campaign is centered around the essential role that farmers market operators play, both in our local food systems and in our communities. For more than fifty years, farmers markets have influenced the way Americans eat, shop, and connect to their food, their farmers, and one another. Farmers markets are more than market places, they are places where neighbors learn, grow, and work together.
The Stuart Farmers Market began in 2002, and currently hosts over 16 farmers selling a wide variety of products, including locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, farm raised meats, baked items, coffee and crafts. Our market is a community hub and weekly gathering place for residents. We also see a lot of tourists who come through the market on the way to the parkway.
“Farmers markets are changing the way we eat, shop, connect, and more,” said Ben Feldman, Policy Director of the Farmers Market Coalition. “Across the country, farmers markets are defining their role in our communities. Markets are designed in partnership with the people they serve and are a place where market operators, farmers, shoppers, and neighbors can collaborate to meet the evolving needs of their community. Throughout National Farmers Market Week 2023, we will be highlighting the ways farmers markets are making change in communities nationwide. Join us!”
Visit the Stuart Farmers’ Market in Downtown Stuart on Fridays, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Learn more about all the weekly events on the market’s Facebook page.
