“Shake the hand that feeds you.” Michael Pollan
Farmers markets are flourishing across the country.
Meandering through the stalls of fresh vegetables and fruits, homemade bread and cakes, cheese and eggs, we are drawn into the story of humanity. Farmer markets connect us with our past, and present an optimistic alternative to a dreaded dystopian future.
Farmers markets have an essential social and economic role in our communities. They are a celebration of food, bringing us closer to the soil, to the garden, to the fresh air, and to each other.
Farmers markets are an essential step to restoring city food economies. They provide local farmers an efficient and cost-effective retail sales opportunity that will increase the profitability of their farming enterprises. Vital farmland is preserved and a new generation of farmers are encouraged to embrace farming as a full time occupation.
Farmers markets remind us that we still have links to the soil; that farms remain viable because of our food choices.