National Farmers’ Market Week upcoming

Jul 15, 2015

Will take place from August 2-8, 2015

In an effort to promote and thank farmers’ markets for their contributions to their communities, and the farmers and ranchers who provide the fresh products, August 2 – 8, 2015 will be recognized as National Farmers’ Market Week.

Farmers Market

"National Farmers Market Week is a great opportunity for farmers markets across the country to host special events to showcase all the tremendous services they provide," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a release. "Farmers markets play a key role in developing local and regional food systems that support farmers and help grow rural economies. They bring communities together, connecting cities with the farms and providing Americans with fresh, healthy food."

Throughout the weeklong celebrations which are in their 16^th year, there will be different events and activities at farmers’ markets across the United States.

Anne Alonzo, Administrator of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will kick off the week at Santa Fe Farmers’ Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It’s the oldest farmers’ market in New Mexico and considered one of the top ten markets in the United States.

“I encourage the American people to celebrate farmers markets with appropriate observances and activities,” wrote Vilsack in his official proclamation.

According to the AMS, there are currently 8,463 farmers’ markets across the United States.

In June 2015, The Daily Meal ranked the 101 best farmers markets in the U.S.

Here are their top five:

5. Green City Market, Chicago, Illinois
4. Hollywood Farmers Market, Hollywood, California
3. Santa Monica Wednesday Market, Santa Monica, California
2. Portland State University Farmers Market, Portland, Oregon
1. Union Square Greenmarket, New York, New York

Join the conversation and tell us your appreciation for farmers’ markets and their contributions to agricultural communities and abroad.

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.