By Ryan McGeeney
- 2017 is the 18th annual National Farmers Market Week
- Division of Agriculture supports farmers’ markets in a number of ways throughout the state
- Farmers’ markets account for about $2 billion in farm-direct spending in U.S.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson will sign a proclamation this Friday, declaring Aug. 6-12 as Farmers Market Week in the State of Arkansas.
The proclamation puts the state in line with a larger national effort to recognize the importance of farmers’ markets in individual food economies around the country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared Aug. 6-12 National Farmers Market Week.
This week marks the 18th annual celebration of farmers’ markets around the country. Ron Rainey, Professor of Economics for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will be present for the signing of the proclamation at the State Capitol Building, which is scheduled to take place 9:45 a.m. Friday.
Rainey said the Division of Agriculture supports and assists growers and farmers’ markets in a variety of ways at the local, county and state levels.
“In some counties, the local Cooperative Extension Service agent may actually manage a farmers’ market in the county,” Rainey said. “In other areas, the agent may simply be helping a grower to find a market. Food and Consumer Science agents with extension often do cooking and food prep demonstrations at farmers’ markets, and on the state level, I try to help answer questions about how state or federal regulations may apply to growers selling their produce at those markets.”
According to information from the USDA, the number of farmers’ markets have increased by more than 60 percent since 2009, with more than 8,500 markets around the country, and account for about two-thirds of the $3 billion spent annually on farm-direct products in the United States.