 Aug. 5-11 we celebrated National Farmers Market Week. Most of you
are well aware that local food is a vibrant and growing sector in
agriculture. Many consumers seek out food produced in their towns,
states or regions, and this local food -- whether it's purchased at
a farmers market, in a grocery store, at a restaurant or elsewhere
-- is now a multibillion-dollar industry.Studies conducted across
the country have shown the economic benefits, both direct and
indirect, of farmers markets. According to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, about 25 percent of U.S. farmers sell exclusively
through farmers markets. Their commitment and ties to the
communities they serve are linked directly to the success of their
businesses.
Think about your own visits to the local market. How many other
errands and purchases due you make in conjunction with a farmers
market visit? What is the impact to the other businesses in your
community?
At an Aug. 3 news conference, Agriculture Deputy Secretary Dr.
Kathleen Merrigan shared information about the 2012 National Farmers
Market Directory. Each year, the annual report shows the total
number of farmers markets reported to be operating throughout the
United States. The national count of farmers markets was first
conducted in 1994. That year, there were 1,755 markets. Last year,
USDA reported that 7,175 markets were operating across the country.
This year, they reported that there are 7,864 markets. There has
been a 348 percent increase in the numbers of farmers markets from
1994 to 2012.
Merrigan reported that Illinois ranks sixth in the nation with
292 farmers markets. The other top 10 are 1. California, 827
markets; 2. New York, 647 markets; 3. Massachusetts, 313 markets; 4.
Michigan, 311 markets; 5. Wisconsin, 298 markets; 7. Ohio, 264
markets; 8. Pennsylvania, 254 markets; 9. Virginia and Iowa, tied
with 227 markets; and 10. North Carolina, 202 markets. These 10
states account for nearly half, at 49 percent, of the farmers
markets listed in the 2012 directory.
For more information about the directory, check out
http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/.
The information used in the national directory is collected by
each of the states. In Illinois, this information is compiled by the
Illinois Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Marketing and
Promotions. Only those markets that report are listed in the
national directory.
To find Illinois markets, go to
http://www.agr.state.il.us/markets/farmers/.
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On July 24, Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon announced that 41 farmers
markets across Illinois will each receive $1,200 grants from the
Illinois Electronic Benefits Transfer Wireless Project. This program
will enable farmers markets to accept Illinois Link cards wirelessly
for the first time. The Illinois Link cards access federal
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The markets
selected in our area include Central Park Farmers Market, Decatur;
Clinton Area Farmers and Artisans Market, Clinton; and Old Capitol
Farmers Market, Springfield.
A total of 49 SNAP-certified farmers markets and direct-marketing
farmers accepted Link cards in 2011, according to the United States
Department of Agriculture, up from 15 in 2009. The wireless EBT
project could bring the total to 99, or about one-third of farmers
markets statewide, by this year's end. As people discover the
benefit of buying fresh, nutritious local products, farmers and
farmers markets are seizing the opportunity to broaden their
customer base by adding a SNAP payment option.
Even though summer is coming to a close, we still have a couple
of months to shop at our local farmers markets. In Logan County, the
Farmers' Market - Lincoln and the Lincoln Farmer's Market will both
be open until Oct. 27. In Sangamon County, the Pawnee Farmers Market
will be open until Sept. 27; Illinois Products Farmers' Market will
be open until Oct. 18; and the Springfield Old Capitol Farmers
Market will be open until Oct. 27. Mark your calendar for the Nov.
17 and Dec. 15 Holiday Farmers Markets at the Artisans Building on
the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
[By DEBORAH CAVANAUGH-GRANT,
University of Illinois Extension, Logan-Menard-Sangamon Unit]
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