One of the best experiences growing up in a small farm town was being able to go to the farmer’s markets. Where i grew up, you could find a small farmer’s market or stand about every 2-3 miles. It is pretty amazing. We always had an abundance of fresh product available to us and especially now in the Summer… you can find great organic produce such as vegetables, cobbed corn, and select fruits (melons).
The USDA released today that the number of farmer’s markets in the US has increased over 1000, which is 17% over 2010. This is a tremendous growth and the number of people growing their own produce adds to the trend of people moving away from store bought produce, to more locally grown (or home-grown) produce. Given the EWG study I spoke about in this post, who can blame them…
One piece of information in the article which was the biggest surprise to me, were the states that had the biggest increases, Alaska and Texas.
Another piece of alarming news is that 30% of all farmers are over 65 years old. As someone who grows my own produce as much as i can, this is an alarming number. But the fact many towns are trying to create an environment at farmer’s markets that lends to attract people of all ages.
I am hoping this practice continues and can’t wait to see more farmer’s markets appear in towns that haven’t typically been able to enjoy this amazing benefit. I know personally, i love them and use them as much as possible!! Have you seen an increase in farmer’s markets in your town??
If you want to grow more home-grown produce…. you definitely should be using a product like EndALL and Garden Dust… those two products have single handedly treated my garden. Along with alittle Weed Prevention plus to prevent any weed germination and i have been able to enjoy some healthy produce all year!!
