The Appalachian Resource Conservation and Development Council (ARCD) joins farmers markets across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 4-10, 2024.
This year, ARCD joins nine northeast Tennessee farmers markets in celebrating and recognizing their hard work and dedication to providing whole foods to their community.
During National Farmers Market Week, residents are encouraged to visit their local farmers market at Bristol, Elizabethton, Johnson City, Jonesborough, Johnson County, Kingsport/Healthy Kingsport, Greeneville, Depot Street Greeneville, & Erwin.
“Farmers markets are about food for sure, but the impact is so much more. I get to meet and establish a real relationship with the people growing what I eat,” said Andy Brown, ARCD’s executive director. “My dollar is not only bringing the freshest of ingredients to my kitchen, but 100% of that dollar goes into the pocket of my neighbor, which means more money staying in my local community supporting even more local businesses. Farmers markets at its root empower my community.”
Farmers markets foster shared values between community members and farmers which can work to create a more fair and sustainable food system. Farmers markets have been most visible during recent times of crisis and uncertainty as market managers innovate to continue essential operations for the farmers and shoppers who depend on them.
National Farmers Market Week is an annual celebration of farmers markets proclaimed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), a membership-based nonprofit organization that supports farmers markets nationwide through training, technical assistance, and network-building. Each year, FMC’s National Farmers Market Week Campaign highlights the vital role farmers markets play within our nation’s local food systems. For more than fifty years, farmers markets have influenced the way Americans eat, shop, and connect to their food, their farmers, and one another.
Farmers markets are more than marketplaces, they are places where neighbors learn, grow, and work together. One of the more popular programs is ARCD’s frequent walker program, Farmacy Fit, now available at seven markets. Individuals can visit a farmers market to walk a mile (or do chair exercises) and get $3 in tokens to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Participating markets are at Kingsport, Erwin, Greeneville, Johnson County, Johnson City, Depot Street (Greeneville), and Jonesborough.
Farmers and farm families are a vital lifeline to healthy nutrition, particularly in low-income areas because many farmers bring their products to areas with few, if any, supermarkets or grocery stores. Supporting farmers markets is one of the many ways ARCD works to improve quality of life for citizens in the six-county region ARCD serves through access to nutritious food for local communities.
“Across the country, farmers markets are defining their role in our communities,” said Willa Sheikh, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition. “Markets are designed in partnership with the people they serve and are a place where market operators, farmers, shoppers, and neighbors can collaborate to meet the evolving needs of their community. As we look to the future, farmers markets will play a key part, as they always have, in leading efforts to adapt, respond, innovate, and advocate for our local food systems. National Farmers Market Week is a chance to celebrate all the ways farmers markets show up for us!”
For more information on area farmers markets, visit arcd.org/farmfresh/.