August 6-12 was National Farmers Market Week
The Shawano area saw excellent turnout at local Farmers Markets! With sidewalk sales on downtown Main Street in Shawano and many other local events, residents and visitors flocked to the Farmers Market. Some were disappointed when stands ran out of staple items, such as cheese curds!
*Learn more about the week from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
This week, we’re celebrating National Farmers Market Week! Farmers markets are fertile ground for teaching children where foods come from and can serve as field trip sites that introduce kids to new foods, business practices, and agricultural production. Small to mid-sized farmers often rely on farmers markets for direct sales. Small school districts, Summer Meal Programs, CACFP sponsors, child care centers and family day care homes are also prime markets for these producers. Increasingly, Summer Meal sponsors are using farmers markets as summer feeding sites, which provide necessary nutrition while also increasing traffic at the market.
| The Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, signed a proclamation highlighting the benefit farmers markets and other direct marketing outlets have on local economies. They contribute approximately $9 billion to the economy and generate revenue that support rural communities nationwide.
The National Farmers Market Coalition (NFMC) strengthens farmers markets across the United States so they can serve as a community asset while providing an income for farmers. The NFMC says farmers markets can:
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