This week is National Farmers Market Week, as fresh jams, jellies, fruits and vegetables attract thousands of people to over 8,000 farmers markets across the country.
The gatherings foster a sense of community and provide consumers with direct access to locally grown food. The markets also serve another purpose: providing food for those experiencing food insecurity.
Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of the nonprofit Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, said the organization and the farming community have been working together for many years to alleviate hunger.
“They work with their local food bank or their local food pantries or participate in partnerships with their industry associations, such as the Million Meals program we have with Indiana pork producers,” Weikert Bryant explained. “We bring excess produce from their gardens to neighbors who need a little help. Farmers often work quietly in the communities to alleviate hunger for our neighbors in Indiana.”
According to the Indiana Farmers Market, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are available at Hoosier farmers markets. The Indiana Department of Agriculture reported that there are more than 94,000 farmers in the state and 94% of farms are either family owned or operated.
The USDA supports National Farmers Market Week as a new opportunity to invest in the local economy and provide farmers with an atmosphere where they can also connect directly with producers and consumers.
Jenny Lester Moffitt, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), said farmers markets play a role in what the agency calls “farm-to-institution.”
“It’s really critical that farmers can sell their produce directly, from the farm to schools, from the farm to hospitals and even to food banks,” Moffitt stressed.
Moffitt noted that farmers get seven times more for their food at markets than at traditional markets. She added that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has invested more than $1 billion in supporting local food purchases for school programs to enable communities and states to buy more food.
