| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Ron Zellar |
| July 25, 2005 | (406) 444-3144 TTY (406) 444-4687 |
Growers Celebrate Farmers Market Week
HELENA, Mont. — Nancy K. Peterson, director of the Montana Department of Agriculture, today joined U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns in proclaiming August 7-13, 2005, "National Farmers Market Week."
Montana communities host 29 farmers markets, where growers can sell their produce, jams and jellies, baked goods and other agricultural items directly to the public. The number of farmers markets in the United States has grown dramatically in recent years, prompting advocates to designate a week each year to take note of local farms and their benefits.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that over 3,700 farmers markets currently operate throughout the nation, up from the initial count of 1,755 in 1994. Sales generated by farmers markets have been estimated to exceed $1 billion a year, with most of the money going directly to small family farmers.
"Sales directly to consumers are one way farm producers and entrepreneurs can add value to their crops and commodities," Peterson says. "Too often the commodities grown in Montana must be shipped to other states for processing, and the resulting food products must be shipped back again before they can be purchased by consumers."
The Montana Department of Agriculture and USDA are working together to increase the development of value-added agriculture. During the last decade, the federal-state partnership has emphasized the critical need to help small farmers and to provide consumers access to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Secretary Johanns observed that about one in four farmers markets in the country contribute their surplus to gleaning programs that distribute food to local homeless shelters, community pantries, and other charitable organizations that feed the hungry.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service works with states to encourage market growth, while its Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services entity helps needy families gain access to healthy produce. One result is that more than 2,300 farmers markets nationwide now accept coupons from recipients of the federal Women, Infants, and Children assistance program.
