Today, American Farmland Trust is recognizing markets that made an impact. Last week the end of the 11th annual Farmers Market Celebration and with it the results of a summer-long effort to promote the importance of local food and the farmers behind it.
After months of participation and voting from thousands around the nation, the markets that received the most endorsements from their communities and shared stories of their impact on their local food system now have their deserved spotlight.
The Farmers Market Celebration once again garnered the attention of thousands of communities-turned-advocates for local food systems and the results are in. This year the voters crowned the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market the winner of the 2019 People’s Choice award.
“Troy, New York, is a small American city with a great big heart and a whole lot of pride,” said Zack Metzger, president of the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, which is now in its 20th season. “This celebration gave our customers the opportunity to think about why family farmers matter. Clearly, they are proud of this market and what we have achieved in our 20 years and we are grateful for their support.”
The top voted markets in each region of the United States are:
- Midwest – Flint Farmers Market – Flint, Michigan
- Northeast – Troy Waterfront Farmers Market – Troy, New York
- Pacific – Kaka‘ako Farmers Market – Honolulu, Hawaii
- Southeast – Charlottesville City Market – Charlottesville, Virginia
- Southwest – City of Dripping Springs Farmers Market – Dripping Springs, Texas
“The Farmers Market Celebration was designed to highlight the importance of our food choices and supporting farmers across the country. The markets that participated embody that wholeheartedly.” says Alex Johnson, AFT’s membership coordinator. “This year there were thousands of registered markets and so many communities wanted to showcase what made theirs special.”
The celebration is a national effort to promote the importance of local food and the role that agriculture plays in our communities while also raising awareness about the challenges facing America’s farmland and farmers.
Visit markets.farmland.org to read more about the celebration and participating markets.
