Farmers Markets: Good for You, the Environment, and the Economy (not to mention the Farmers)

Farmers Markets are Good for Everyone Here in the United States, Farmers Markets have become all the rage. The number of Farmers Markets in the States has increased a whopping 1,200% since 1970.

In Canada Farmers Markets are increasing in popularity as well, and this resurgence is a win-win-win-(win) proposition for all involved.

For the consumer, it is an opportunity to connect to their source of food and get fresher produce than they would from supermarket or store-bought produce. It helps support local economies, allows small farmers more control over the pricing of their product (giving them a chance to compete with farm conglomerates), and doesn’t rely on the long distribution chains inherent in large-scale agri-business, thus eliminating the huge carbon footprint from trucking a head of lettuce thousands of miles across the county.

For this and other reason, I think Farmers Markets and supporting local agriculture in general is very important in this world of ever increasing mono-culture and Big Business farming.

Back in March I attended a discussion with Michael Pollan sponsored by the Trust for Public Land. Michael is the author of several books, the latest of which is Omnivore’s Dilemma. Michael outlined three practical reasons why regional and local food supply is best. We’ve already looked at the carbon footprint of long distance hauling.

Health issues are a second reason. In March, much of the US was on alert to avoid eating tainted spinach grown in the Salinas valley, just a hundred miles or so south of San Francisco, that had been shipped, well, everywhere it seemed. As Michael put it, “we’re all washing our salad in the same salad bowl”.

A third reason for promoting local food production is national security. In the United States, there are only four major meat-packing plants. If any one of those were attacked with biological agents, a significant portion of the country’s meat supply would become dangerous and even deadly.

All in all, visiting you local Farmers Market just makes sense. It helps connect the community with local farmers, provides a diverse and safe source of meat and produce, supports local farming, and reduces the environmental impact of large scale agri-business that relies heavily on chemical pesticides and fertilizer.

And that tomato in your salad won't have ridden a thousand miles in the back of an 18-wheeler, trailing carbon in its wake, languishing amongst a thousand or so other tomatoes, just to arrive on your dinner plate.

Sources and Further Reading
The Farmers Market Wiki
Canadian Farmers Markets
The Inside Scoop on Farmers Markets - The Food Netwok
Food Supply and Climate Change - Global Warming is Real.com
Michael Pollan
Green Brings Green - DavisEnterprise.com
The Role of Farmers Markets in Fueling Local Economies - The Gastronomic Sciences Journal (the article is under the "debate" category and requires registration to view)

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Farmers Markets: Good for You, the Environment, and the Economy (not to mention the Farmers)

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