Media contact:
Misti Preston
Phone: (573) 751-8596
Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov

For Immediate Release: March 18, 2008

Local Farmers’ Markets Spring into the Season with Fresh Produce

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – Each year, Missouri communities offer consumers more than 130 farmers’ markets across the state. These markets support locally grown products and agricultural diversity, provide fresh produce to consumers and enhance local economies. Promoting the importance of farmers’ markets to their community, the Columbia Farmers’ Market recently took home two of the seven Market of the Year awards at the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association annual meeting. One award, the Best Motto/Catch Phrase highlighted the market as “The Saturday Morning Place to Be!”

“Farmers’ markets continue to promote Missouri agriculture and provide fresh, local foods to communities and consumers across the state,” said Katie Smith, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. “We congratulate the Columbia market on their creative marketing ideas and commend them for continuing to provide locally grown produce for area consumers.”

The Columbia Farmers’ Market, opening this weekend, March 22, took home Best Marketing Idea for the Columbia Localvore Challenge. This week long event held Sept. 22-29, 2007, highlighted the value of local food supplies with more than 100 households and individuals pledging to eat a chosen number of meals sourced from local farmers and consuming more than 1200 locally sourced meals. The inaugural event in 2007 was noted as a great success and will be repeated annually to continue building on the growing consumer interest in local food and eating fresh.

Saturday, the award-winning market opens for the 2008 season with a wide range of locally grown and produced items including meats, eggs, cheese, honey, baked goods, spring greens and more. For more information about the Columbia Farmers’ Market and upcoming events, visit www.columbiafarmersmarket.org or contact Caroline Todd at (573) 823-6889.

“Our customers at the Columbia Farmers’ Market really enjoy local, fresh food. They are always telling us they would love to be able to visit all year around,” said Vera Gelder of Walk About Acres and Columbia Farmers’ Market vendor. “Statistics show that a dollar spent at a local business is worth $7 to the local economy. We at the Columbia Farmers’ Market commend the effort and commitment our customers have to buying local-grown and produced food.”

To learn more about farmers’ markets in Missouri, visit mofarmersmarket.blogspot.com/ or contact Lane McConnell, farmers’ market marketing specialist, at Lane.McConnell@mda.mo.gov or (573) 526-4984.

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