Farmers Market Poll Question
This week a myMotherLode poll asked, “Do You Shop at Local Farmers Markets?” The poll ran for four days and got over 600 responses.
In all, 72 percent of the voters go to local farmers markets, nearly 32 percent “sometimes” shop at local farmers markets. Twenty-eight percent said that don’t go at all.
According to the department of Agriculture as of mid-2011, there were 7,175 farmers markets operating throughout the U.S.
The California department of food and agriculture notes that “California leads the nation with 758 certified farmers markets.”
The US Department of Agriculture states “Farmers markets… have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm.” The statement continues, “Farmers markets allow consumers to have access to locally grown, farm fresh produce, enables farmers the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with their customers, and cultivate consumer loyalty with the farmers who grows the produce. Direct marketing of farm products through farmers markets continues to be an important sales outlet for agricultural producers nationwide.”
August 7th-13th, 2011 was designated “National Farmers Market” week in a proclamation available here.
There are four farmers markets in both Tuolumne and three in Calaveras. Information about all seven are listed on the Annual events page after the month of May here.
In “A guide to Managing Risks and Liability” released by University of California, Davis is available at UCDavis.edu. It details the types of insurance, hazards and other important issues that outdoor markets need to manage to provide a safe and positive experience for patrons and vendors.
