By Morgan Campbell
SNAP-Ed Program Assistant, OSU Extension, Adams County
The Adams County Farmer’s Market runs from May 8 to Sept. 25 every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year the Farmer’s Market will accept SNAP benefits. With it being market season here are some reasons you should support your local farmer’s market.
The tastes are real and not artificial. It is amazing the difference in taste from fresh produce to store bought produce. There is no sitting in a truck for days being delivered to your local grocery store, no gassing to stimulate the ripening process – farm fresh produce that ripened on the vine or in the field.
Not only is the taste of fresh produce at its peak from the farmer’s market but it is also at its peak in nutrients. When produce is picked and sold at its peak ripeness, it contains the most nutrients it ever will and will provides you with more nutrition than if it is over ripened or not ripe.
Know where your food is coming from. When you participate in your local farmer’s market you can see the people raising your food and ask questions about that food. You get direct contact with the farmers who spend their days in the fields raising home grown produce to provide to their community.
Enjoy the season and the tasty foods that come with it. Farmer’s markets only come around for a few months a year, take advantage of the freshness and connect with your community at your farmer’s market. Use the season to learn more about your food and what the farmers do to provide those foods.
Family farmers need your support to be able to continue to provide you with locally grown produce. Small family farms have a hard time competing with the large corporations that sell to large supermarkets. With your support, they can continue to provide fresh produce from their farm to your table with tastes that are greater than those from large supermarkets.
When you support your local farmers, you are also putting money back into your local economy. Farmers selling locally create four times as many jobs as those who do not sell to their local community. They also return three times as much of their sales to the local economy compared to those farmers who sell to chains.
For more information regarding nutrition or the Adams County Farmer’s Market please reach out by email [email protected] or call (937) 544-2339.
