There have been plenty of stories in the news recently about farmers markets, the health value of farmers markets, legislation helping farmers markets maintain viability, the benefits of farmers markets to local agriculture, etc. Well, here are two more stories to add to the list: a farmers market at the White House, and the creation of a virtual farmers market.First, Michelle Basch reports for wtop.com that the President is considering putting a farmers market right outside the White House, not actually on the White House grounds. As the President said at recent health care forum, ‘"One of the things we're trying to do now is to figure out, can we get a little farmer's market outside of the White House -- I'm not going to have all y'all just tromping around -- but right outside the White House."’ During the forum the President described the benefits derived from farmers markets, and connected these benefits to ‘“how we think about health.”’ To read the Basch report click here.
Today, Morgan Josey Glover of the Greensboro News-Record has a story on the potential creation of a virtual farmers market. The idea is to expand market access for locally grown foods by marketing them online so that they could be ordered directly from restaurants and other businesses. The group pushing the virtual farmers market and currently seeking nonprofit status is called the Local Foods Coalition and is made up of roughly 40 farmers and “concerned citizens” from Rockingham County, North Carolina.
A virtual farmers market currently exists in Rutherford County and was developed by Foothills Connection. The market sells to restaurants in the Charlotte area. If the virtual farmers markets turn out to be successful it could be very beneficial economically for smaller, local farms, and could be replicated throughout the country. To read the Glover story click here.
A virtual farmers market currently exists in Rutherford County and was developed by Foothills Connection. The market sells to restaurants in the Charlotte area. If the virtual farmers markets turn out to be successful it could be very beneficial economically for smaller, local farms, and could be replicated throughout the country. To read the Glover story click here.
Posted: 08/24/09
