CropLife America joins celebration of National Farmers Market Week

CropLife America has joined with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other farm-related organizations in celebrating National Farmers Market Week through Saturday.

Farmers markets provide an invaluable opportunity to both growers and consumers. They also give consumers the ability to directly ask farmers about their produce and growing methods.

The crop protection industry takes pride in supporting America’s farmers by developing solutions that help growers get their produce to market free from pests and disease.

“With less than 1 percent of the American population employed as growers, our nation’s local farmers markets help consumers better connect with the food they eat,” CropLife America CEO and President Jay Vroom said.

“We encourage everyone to visit their nearest farmers market to find out more about how their food is made from the people who make it. The crop protection industry supports all types of sustainable growing methods and the continual development of increasingly precise pesticide technologies. Through the use of pesticide technology, farmers help shoppers at both farmers markets and grocery stores save up to 35 percent on fresh fruits and 45 percent on fresh vegetables.”

Across the U.S., the number of farmers markets has risen. Consumers can choose from over 8,000 farmers markets in the U.S., up from 3,700 in 2004 and just under 1,800 in 1994.

"People are changing how they think about farmers markets as they become community gathering points, and we have seen a 64 percent increase in customer traffic in markets open for at least two years," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said at the kickoff of Farmers Market Week at the Sante Fe Farmers Market in New Mexico.

Throughout August, CropLife America will run the Green Thumb Challenge to encourage consumers to show their support for farmers and the methods they use to feed communities across the U.S. in an environmentally sustainable way. Consumers are encouraged to show CropLife America their green thumb by tweeting a photo to @CropLifeAmerica using the hashtag #GreenThumbContest.

For each submission, CropLife America will donate $1 to the Food Recovery Network, an organization that unites students across the country to fight food waste and hunger. The winner of the Green Thumb Challenge will also win an Apple Watch.