Written by Lucas LoBreglio and Sofie Schachter
Happy National Farmers Week! This is one of our favorite times of the year, because there’s nothing we enjoy more than partnering with farmers market stakeholders and celebrating the many benefits they bring to their local communities. Read on for information and resources related to this week of farmers market awareness!
This year’s NFMW runs from August 4-10 and is coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition, who have created a handy toolkit for market leaders to use this week as an opportunity to build connections and celebrate their work. Once again, we’ve taken the liberty of summarizing the toolkit here for your consideration.
According to FMC, messaging is one of the most important aspects of market success, especially when implemented as a strategic campaign. FMC recommends sharing information about your market’s:
- History
- People and community
- Access
- Diversity and inclusion
- Economy
- Programs
- Staff and producers
Spreading this information via social media, signs, word of mouth, and more allow market shoppers as well as your community to understand the importance of your farmers market and the amount of work that goes into it, whether you’re a market manager, a member of a farmers market organization, or a passionate marketgoer.
FMC also includes in their NFMW toolkit a collection of social media and outreach resources that are all worth checking out. These include the popular “I heart farmers markets” tattoos, event poster templates, talking points, timelines for social media campaigns, and much, much more!
Lastly, the toolkit links several additional resources from other organizations. Looking for legal resources for farmers markets? Check out the Farmers Market Legal Toolkit by the Center for Agriculture & Food Systems. Wondering how to actively cultivate an anti-racist market? See the FMC’s Anti-Racist Farmer Markets Toolkit. Need help putting nutrition incentives into practice? Visit the Farm Direct Nutrition Incentives Guide Site.
We hope these resources help you share the wonderful benefits of your markets far and wide!
Get more information about National Farmers Market Week and download the toolkit here.
