Farmers Markets & Public Markets: Advancing their role in Urban and Rural Communities

This sign bids customers farewell at the Sunset Valley Farmers' Market in Austin, Texas.
Photo Credit: Kelly Fuerstenberg. For Grit Magazine.

From Project for Public Spaces:

Fourth Annual Briefing & Reception
Thursday, May 3, 2007
5:00 - 6:00pm Briefing and Q&A
1302 Longworth Building
Reception to follow (ends 7pm), 1300 Longworth Building

INVITED PARTICIPANTS
-Collin Peterson (D-MN)
-Robert Goodlatte (R-VA)
-Joe Baca (D-CA)
-David Scott (D-GA)
-Lincoln Davis (D-TN)
-Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
-Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
-Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
-Bobby Rush (D-IL)

FEATURED SPEAKERS
-Elaine Brown, Executive Director, Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS)
-Fred Broughton, Small Farms Program Manager, South Carolina Department of Agriculture
-Linda Boclair, Operations Manager, Camden Area Health Education Center/Camden Farmers Markets
-Steve Davies, Senior Vice President, Project for Public Spaces
-Kelly Williams, Associate, Project for Public Spaces (MC)
-Tazuer Smith, Washington Representative, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

The benefits of farmers markets and public markets are well known: from providing profitable markets for farmers; to improving consumer access to affordable, locally-grown fruits, vegetables and other farm products; to reinvigorating communities by creating vibrant social and economic centers of activity. However, as the number of markets around the country expands, the needs for planning and coordination, farmer training, and nutrition education for consumers are all too apparent.

Attend the briefing to learn about:
-Farmers markets? success and needs as seen from the final year of PPS's 3-year, $3 million grant program for diversifying farmers markets and public markets;
-How investments in state farmers markets associations are building local food systems and building the capacity of hundreds of farmers markets to improve their markets;
-How farmers markets across the country are working to address health disparities and improving access to fresh, locally grown food in low-income, food insecure communities;
-Opportunities in the upcoming Farm Bill to address the needs of markets, farmers, and consumers.

Taste a sampling of farm fresh foods direct from the Takoma Park Farmers Market in Takoma Park, MD; the Byrd House Market and William Byrd Community House in Richmond, VA; and the California Farmers Market Association in Walnut Creek, CA.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS
-Southland Farmers Market Association - Los Angeles, CA
-Community Farm Alliance - KY
-Michigan Farmers Market Association - MI
-NY State Federation of Farmers Markets - NY
-New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association - NM
-South Carolina Direct Marketing Association - SC
-Camden Area Health Education Center - Camden, NJ
-Just Food/Brooklyn?s Bounty - Brooklyn, NY
-Community Farm Connection - Wenatchee, WA

RSVP
Space is limited
Please RSVP with your name, organization, and e-mail (and the same for any guests you may bring) to Ayan Ali at Project for Public Spaces, 212-620-5660 or via e-mail at publicmarkets@pps.org

Public markets and farmers markets are encouraged to contact to visit their congressional representatives prior to the briefing and to bring them to the event.

For more information on visiting your representative, contact Alan Hunt at the Northeast Midwest Institute

SPONSORS
Project for Public Spaces (PPS), with support from the Ford Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Co-sponsored by the Northeast-Midwest Institute, the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the Community Food Security Coalition, and the Farmers Market Coalition