This year, Florence Farmers Market is participating in the America’s Farmers Market Celebration (AFMC), the only annual ranking of the top farmers markets in the United States as voted on by the public. Since 2008, AFMC has highlighted the important role farmers markets play in communities across the nation while celebrating the farmers, staff, and volunteers that make markets happen. The 14th annual AFMC, set to run between June 20 and September 19, 2022 on markets.farmland.org, is a fun competition that can help our market earn national recognition and local prestige.
$10,000 Prize!
With votes from supporters like you, we’re hoping to take home part of the $10,000 prize pool. This money would help us improve new community programs like the Community Table, Local Matters Educational Workshops and Youth Programs and expand the end of season Fill Your Pantry bulk buying event.
Best Little Farmers Market on the Oregon Coast
If you have ever been to our Market, you already know it’s the gold standard for farmers markets in the region. We like to think of ourselves as the “Best Little Farmers Market on the Oregon Coast”!
If you haven’t stopped by the market, here are a few reasons why we, Florence Farmers Market, deserve nationwide recognition:
During the peak of the summer season, we provide local vegetables, fruits, prepared foods, baked goods, meats, eggs, mushrooms and much more to over 500 people each Tuesday afternoon. People come from all over during the summer to see what we have to offer and sample the bounty from the local vendors.
There are more than 100 local residents who utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy the food they need to maintain good health. And this program is growing!
Collaborating with PeaceHealth Peace Harbor, the newly created Produce RX program provides access to nutritional produce for community members who are prescribed special diets through their medical professionals. As one participant explains, “Fresh food locally grown is the best medicine.”
Local gardeners and small scale farmers can participate at the market without a lot of expense or hassle at the Community Table. It is a simple way for them to profit from their surplus produce and provide the community with a diversity of locally grown food.
Monthly educational programs enhance the market by providing information about topics such as creating pollinator friendly ecosystems in your backyard, learning about diverse, local farming opportunities, how to utilize and benefit from healthy herbs and plants and composting demonstrations. There are also monthly cooking demonstrations using the seasonal produce from the vendors to help illustrate healthy and interesting recipe options.
Each year at the end of the season, Florence Farmers Market hosts a Fill Your Pantry Bulk Buying Event to support the farmers, ranchers, orchardists, beekeepers, community gardeners and bakers before the slower winter season. It also allows the community an opportunity to stock up on locally grown and raised food for storage, freezing, drying and canning.
We believe every farmers market in America is special in its own way. They nourish their communities while helping local farmers, ranchers, food makers and artisans thrive. Our little town wouldn’t be the same without our Tuesday market. Thank you in advance for helping Florence Farmers Market be recognized as one of the best in the nation. The funds (up to $5,000 for first prize!) will go towards marketing, communications and other needs that help us expand our impact for our amazing community!
Click to vote for our market:
or visit
markets.farmland.org/market/florence-farmers-market-3
From American Farmland Trust
American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms No Food® message.
Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally sound farming practices on millions of additional acres, and supported thousands of farm families.
For over a decade, AFT’s Farmers Market Celebration has highlighted the important role farmers markets play in communities across the nation. Long pillars of local food in urban centers and town squares, in the age of coronavirus, farmers markets have gained the recognition they deserve as essential businesses ensuring farmers have a venue to sell their goods and families have a place to access fresh, healthy food.
Farmers Market Coalition
The Farmers Market Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to strengthening farmers markets across the United States so that they can serve as community assets while providing real income opportunities for farmers.
The Farmers Market Coalition is driven by three complementary goals. We call it our triple bottom line. Farmers earn fair prices for the fruits of their labor by selling directly to consumers. Consumers gain access to fresh, nutritious, local produce. Communities regain a figurative “town square,” experiencing the many positive outcomes of foot traffic and animated public space.