Governor to sign Arkansas Farmers Market Week proclamation
By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Aug. 10, 2017
Fast Facts:
- 2017 is the 18th annual National Farmers Market Week
- Division of Agriculture supports farmers’ markets in a number of ways throughout the state
- Farmers’ markets account for about $2 billion in farm-direct spending in U.S.
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LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson will sign a proclamation this Thursday, declaring Aug. 6-12 as Farmers Market Week in the State of Arkansas.
The proclamation puts the state in line with a larger national effort to recognize the importance of farmers’ markets in individual food economies around the country. The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared Aug. 6-12 National Farmers Market Week.
This week marks the 18th annual celebration of farmers’ markets around the country. Ron Rainey, Professor of Economics for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will be present for the signing of the proclamation at the State Capitol Building, which is was originally scheduled for Friday, but has been rescheduled to take place at 4:00 p.m. Thursday.
Rainey said the Division of Agriculture supports and assists growers and farmers’ markets in a variety of ways at the local, county and state levels.
“In some counties, the local Cooperative Extension Service agent may actually manage a farmers’ market in the county,” Rainey said. “In other areas, the agent may simply be helping a grower to find a market. Food and Consumer Science agents with extension often do cooking and food prep demonstrations at farmers’ markets, and on the state level, I try to help answer questions about how state or federal regulations may apply to growers selling their produce at those markets.”
According to information from the USDA, the number of farmers’ markets have increased by more than 60 percent since 2009, with more than 8,500 markets around the country, and account for about two-thirds of the $3 billion spent annually on farm-direct products in the United States.
To learn more about the Arkansas MarketMaker program, visit https://ar.foodmarketmaker.com/, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu
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