What are Genetically Modified (gM) Foods?

It’s not unheard of for farmers’ markets to have cooking demonstrations, music, local crafters and artisans selling their products. The products at a winter market reflect the vegetables and crops that are in-season, including hearty vegetables such as potatoes, winter squash and parsnips as well as herbs, dairy and even goods such as wool or alpaca fibers. Farmers’ markets are not only spring to fall operations — you can enjoy the foods and festivities year-round in some communities. Winter markets are similar to summer markets but are held indoors. Many patrons attend simply to enjoy some people-watching. For example, the Bloomington Winter Farmers’ Market in Bloomington, Ind., is held in a school gymnasium on Saturday mornings.

Even organic produce may travel long distances on its journey to your local grocery store. Farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture (CSAs) and even backyard gardens provide local foods for people trying to leave a small carbon footprint. Choosing a hyper-local, seasonally based diet doesn’t come easy, though. Some of your favorite foods, such as salt, black pepper, wheat, coffee and chocolate are not likely to be local foods. They hope the diet will reduce the use of fossil fuels, contribute to their local community and give them a better understanding of where their food comes from. The 100-Mile Diet — in which followers eat foods grown only within a 100-mile radius from home — is an experiment some people around the country are trying.

Agricultural Marketing Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Food & Nutrition Service. Spencer, Victoria. “Farmers markets feed the 100-mile diet.” CNN. Kremen, Amy, Catherine Greene, and Jim Hanson. ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. Economic Research Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Food & Nutrition Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (FMPP). Agricultural Marketing Service. United States Department of Agriculture. United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Marketing Service. United States Department of Agriculture. United States Department of Agriculture. Resources for Farmers’ Markets. Agricultural Marketing Service. United States Department of Agriculture. Food Security Learning Center. United States Department of Agriculture. Agricultural Marketing Service. United States Department of Agriculture. North American Farmers’ Market Direct Marketing Association. Earles, Richard. “Sustainable Agriculture: An Introduction.” ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Farmers’ Market Program. The Food Trust.

The rules are as individual as each community. Vendors pay fees for membership and space and acquire any permits or licenses that may be required by local laws. The rules and regulations also establish the kind of activities allowed at the market. They let the leadership know about their products and their products’ quality as well as any other detail the association requests. Physical liability insurance in case of accident or injury is either provided by the market or purchased by each vendor, depending on that market’s established rules. Potential vendors typically apply for space at the farmers’ market. While food sales are the staple of most farmers’ markets, some communities turn their markets into festivals.

Farmers’ markets are open-air or indoor markets where farmers come regularly to sell their produce, meats, herbs and flowers directly to you. Farmers’ markets consist of numerous vendor booths, while a single farmer sets up a roadside stand. Whether you live in the inner city or in the suburbs, finding your farmers’ market is as easy as looking in an online directory (such as the one found at LocalHarvest), looking around your town for signs advertising the time and place, or asking your local chamber of commerce. In fact, farmers’ markets aren’t too different from roadside farm stands — they just have a lot more volume and selection. In this article, we’ll learn the benefits of shopping at your local farmers’ market, how markets operate and the nutrition programs in which many participate.

Although your local farmers’ market may seem rather informal, every market has a business plan. Markets are managed by a small group of leaders who form that market’s association and outline the market’s rules and regulations. Small farms are the center of vendor membership at farmers’ markets, but many markets also allow local crafters and artisans to set up shop. One of the first decisions the leadership will make is who can and cannot sell goods at the market. This decision is usually based on what types of foods will be sold and what the criteria for “local” is. Ninety-four percent of all farms are considered small farms. These leaders may be the vendors themselves or a combination of vendors and community members.

Here is more regarding City of Abbotsford selling a portion of Mill Lake park for condos look into our own page.