farmers markets

Across the United States, Local Food Investments Link Harvest to Health

, Food Systems & Health Analyst

July 9, 2018 5:13 PM EDT

Earlier this month, we took a deep, data-driven dive into the state of food and farming across the US with the release of our 50-State Food System Scorecard. Although the country as a whole isn’t exactly the poster child for healthy and sustainable food systems (far from it), there’s a lot of variability in what’s happening at farms, grocery stores, and dinner tables from one state to the next—and we’re here to learn from it.

Of course, we couldn’t assess the food system without taking a good, hard look at how it impacts its end users: us. Read more >

Bookmark and Share

Local produce, sold through direct-to-consumer channels like farmers markets and community supported agriculture programs, is often sold at a price premium. But does that premium impact farmers’ bottom line? Photo: Todd Johnson/ Oklahoma State University.

Do Local Food Markets Support Profitable Farms and Ranches?

Becca B.R. Jablonski, Dawn Thilmany McFadden, Allie Bauman, Dave Shideler, , UCS

April 26, 2018 2:13 PM EDT

How many times have you heard that when you shop locally, farmers win? Families shop at farmers markets, school districts procure locally-grown and raised items, and restaurants curate seasonal menus at least in part because they believe they are supporting the economic viability of local producers. But do we have evidence that these local markets actually provide economic benefits to farmers and ranchers? Read more >

Bookmark and Share

Customers shop at the Crossroads Farmers Market in Takoma Park, Maryland, July 2014. Photo by Union of Concerned Scientists

7 Fun Facts for National Farmers Market Week

, senior analyst, Food and Environment

August 4, 2017 10:32 AM EDT

And now, something we can feel good about. This Sunday marks the start of National Farmers Market Week, an annual celebration of local food systems. To get us in the mood, here are seven facts that illustrate the benefits of farmers markets and local food systems. Read more >

Bookmark and Share

This National Farmers Market Week, Let’s Celebrate the Low-Hanging Fruit—and Then Reach Higher

, Fellow, Food & Environment Program

August 8, 2016 12:27 PM EDT

It’s rare to come across a policy that’s actually a win-win: something that does measurable good at the political or financial expense of virtually no one. These policies are truly low-hanging fruit, so obvious that we should feel embarrassed for not enacting them sooner.

One such policy is the recent decision in Los Angeles requiring that all farmers markets accept Electronic Benefit Transfer, or EBT—the debit card used to redeem food stamps (now called SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Read more >

Bookmark and Share

Redefining Food Narratives: Thoughts and Reflections of a Rising Black Fooducator

Myeasha Taylor,,

October 24, 2014 9:23 AM EDT

I remember growing food in the third grade during garden club at Twin Oaks Community Garden in D.C. I grew onions, collard greens, and mustard greens. I’d bring my harvest home for my family to eat. My mother taught me how to wash them. My pencil legs towered over running water as we removed each stem from the leaves before dunking them into cold water. My greens tasted better than the canned Glory Greens my family bought, like the expensive loose leaf ones in the produce section of the grocery store. Read more >

Bookmark and Share