By Michael Shulman
American Farmland Trust (AFT) kicks off the 17th annual America’s Farmer’s Market Celebration™ (AFMC) today – a celebration of 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 critical role farmers markets play in communities across the nation while celebrating the farmers, staff, and volunteers that make them possible. While they have long served as pillars of local food in urban centers and town squares, in recent years, farmers markets have gained the national recognition they deserve as essential businesses that power farmers and communities to thrive.
"Farmers markets represent the backbone of local food systems, providing essential income streams for thousands of farm families across the country,” said John Piotti, AFT President and CEO.