America's Favorite Farmers Markets contest™

Are you a Market Manager? Sign up to participate in the contest in 2010!

We know that shopping at farmers markets is one of the best ways to support local farms, farmers and communities, just by buying delicious and fresh food. That is why this year's America’s Favorite Farmers Markets™ contest will feature a host of new prizes for market managers and customers, more tools to get larger crowds out to support your market, and will be making a bigger impact for local farms and food in America!

To kick-off our efforts for the contest this year, we are hosting a series of webinars or online conferences. We hope you will join us for one of our exciting webinars.

2:00 3:00 pm EST on Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Three organizations with big plans for 2010 are coming together to support farmers markets like never before! Get ready for the 2010 farmers market season by joining the United States Department of Agriculture, the Farmers Market Coalition, and American Farmland Trust in the webinar: What Is in Store for Farmers Markets in 2010?

2:00 3:00 pm EST on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Sign-up to hear from last year’s winners and enjoy the opportunity to learn how they rallied their customers to be voted number one! Each of the winners of the 2009 America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest has a unique story to tell about how they got the attention of their local media and consumers and leveraged the contest to increase support for their market. Join us for: A Word with the Winners of the 2009 America’s Favorite Farmers Markets Contest.

Farmers markets help ensure that our communities are surrounded by farms that can provide the delicious fresh food we all crave. By providing us with a place to purchase regional foods, farmers markets help keep farmers on the land so that they can continue to provide food for our tables as well as environmental benefits and a place for the community to gather. Learn more about the contest.

Help Spread the No Farms No Food Message

You can't have local food without local farmland. This simple message is resonating with farmers market customers around the country. So far we've sent out over 1 million No Farms No Food bumper stickers, many to farmers market managers, and you're sure to spot one soon!

Spreading the word about protecting local farmland is vital to keeping fresh, safe and local foods within reach of our communities. Here are a few ways we can work together to strengthen farm-to-food connections and have an even greater effect on saving farms for the future.

Request a No Farms No Food bumper sticker to show your support. Contact our Marketing Department to learn about other special No Farms No Food promotions.	Go Shopping with a message! Donate today to receive your No Farms No Food tote bag. As a member of AFT, you'll receive a subscription to our magazine, American Farmland.
Inform your customers about the importance of protecting local farms for local food. Print the Farmland Protection Toolbox (pdf) and visit the Farmland Information Center for more great tools and resources.	Check out the great resources available from the Farmers Market Coalition to get answers to all your questions: from getting your market started, to on-going farmers market management.  Get the latest on farmers market issues on the state and federal level and get linked into the community to share what works at your farmers market.
Measure your market's success. Check out the Sticky Economic Evaluation Device (SEED 2.0). SEED helps you conduct an economic analysis of your market's effect on the local economy.	Add your farmers market to the interactive map on Culinate.   Check out Food Routes printable Fact Sheets to hand out to your farmers market customers.