Washington, D.C.—American Farmland Trust (AFT) along with hundreds of voters have just crowned the Williamsburg Farmers Market as one of America’s three favorite farmers markets.  The award is the culmination of AFT’s summer long “America’s Favorite Farmers Markets” contest and represents the integral role that the Williamsburg Farmers Market plays in its community and the avid support demonstrated by the dedicated customers it has generated through its seven years of operations.

Here is what one Williamsburg Farmers Market customer had to say:

“What better location for a market than just minutes from Jamestown, Va. where first settlers landed and grew their own produce to live! Our farmland in this area, as it did when the settlers first landed, continues to produce many varieties of fresh food, which is a requirement of life. This market takes great pride in promoting locally grown/harvested products-vegetables, seafood, baked items, berries, cheeses, peanuts, flowers, etc. . . Saving farmland is our best source to grow and provide nourishing foods for everybody.”

In its inaugural year, the AFT online contest registered just shy of 30,000 votes in support of local farmers markets across the nation and featured 857 participating farmers markets.  The Williamsburg Farmers Market registered 725 of these votes and swept the ‘Medium’ category of markets featuring 31-55 vendors.

Williamsburg Farmers Market will receive a free No Farms No Food ® tote bag giveaway for their customers. The tote bags will be distributed at an event open to the public on
August 29, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. at the farmers market at Merchant Square on Duke of Gloucester Street in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Along with the Williamsburg Farmers Market, Davis Farmers Market in California took home the large market prize (55 or more vendors) and Collingswood Farmers’ Market in New Jersey, the small markets prize (two to 30 vendors). Farmers markets represent one of the great ways that consumers can support their local farmers, farmland, communities, and regional economies.

By partnering with farmers markets, American Farmland Trust is encouraging consumers to consider the importance of farmland and to support local farmers. Put succinctly, there is no local food without local farmland.

American Farmland Trust—along with many local and state governments, and non-profit groups, is working to make “growing local” a reality for farmers, ranchers and consumers. Healthy Farms, Healthy Food, and Healthy Communities: It’s what America needs!

Find out more about American Farmland Trust’s Growing Local Campaign at: www.farmland.org/local

-30-