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Virginia Farmers' Market Week
When it comes to taste and nutrition, fresher really is better. Fresher produce retains more nutrients than produce that travels long distances or sits on a truck or rail car for hours or even days, and nothing says “fresh” like buying it from the farmer who grew it and picked it him or herself.
Where better to get the freshest produce possible than at one of Virginia’s 190 farmers’ markets? And what better time to visit your local market than during Farmers’ Market Week, August 1 – 7, 2010?
Farmers’ markets give consumers access to just-picked fruits and vegetables that contain optimum amounts of nutrients, which can help lower the risk for certain cancers, heart disease and stroke; reduce high blood pressure; and help with weight management.
In addition to high quality fruits and vegetables, farmers’ markets provide the public with ready access to herbs, flowers, organic items, cheeses, baked goods, meats, homemade preserves and more. Because many items for sale were picked that morning, the only way you’d get it any fresher would be to grow it yourself.
Virginia is dotted with farmers’ markets from Abingdon to Alexandria, Richmond to Roanoke, Norfolk to Norton. To find a market near you, go to www.virginiagrown.com, an interactive website maintained by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. You can search for markets or even specific products by locality or zip code.
In a Certificate of Recognition proclaiming August 1 – 7 as Virginia Farmers’ Market Week, Governor Bob McDonnell invited Virginians across the state to join the celebration. The state now boasts more than 190 local farmers’ markets, with one or more within easy driving distance of almost every citizen, rural or urban.
When consumers visit a farmers’ market and snap a photo, they may submit it for a chance to win a Virginia Grown/Virginia’s Finest prize package worth $100. That’s a lot of healthy eating. For more information on Virginia Farmers’ Market Week, location of markets, recipes for fresh produce, a produce availability chart, information on the Farmers’ Market Week photo contest and more, check out virginiagrown.com now.
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