Support the Farm Bill for Better Farmers Markets

Nowadays when it rains, I think about the farmers -- and I think about them when it doesn’t rain for weeks or months, too. Either way, the weather forecast is filtered through my understanding of the needs of the farmers with whom I work.

I was not a big-time activist foodie before I got involved with farmers’ markets. I was just a mom and caterer who cooked from scratch because that’s what I learned at home in home ec classes and that’s what I liked to do. I was excited to discover a market in my neighborhood when we moved to Fairfax because in those days, the selection of fresh vegetables was limited, even at the grocery stores. In fact I drove all the way from Woodbridge to Magruder’s in Vienna to shop.

After 15 years of buying from the old Vienna market at Nottoway Park, I became the volunteer market manager and began to learn more about the challenges and joys of small farming from some of our area’s small-farm pioneers, such as Hana and Hue at Potomac Vegetable Farm and the Plancks.

I have gradually come to realize that while there I can do a lot to help promote the farmers through our markets, there are some kinds of support and incentives that only government can supply. In fact, there are some elements of the Farm Bill now before Congress that could help farmers’ markets serve more people and to help small farmers have more retail sales outlets such as markets.

The bill’s provisions would help Smart Markets and our farmers to acquire the technology to accept WIC program, SNAP (food stamp) and Senior food program EBT cards. It would increase money for the Department of Agriculture’s Farmers’ Market Promotion Program, which we really don’t need, but some markets do. More importantly, it would fund the Specialty Crop grant program to help small farmers who grow for markets. The Farmers Market Coalition reminds us that “this bill’s total investment of less than one-sixth of one percent of USDA’s budget would address the needs of a large and growing sector of American agriculture as well as boost local economies.”

You can learn more about this bill and how you can help on the website of the Farmers Market Coalition.

Sometimes we just need to do more than shop at farmers’ markets, or we may all lose that opportunity. It will help all of us involved in this endeavor if we can create greater access to our markets for those who really need healthier food choices. And as many of you already know, we are here to teach everyone who shops with us what to do with all that great produce.

Here’s another great winter recipe so that you can prove my point.