I was have been involved with farmers market establishment in Las Vegas in past years. The problem has always been finding a suitable location for showcasing LOCAL producers....on a small scale. USDA has a program that helps establish farmers markets in local communities. This is their report from 2016. Read it and get some ideas for establishing one in the future.
Outside farmers markets are the ideal in an ideal world but outside markets during the desert summer makes it hard for producers to keep the quality of many of their products due to high temperatures, low humidity and wind.
The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), administered
by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), is one of the USDA grant
programs supporting this movement. The program awards competitive grants, with
the goal of expanding access to locally produced agriculture products and
developing new market opportunities for farms and ranches participating in
direct farmer-to-consumer marketing. Since 2006, FMPP has helped communities
establish farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) enterprises,
road-side stands, and agritourism in all 50 States and U.S. territories. All
project proposals must demonstrate community support and directly benefit
farmers and ranchers. AMS has published a summary of the past 10 years of the
FMPP.
Las Vegas indoor farmers market on Dean Martin Dr (no longer with us) that featured local producers, once a week, indoors. |
Thank you for the Farmers Market Promotion Program 2016 Report. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDelete- Gustavo Woltmann