A cooking demonstration, live entertainment and a raffle for various prizes will kick off the summer Farmers Market season. The openning of the 12th season of the USDA Farmers Market will also feature a booth offering nutritional information and food suggestions from the USDA for the home. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner will officiate the openning Friday, June 1 at 10 a.m.
“Farmers markets benefit both producers and consumers alike, continuing to grow in popularity from the enjoyment of eating fresh, local products directly from the farm,” Conner said.
Each Friday through October 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the USDA Farmers Market features fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, maple products, fresh-cut flowers from local farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
There are 4,400 farmers markets nationwide, more than three times as many as the 1,755 estimated in 1994. Estimated sales volume nationwide is $1 billion in 2005 – up from $888 million in 2000. The Agricultural Marketing Service provides a National Directory of Farmers Markets, http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm.