Green Umbrella’s Local Food Action Team joins markets across the region in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 5-11.
Kentucky’s Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles had declared the week “Kentucky Farmers’ Markets Week” and asks Kentuckians to celebrate all month long by visiting their local farmer’s market and posting photos to Instagram for a prize.
The week will mark a revitalization of Green Umbrella’s 10% Shift: Eat Local Campaign, which encourages families and individuals to shift 10% of their food budget towards the purchasing of local foods produced within 100 miles of Cincinnati.
Members of the Local Food Action Team, which develops strategies to increase production and consumption of local foods, will assist shoppers in taking the 10% Shift pledge at farmers’ markets throughout the Greater Cincinnati region. The campaign provides a simple way for consumers to make a big impact on the local economy and regional food system.
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For a family of four spending $200 a week on groceries, a ten percent shift in dollars would mean committing to spend $20 a week on locally grown foods. If 10% of the regional population shifts 10% of their food dollars to local food, $56 million would be infused into our local economy.
According to statistics recently released by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), farmers markets and farm stands account for roughly $2 billion of the $3 billion that Americans spend annually on farm-direct products. This revenue, in turn, supports the livelihoods of more than 165,000 mostly small and mid-sized farms and ranches across the county.
Locally, the team has focused their efforts on increasing access points for local food purchase, seeing local points of consumption grow from just 45 in 2010 to 189 in 2017. The number of farmers markets in the region has also seen tremendous growth, increasing by nearly two-thirds since 2010.
“Every dollar spent at a tristate farmers’ market strengthens our regional economy while conserving natural resources,” says Liz Stites, general manager of Hyde Park Farmers’ Market. “The best-tasting food in the world comes from local farmers, and National Farmers Market Week is the perfect time to commit to a 10 percent shift. Area markets are brimming with fresh, seasonal produce. It’s all about pampering your taste buds, supporting your neighbors and caring for Mother Earth.”
Those interested in learning more about the 10% Shift Campaign can visit the website. To find a farmers’market, visit the 2018 CORV Local Food Guide (click image below).
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