Celebrate access to fresh foods! National Farmers Market Week is Aug. 7-13.

Farmers markets connect communities with fresh produce, locally made food and artisan goods. National Farmers Market Week will be Aug. 7-13.

“We are continuing to see shoppers using the markets to buy their fresh produce, their proteins, their fruits and vegetables, especially as we have ever-increasing prices at the grocery store,” said Kim Hutchinson, Virginia Farmers Market Association’s executive director. “Folks are wanting to support local, and we’re excited to see them continuing.”

Vendor presence is remaining steady too, Hutchinson said. While inflation and high gas prices have caused some regular vendors to cut back on the number of markets they attend, Hutchinson has seen an uptick in new farmers setting up booths. Many are people who began small homesteads during the COVID-19 pandemic and started selling their extra produce.

Farmers markets remain a favorite weekend pastime for many families, said John Montgomery, who co-manages Dorey Park Farmers Market in Henrico County with his wife, Cappie. Short of picking it straight from the field, they give consumers farm-to-table access to local produce while directly supporting their community’s farmers and economy.

Farmers markets also can provide an important connection to families who might not have much access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and allow dollars to stretch farther, he said. Many Virginia farmers markets participate in financial assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and SNAP Match through VFMA’s Virginia Fresh Match program. For every dollar a SNAP participant spends at the farmers market, the Virginia Fresh Match fund provides a matching dollar that can be spent on produce.

To find a farmers market near you, visit vdacs.virginia.gov/vagrown or vafma.org/virginia-markets. For fun day-trip ideas to agritourism attractions connected to farmers markets, check out the Virginia is for Farmers Market Lovers Trail at lovevamarkets.org.