Farmers’ Markets in the Media

There are farmers’ market stories all over the place it seems lately. I saw CNN even had a huge farmers’ market piece on last week.

I just finished up this morning with an tv interview with KOMU’s Tyne Morgan about Missouri’s specialty crop industry and the consumer demand for local produce.

People are excited about farmers’ market season getting under way and the opportunity to buy local produce. Why shouldn’t they? I know I’ve been waiting all winter for a real vine ripened tomato.

The following are some of the news stories I found of interest that you might enjoy yourself.

Food fresh from the farm are available at local markets
By Joe Bonwich
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/30/2008
The best food goes straight from your garden to your table — but the next best thing is fruits and vegetables that a local farmer picked today.

Markets open as farmers manage high input costs
Monday, May 5, 2008
by Katie Allen
Audio related to this story
High fuel and fertilizer costs aren’t only affecting large crop farmers. The golden inputs also have producers of lettuce, radishes, tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables cutting back to prepare for another season at farmers’ markets nationwide.

Ron and Joan Fahrmeier of Fahrmeier Farms in Lexington, Missouri know the high costs all-too-well. They sell produce on their farm and at farmers’ markets in the Kansas City area with sons Brandon and Bret. Brandon says his family is dealing with high production costs by paying careful attention to their inputs, including doing more soil tests to know where to apply fertilizer and how much.

Farmers market connects to food aid
By Georgina Gustin
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/11/2008
ST. LOUIS — Leafy greens and plump asparagus sat in bins, and customers toting canvas bags wandered around, sniffing vegetables and holding them in their hands like jewels.Saturday was the first day of the season at the Tower Grove Farmers Market, and customers poured in for the fresh, locally grown food. In the three years since it began, the market has become a fixture in this city neighborhood.

Farmers markets, the next generation
By Russ Parsons
Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 7, 2008
THERE'S been a changing of the guard at the Coleman Family Farm stand at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Wednesday mornings. Ask Bill Coleman a question and he's likely to answer, "Ask Romey."