Webb City Celebrates 10 Years

Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Jon Hagler visited the Webb City Farmers’ Market recently to congratulate them on receiving the 2009 Market of the Year award and to discuss the importance of local foods and farmers’ markets to the state. The Webb City Farmers’ Market is celebrating its 10th year and recently expanded and improved its market facility.

Director of Agriculture Congratulates Webb City Farmers’ Market for Award on Opening Day

Missouri Department of Agriculture Director Jon Hagler recently visited the Webb City Farmers’ Market to congratulate them on receiving the 2009 Market of the Year award and to discuss the importance of local foods and farmers’ markets to the state. The Webb City Farmers’ Market is celebrating its 10th year and recently expanded and improved its facility.

“The Webb City Farmers’ Markets sets an unprecedented example of how to maintain a successful market. The Webb City Farmers’ Market is meeting the consumer’s demand of high quality locally grown foods in a diversified marketplace,” said Dr. Hagler. “Farmers’ markets allow consumers to see where their food comes from. In doing so, farmers’ markets help reduce the economic distance between producers and consumers – placing a high quality product on consumer’s tables and more dollars in the producer’s pockets. It is a win-win situation for both farmers and consumers.”

Over the past twelve years, there has been a significant increase in the number of farmers’ markets across the state. In 1997 there were 53 markets. Today there are over 158 markets in Missouri with average sales of $1000 per day.

“The Department of Agriculture has placed an increased emphasis on sustainability, stewardship and local foods,” said Dr. Hagler. “Missouri’s farmers markets embody that emphasis by providing consumers locally grown products.”

The Webb City Farmers’ Market will be open for the 2009 season offering fresh, locally grown products on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. (May-Oct.) and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-12 noon (June-Sept.).

Columbia Farmers' Market Calendars Now Available Online

Over the past year, local photographer Dan Hemmelgarn and his wife Melinda have met with twelve farmers to produce a unique local product: "Farm Hands -- A Tribute to the Hands that Feed Us." This special work of art is a calendar that depicts the pleasures and challenges of farming, with an understanding of what draws farmers to their work.

While Dan shot the photographs, Melinda interviewed farmers and their families. Each month shares the treasured relationships with land, animals, working outside in natureʼs beauty, and producing "good" food. The images of the farmers' hands -- in sepia tone-- are absolutely beautiful, and speak volumes. There is also a brief insight into the farmer's philosophy about our food system.

"The best part of capturing the images for the Farm Hands calendar was meeting and getting to know Columbia Farmersʼ Market members and hearing their stories," says Dan. "Of course the ultimate reward will be the benefits weʼll all enjoy when the market has a permanent pavilion."
Calendars are on sale at the Columbia Farmers' Market Saturday mornings 8:00 a.m. till noon. Proceeds to benefit the Farmers' Market Pavilion Fund. Calendars make great holiday gifts, and this one's even better because it gives back to the Columbia community.

Dan and Melinda will be at the market to sign calendars on Saturday, October 4th between 9 and 11 a.m. The Columbia Farmersʼ Market is located at the corner of Ash Street and Clinksclaes Road in the ARC parking lot. The Columbia Farmersʼ Market was awarded best slogan, ʽthe Saturday morning place to be,ʼ by the Missouri Department of Agriculture , AgriMissouri and the Missouri Farmers' Market Association for 2008.

The calendars are available online or stop by the Market Oasis while shopping at the market.

Off to the Market We Go

What’s better to do on a Saturday then get out to the farmers’ markets and enjoy the best of Missouri home-grown produce and much more!

I spent this past Saturday doing just that. It had been awhile since I was able to do some market visits with the Missouri State Fair activities putting me a little bit behind on my normal farm tours and market visits.

Saturday started off to be a foggy and cold one when I stopped into the Historic Downtown Liberty Farmers’ Market. However, the weather didn’t keep the shoppers away, even Rachel Rays folks stopped in to do some filming of the market while I was visiting.

Shoppers can expect to find an array of products at the market including: fresh garden flowers, baked goods, vegetables, fruits, honey, jams and jellies, homemade chips and salsa and more than 13 types of garlic.

The Historic Downtown Liberty Farmer’s Market sponsored by Historic Downtown Liberty, Inc. is seeking producers interested in selling at the market this year. The market, located on Franklin Street and Main Street in Historic Downtown Liberty, MO, serves Liberty and surrounding communities each Saturday from May 3rd through October 25th from 7:00am until noon.

After visiting with the vendors at Liberty I headed into Kansas City for the City Market’s Melon Festival. Deb Connors, City Market Master showed me around the market and introduced me to all the farmer vendors. The Melon Festival has activites of all sorts for shoppers at the market that include both kids and adult events like the watermelon seed spitting contest, melon bowling and even melon hats.

The City Market is the region's largest farmers' market can be found at the City Market every Saturday and Sunday year-round. More than 140 vendor stalls burst with bedding plants, fruits, vegetables, herbs, fresh baked goods and other sweets, cut flowers, meat products, honey and crafts made by local artisans.

The City Market was named the 2008 Market of the Year by the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association and AgriMissouri. The market strives to bring its customers great service and entertainment. The market provides an information table where shoppers can purchase market tote bags, posters and other promotional items, a tomato taxi that takes customers purchases to their cars for them, Mother Nature Storytime for children and a train that drives all around the market for children to ride.

Summer Farmers’ Market Hours: March - October; Saturdays 6:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Wednesdays 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Winter Farmers’ Market Hours: November - March; Saturdays 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., Weekdays 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Don’t miss the City Market’s City Market Cinema Rocky Horror Picture Show, Friday, September 26, starting at 9 pm for a unique open air screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Admission is FREE.

Get out to your local market today and enjoy Missouri apples this season.

Farmers’ Market Podcast: Learn about the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association and the Webb City Farmers’ Market

This week on the Missouri Farmers’ Market Podcast Show Brownfield’s Julie Harker talks with Missouri Farmers’ Market Association (MFMA) Secretary/Treasurer and Webb City Farmers’ Market Master Eileen Nichols about the benefits to members who join the MFMA. Nichols also discusses the following:

• Hmong grower enhancement at the Webb City Market
• The Webb City Market winning a Market of the Year Award for the market’s Roots Festival
• EBT (Food Stamp) program available at markets across the state

LISTEN HERE: Podcast 2

City Market is “Where the Locals Go”

“Where the locals go” is the City Market’s theme for 2008. It serves as a reminder of our daily commitment to the community as a gathering place for people of all ages. From our thirty plus year-round tenants and the Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday farmers’ markets, to the festivals, concerts and new movie series, the City Market is truly a unique destination which attracts thousands of visitors of all ages. The City Market draws more than 700,000 people together annually.

Food Festivals are one effective way the City Market promotes buying local, homegrown produce and the benefits of healthy living and concerts and other events expose new customers to the City Market. By broadening the market experience with new events it elevates the City Market’s reputation with a younger generation and families as well as reinforces its value to the repeat customer.

City Market Food Festival Series
Back for a second season, the Food Festival Series will take place the first Saturday of every month June through October. The festivals focus on produce over the growing season including berries, tomatoes, corn, melons and the fall harvest. The festivals feature themed contests, activities and demonstrations to complement the family friendly environment and produce readily available at the City Market. Recipe sampling will also provide the opportunity to try fresh produce in a new way. The City Market Food Festival Series is sponsored in part by the Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund, Renewal by Andersen, the University of Missouri Extension Office and the City Market.

June 7-Berry Festival
Berry beautiful baby contest, berried treasure, berry stomp, recipe sampling, storytelling, arts & crafts, Shatto Milk Company product sampling and baby calf petting display.

July 5-Tomato Festival
Salsa contest, tomato putt-putt, tomato toss and knock the cans off game, recipe sampling, live music by the String Beans, storytelling, face painting, arts & crafts, salsa dancing demonstration, bird and pet adoptions.

August 2-Corn Festival
Corny kid joke contest, corn toss, corn shucking and corn football, recipe sampling, storytelling, face painting, arts and crafts.

September 6 - Melon Festival
Melon bowling, melon shot put, melon seed spitting and melon soccer, recipe sampling, storytelling, face painting, art and craft projects pet adoptions, Shatto Milk Company product sampling and baby calf petting display.

October 4 - Harvest Festival
Another successful season will be celebrated at the City Market’s Harvest Festival. The fourth annual Harvest Festival Olympics will be the highlight of the day with corn shucking, musical hay bales, pumpkin bowling and pumpkin soccer rounding out the Olympic “events.” Additional activities include storytelling, face painting, arts & crafts, hayrides, recipe sampling, bird adoptions and the City Market Pumpkin Patch.

City Market Cinema
The City Market is working with the Kansas City Parks & Recreation Department to bring a series of offbeat movie classics to the City Market’s outdoor, open-air venue. Scheduled the last Friday evening of July, August and September, the City Market’s unique urban atmosphere will be an ideal location for the community to come together and enjoy a movie on a beautiful summer evening. Admission is free; movies begin at 9:00 p.m. and will be located in the City Market Park at Third and Grand. Bring your blanket and enjoy these City Market Cinema selections:

July 25 - Animal House
August 29 - Blues Brothers
September 26 - Rocky Horror Picture Show

2008 Farmers’ Market of the Year
As one of the most enduring farmers’ markets in the state of Missouri, with a one hundred fifty year history, staff has worked diligently to promote the many benefits of buying local, homegrown produce. The City Market is honored to have received the 2008 Missouri Farmers’ Market of the Year award from AgriMissouri and the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association. The City Market was also awarded Best Advertising Campaign, Best Photo and 2008 Champion of the Year.

The City Market is many things to many people – a cultural center representing the most diverse area in Kansas City, a farmers’ market linking growers to the community, an eclectic music venue for eager fans, a connection to the past preserving local history and an old friend at the root of precious memories for many. The City Market is proud to be a destination for locals and tourist looking for a taste of Kansas City. For more information about the City Market or any of the City Market events, visit http://www.thecitymarket.org/.

Where the locals go: The City Market is open 7 days a week, year ‘round. The Farmers’ Market is open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

FYI: Market News You Can Use

Missouri Farmers’ Markets will begin podcasting within the next two weeks. The Missouri Department of Agriculture will starting: Experience Missouri Farmers’ Markets Podcasts that will feature various markets and vendors across the state, with in depth interviews on such topics as the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association, Cut Flowers, Bison, Market of the Year Awards, Missouri Farmers’ Market EBT Program, Consumer Buying Tips, Importance of Buying Local and much, much more! Be looking for the first of 12 installments of our podcast schedule this season. Podcasts will be produced by the Brownfield Farm Radio Network.

The long awaited Canvas Tote Bags are now available for sale. The bags are 14”h x 18”wx5”d with a zipper top and small pocket on the outside that has a new designer farmers’ market logo (logo pictured). Bags are $2.50 per bag and if you buy 10 bags, you get 10 free, with a maximum order of 60 bags, plus $.50 for shipping. Order forms have been sent out to all markets. If you need an order form please contact MDA Intern, Charlotte Jackson at 573-526-2061 or Charlotte.Jackson@mda.mo.gov.

The new Missouri Farmers’ Market Start-Up Handbook is also printed and ready to go. The handbook is for new markets or markets looking to re-organize. The book is a one-stop-shop on everything needed to know about starting and selling at a farmers’ market in Missouri. The handbook will be available online at the Missouri Farmers’ Market Resource Page within the next week as well.

Congrats to the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association (MFMA) on the 75 market to join the association. The MFMA continues to grow each year and offers many wonderful opportunities each year to our markets. If your market isn’t a member of the organization, I encourage you to join MFMA today. Contact Eileen Nichols via email: eileennichols@sbcglobal.net.

One final note: I will be starting vacation Friday, May 23 and will be unable to check email or voicemail until Thursday, June 12, as I will be out of the country. Intern Charlotte Jackson will take care of any market questions during that time. Thanks for your patience during this time.

Webb City Leads the Way

Each year, Missouri communities offer consumers 135 farmers’ markets across the state. These markets support locally grown products and agricultural diversity, provide fresh produce to consumers and enhance local economies.

Promoting the importance of agriculture to their community, the Webb City Farmers’ Market took home the Best Event of the Year award at the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association Annual Meeting. The Missouri Farmers’ Market Association and AgriMissouri™ sponsor the awards. The Webb City Farmers’ Market received recognition for their Market Roots Celebration, which celebrates the heritage of vendors, volunteers, customers and the market foods.

“Farmers’ markets continue to promote the agricultural industry and provide fresh, local foods to communities and consumers across the state,” said Katie Smith, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. “We congratulate the Webb City market on their creative event ideas and commend them for continuing to provide locally grown produce for area consumers.”

Market Roots 2007 celebrated ancestry with each vendor and volunteer displaying a sign showing their place of birth and origin of ancestors. The signs of immigrant farmers also included when and where they became U.S. citizens. A table displayed with Missouri produce identified the origins of the Webb City market’s foods with local peaches being traced to their origin in China, corn to Peru and okra to Africa. The Historical Society provided a large map for customers to pin down their roots and join in the celebration.

This year’s Market Roots Celebration at the Webb City Farmers’ Market is scheduled for June 10. The Webb City market opens for the season on Fri., April 25 and will be open Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. through October. The market will also be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in June and July.

For more information regarding the Webb City Farmers’ Market, contact Eileen Nichols, market manager, at (417) 673-5866 or visit http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M3615.

Farmers’ Market Recognized for its Impact to Kansas City

Farmers’ Market Recognized for its Impact to Kansas City
The City Market Receives 2008 Market of the Year Award

During the recent Missouri Farmers’ Market Association Annual Meeting, the City Market, located in Kansas City, was named the 2008 Market of the Year. The City Market also received four of the seven Market of the Year Awards including Best Advertising Campaign, Best Photo and the 2008 Champion of the Year – awarded to someone who has a positive impact to a communities farmers’ market. This year’s Champion of the Year title went to Claude Page, development specialist of city planning and development for the City of Kansas City.

“Farmers’ markets continue to promote Missouri agriculture and provide fresh, local foods to communities and consumers across the state,” said Katie Smith, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. “I congratulate the City Market. The leaders at the market show a clear dedication to connecting local growers and small businesses with the Kansas City community. The City Market continues to be one of the largest farmers’ markets in the Midwest and brings together more than 590,000 people annually.”

The City Market, a cultural center representing diversity in Kansas City, reached a milestone in 2007celebrating 150 years. The year’s celebration was filled with events including the Berry Festival, Tomato Festival, Corn Festival, Melon Festival and Harvest Festival. The festivals attracted a record number of visitors and were designed to promote buying local, homegrown produce and healthy living. These efforts by City Market helped them to capture the 2008 Market of the Year award.

The City Market was awarded the Best Advertising Campaign for their creation of a consistent message promoting the market’s 150th Anniversary Celebration campaign. The Best Photo was awarded to City Market for a photograph taken by George Denniston, Jr., featuring large culturally diverse crowds enjoying the fresh local produce at the City Market.

The Missouri Market of the Year awards are sponsored by the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association and AgriMissouri™, a program of the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Looking Ahead

It’s a busy time of the year for many producers around the state with upcoming workshops and conferences.

The Missouri Organic Association and the Missouri Farmers’ Market Association will hold their 2008 conferences in conjunction. The MOA Conference will kick-off Feb 15 in Jefferson City at the Carver Farm, Lincoln University. Then, on Feb 16 the MFMA will begin their conference at noon. Members of both organizations will have lunch together and MFMA members are welcomed in attending any MOA session on Saturday.

Details and speakers are being finalized, so stay tuned for more information about both conferences.

Also, a reminder about getting registered for the Farmers’ Market Workshops. We have received many registrations already and are very excited about the response from producers, market masters and many individuals that are interested in starting a market in their local community. Get registered today!

Also, today is the last day to get your Farmers’ Market of the Year Awards in. If you can’t snail mail them…go ahead and email your entries to me: Lane.McConnell@mda.mo.gov.

Cheers to a great 2007 and to looking ahead for the future of Missouri agriculture in 2008.

REMINDER: 2007 Farmers' Market of the Year Awards

Is your market a champion? Has your market had great successes in 2007?

If so, then AgriMissouri™ and the Missouri Farmers Market Association have available the Farmers’ Market of the Year and Market Champions of the Year Awards. The goal is to recognize markets that excel throughout the market season. The Market of the Year will win a $1000 cash prize, banner proclaiming success, 500 personalized refrigerator magnets and press releases distributed in their local area. For more information see the link below.The Champions of the Year are a fun way to recognize someone at your market who has gone above and beyond to see the market become successful. This can be a volunteer, city official, market manager or patron that promotes the market to no end. The list is endless for possible champions.

To apply for the Farmers’ Market of the Year Award or submit someone as a Champion of the Year download the Farmers’ Market Awards information.

Entries must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2007, and mailed to:
Contests
AgriMissouri
PO Box 630
Jefferson City, MO 65102

2007 Farmers' Market of the Year Awards

Is your market a champion? Has your market had great successes in 2007?

If so, then AgriMissouri™ and the Missouri Farmers Market Association have available the Farmers’ Market of the Year and Market Champions of the Year Awards. The goal is to recognize markets that excel throughout the market season. The Market of the Year will win a $1000 cash prize, banner proclaiming success, 500 personalized refrigerator magnets and press releases distributed in their local area. For more information see the link below.

The Champions of the Year are a fun way to recognize someone at your market who has gone above and beyond to see the market become successful. This can be a volunteer, city official, market manager or patron that promotes the market to no end. The list is endless for possible champions.

To apply for the Farmers’ Market of the Year Award or submit someone as a Champion of the Year download the Farmers’ Market Awards information.

Entries must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2007, and mailed to:
Contests
AgriMissouri
PO Box 630
Jefferson City, MO 65102