Happy Farmers Market Week!
For the past 25 years, the first full week in August has been celebrated as “Farmers Market Week.” In 2024, that puts Farmers Market Week at August 4-10.
For the past 36 years, the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association has operated farmers markets in the San Francisco Bay Area. Thanks to California’s size, diversity and climate, farmers harvest throughout the year, so farmers markets are open throughout the year. This raises a question, why does an organization focused on farmers markets year-round care about Farmers Market Week?
For PCFMA, Farmers Market Week encourages us to step away from the daily responsibilities of permits, equipment maintenance, data tracking, grant reporting, and other tasks essential to keeping our organization and operations functioning. Farmers Market Week reminds us that the work that we do brings communities together in a shared love of food and helps to sustain small-scale family farms.
Farmers Market Week also reminds us that we are part of a larger community that sees farmers markets as essential elements of a strong and resilient food chain and as vital community-gathering spaces. Within that community are national organizations like the Farmers Market Coalition and statewide organizations like the California Alliance of Farmers Markets that support farmers market operators like PCFMA with advocacy and sharing of best practices.
Locally, PCFMA is supported by partners within local governments and community groups who see the benefits farmers markets bring to the communities. Farmers Market Week is a reminder to show them our appreciation. PCFMA is also fortunate to include many farmers market operations in the Bay Area and across the state and nation as friends. During Farmers Market Week we acknowledge and celebrate their accomplishments along with our own.
So, to all those who support PCFMA, our farmers markets, or their local farmers market regardless of who operates it, we say Thank You! Thank you for choosing to spend your tme and your money in a way that helps to keep communities connected and farmers farming. Thank you for supporting farmers markets not just during Farmers Market Week, but throughout the year.
Allen Moy
Executive Director
