"Go Farm" Farmers Market Celebrates Farmers Market's Resilience for National Farmers Market Week 2020

“Go Farm” Farmers Market joins markets across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 2-8, 2020. 
In the midst of a global pandemic, farmers markets — like all other small businesses — have been scrambling to continue operations for the farmers and communities that depend on them. Market managers have been at the forefront of adapting rapid solutions and innovation to protect staff, customers, and community. When conventional food supply chains failed at the start of the pandemic, farmers markets and local food systems clearly displayed the resiliency of short supply chains and interest in local foods spiked nationwide.
National Farmers Market Week is an annual celebration of farmers markets coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition, a membership-based 503(c)3 nonprofit organization that supports farmers markets nationwide through training, technical assistance, and network-building. This year, the campaign is centered around the essential role that farmers markets play in the food system as demonstrated by the coronavirus pandemic. 
The “Go Farm” Farmers Market, members of the Farmers Market Coalition, began in 2015, and currently hosts 34 farmers selling a wide variety of products including a vast selection of fresh local produce and fruits,  7 different butchered meats, vegetable starter plants, cut flowers, plants/trees/shrubs, wood carvers using local woods, fermented foods, gourmet baked goods, orchard trees, and much more.  This year, due to the pandemic we chose to continue operation as a drive thru market for 6 weeks both Wednesday and Saturday. Customers remained in their vehicles, vendors served them, and it was a great success. We are a walk around market now, taking all precautions necessary to ensure customer and vendor safety. We are located at 805 Worley Drive, Endurance Church parking lot, next to Hirsch Feed in West Plains, on Wednesday and Saturday from 8 am -1 pm. 
Patrice Jennings, Market Manager, stated that “We realized early on in the drive thru market how much customers are wanting fresh local food, how essential we as local farmers are to our community. They want to know where their food comes from and appreciate the fact that we are a farmer to customer, farm to table, market. There is no middle-man”.
“Go Farm” Farmers Market does accept SNAP/EBT and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program vouchers.
“Farmers markets are essential to the life and livelihood of millions of shoppers and tens of thousands of farmers.” says Ben Feldman, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition. “But farmers markets don’t happen by accident. It takes the planning, organization, and execution of dedicated individuals and community organizations. That work is harder than ever and farmers markets and the vendors who sell at them need all the help they can get”.
From all vendors at the “Go Farm” Farmers Market, a big thank you for supporting your local farmer!
 

Howell County News

110 W. Main St.,
Willow Springs, MO 65793
417-252-2123

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