There are more than 1,200 farmer’s markets throughout the state, but many of their roadside or rural locales can make it difficult for produce-hungry shoppers to find and purchase fresh products nearby.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture hopes that will change with its 2009 Consumer’s Guide to Pennsylvania Farm Markets. The guide lists farm markets by county, providing the name, location, dates and hours of operation, types of food sold and contact information. The site’s big innovation is the ability for shoppers to search by county, product or market name. It’s part of the department’s growing list of online services.
“The guide is a great way for people to connect with local producers, while directly supporting them and the state’s economy,” says agriculture secretary Dennis Wolff.
The guide also notes which markets participate in the state’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which benefits older adults and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) participants. Keystone Country, the state’s agritourism program, is also tied to the guide, as many of the markets are travel destinations that allow visitors to pick their own fresh fruit and vegetables.
Keystone Country lists featured road trips that take visitors through a photo gallery and text guide on multi-day, agricultural sojourns like county fairs, wineries and bed-and-breakfast farms throughout every corner of the Commonwealth.
Agriculture is Pennsylvania’s leading industry, and the state is considered a national leader in farmland preservation. Statewide, greenhouse and nursery products comprise 9 percent of agricultural receipts, followed by mushrooms and chicken eggs.
Source: Dennis Wolff, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Writer: Joe Petrucci