Local growers from across the state will soon have the opportunity to sell their onions, radishes, sweet corn, and other fresh home-grown produce at their local farmers markets. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey, says the markets are more than a place to get fresh food, they also serve as an important social gathering point where people can interact.
Northey says you can spend part of a morning or afternoon talking to someone and you can learn how food is grown. And while he says farmers markets are a very small part of agriculture economically, they are very important socially.
Northey encourages you to talk with growers and learn more about the food you eat while you’re visiting the markets. “We know many folks — even though they are surrounded by agriculture — don’t know anything about it, and certainly don’t know how food is grown,” Northey says.
“So, farmers markets are a great way to increase that interaction and make people feel better about the food they’re eating.” Northey says Iowa is among the top two or three states for the number of farmers markets per capita in the country.
By Dennis Morrice, KLEM, Le Mars