Are You Ready to Celebrate National Farmers Market Week (Aug 4-10)?

It’s the perfect week to support your local farmers! 

by Marin Lissy

This time of year, tons of delicious produce is in season: tomatoes, cucumbers, watermelon, and peppers, to name a few. But farmers markets are more than just a place to purchase food. They serve several roles in our communities: increasing access to fresh, nutritious produce; encouraging sustainable farming; and providing an important outlet for producer-to-consumer sales. 

Farmer Foodshare works to remove the barriers that farmers — especially small and mid-scale farmers — face in trying to make a healthy living. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, “Farmers and ranchers receive only 15 cents of every food dollar that consumers spend at traditional food outlets.” In order to have its produce sold at traditional food outlet, small farms must produce at a capacity that does not justly correlate with the amount of money they receive. 

At a farmers market, farmers receive 100% of your food dollar. Plus, you can meet and interact with the person who grew the food you are purchasing. It’s a win-win! 

Our farming communities are also strengthened by farmers markets. In 2015 survey, 81% of farmers selling at a market said they incorporated sustainable agriculture in their farming, between reducing tillage, and using cover crops and natural pesticides. The income that farmers receive from markets helps them preserve their rural livelihood and maintain farmland for farming.  

Farmers markets are an incredible resource right here at home, and they help lift the communities that they’re located in. Look for opportunities to learn more about your food and support your local growers this National Farmers Market Week!

Want to get involved?

Visit your local farmers market and chat with the farmers while you shop. They love to talk about the food they’ve grown. Or you can donate or volunteer at a Donation Station near you! Your participation helps increase farmer sales and push more fresh produce into your community.

Read more:

Marin’s experience as a teen volunteer

Longtime Donation Station volunteer Tom Melton on why farmers markets rock

Service in the Eyes of a Teen Volunteer

My name is Marin Lissy, and I’m a ninth grader in Chapel Hill. I’ve been volunteering with Farmer Foodshare since I was in the sixth grade—I wrote a few blog posts (like this one) and even created a “kid-approved” cookbook as a Farmer Foodshare fundraiser. 

Recently, I’ve started volunteering regularly at Farmer Foodshare’s Donation Station at the Chapel Hill Farmers Market. People often remark “You’re so young!” or ask me how old I am. While I guess it makes sense to me that they are surprised to see a young person volunteering, I wonder: why does it have to be that way? How can I change that?

BEYOND SERVICE HOURS

Why are people surprised to see young people volunteer? Teenagers are more often seen as being moody, self-centered, obsessed with their phones, and even trouble makers. Yikes! The truth is, though, that more and more young people are participating in community service.

According to the Corporation for National & Community Service, about 55% of youth ages 12-18 participate in some kind of volunteering activity. That’s almost twice the rate of American adults who volunteer (29%). 

So, how can we increase these numbers for both youth and adults?  

The main reason teenagers volunteer is in order to complete their volunteer hours requirement (25 hours are required for high school graduation in the state of North Carolina). Mandatory service hours are one way to encourage youth and teens to volunteer, but it shouldn’t just stop there. Engaging teens in service activities that cater to their interests and talents can have a positive impact and keep them occupied and productive.

WHY VOLUNTEER?

While I can’t say foodshare programs have always been my primary interest, but since I have been volunteering with Farmer Foodshare, I have grown to become quite fascinated with farming and bringing fresh food to “food deserts.” I also love to write, and writing blogs (like this one) for Farmer Foodshare is something that caters to what I enjoy. 

Volunteering with Farmer Foodshare, for me, is a way to escape from thinking about myself, and exposes me to a lot of truths about the world: some people don’t have access to their next meal, especially a healthy meal. Meanwhile, farmers can struggle to sell their produce in order to make a living.

Connecting with other people and working together to solve problems can help lead everyone to develop a strong sense of community between farmers, people who need food, and the people who help bridge the gap. 

It may sound cliche, but I’m always in a better mood after volunteering. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to contribute to people in my community. I would strongly encourage anyone to partake in some kind of community service, whether it be with Farmer Foodshare or another wonderful organization. And if you ever make it to the Chapel Hill Farmers Market on a Saturday morning, make sure to stop by the Donation Station and say hi!   

A Marin’s-eye-view of the Chapel Hill Farmers Market from behind the Farmer Foodshare Donation Station table.

Foodshare Programs: Both Sides of the Table

Ronneshia the Volunteer at the Farmer Foodshare Donation Station in Carrboro

Community Voices Guest Blogger

Ronneshia jackson’s first experience with a foodshare program was as a volunteer helping others…and then she found herself on the other side of the table.

by Ronneshia Jackson

I absolutely love food! My very existence revolves around pastries, bacon, fruit, and all things green. So, a few years ago, after I had just graduated college, I decided I wanted to volunteer with an organization that focused on food—specifically, helping people learn about and gain access to healthier food. I was living in Alabama at the time, and I began volunteering with a non-profit (not unlike Farmer Foodshare) with the mission of combating hunger in urban communities in the greater Birmingham metropolitan area.

At that time, I appeared to be a young lady with a sound take on life. Nice Jeep. Two-story home (mom’s house) in a nice neighborhood. Fluffy Husky puppy. Aren’t we fancy!

Ronneshia the “carefree” recent college grad

As a recent college graduate, I had ambitions to secure a position within my field. And as a Millennial, I wanted to establish myself within my company, community, and family. I had something to prove!

Two weeks after becoming a foodshare volunteer, I lost my (paying) job. My mother wasn’t working at that time, either. So what appeared to be a nice home with lovely amenities was actually a family struggling to serve a decent, healthy meal.

But as it turned out, the foodshare program was there for me on both sides of the table: I became a volunteer and a recipient. And in doing so, I learned that the scope of these programs include more than serving urban neighborhoods; they’re really about reaching everyone.

One side: The Volunteer.

Volunteering, I meet a huge range of people. As I help the newly single father load his car with fresh fruits and veggies, he softly shares the challenges of his laborious journey as a single dad. Next, I help the mom dressed in yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt pack vegetables and eggs into reusable bags. It amazes me how she fits everything (including four kids!) into her suburban full of sports equipment. Now, I get to listen to my favorite patron — a sweet old man on social security, who is full of funny stories and enjoys trying our recipes. As a volunteer, you serve as a beacon of hope to all, whether what they need is life connections, an extra pair of hands, or a listening ear.

Another side: The Recipient.

Now I’m on the other side of the table. I listen to an energetic volunteer explain how spaghetti squash got its name as I receive help maneuvering through the vast selection of kale. Another volunteer is trying her best to persuade me to try the beets…or at least to try the radishes. All the while, I can feel the tears of gratitude brewing behind my eyes. Tonight, my mom and I will have a fresh and healthy meal—with leftovers!

Nonprofits like the one I was a part of in Alabama and Farmer Foodshare here in North Carolina reach the entire community! As a volunteer, you learn the importance of having access to fresh produce and vegetables; as a recipient, you value the relief that these foodshare programs provide. But it’s really just two sides of the same table.

Now that I’m volunteering at Farmer Foodshare, I see how we’re striving to connect the individuals who grow the food with the people who need the food. Our reach touches every social class, ethnicity, heritage, gender, race, and individual…in essence, it’s truly food for all.