Forsyth Farmers' Market to Celebrate National Farmers Market Week With Special Programs, Events and Activities on Saturday, Aug. 10

The Forsyth Farmers’ Market, south Georgia’s largest farmers market, joins farmers markets across the country to celebrate National Farmers Market Week through August 10.

On Saturday, August 10, the Forsyth Farmers' Market will host a variety of free, family-friendly events and activities from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., including market tours, meet-the-farmer sessions, children's activities, food sampling, nutrition and agricultural education, SNAP/WIC information, market truck tours and live demonstrations by Forsyth Farmers’ Market staff.

National Farmers Market Week is an annual celebration of farmers markets led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), a membership-based nonprofit organization that supports farmers markets nationwide through training, technical assistance, and network-building. Each year, FMC’s National Farmers Market Week Campaign highlights the vital role farmers markets play within our nation’s local food systems.

For more than 50 years, farmers markets have influenced the way Americans eat, shop and connect to their food, their farmers and one another. Farmers markets serve as vital places where neighbors learn, grow and work together. In addition, farmers markets foster shared values between community members and farmers, creating a more fair and sustainable food system.

“Farmers markets like ours are essential community hubs,” said Asia Harold, Director of Community Engagement at the Forsyth Farmers’ Market. “We are proud to provide a space where local farmers can thrive, and where our community can access fresh, healthy food while learning about sustainable agriculture and nutrition.”

The Forsyth Farmers' Market, located in Savannah, Ga., began in 2009 and currently hosts more than 70 vendors, with more than 60% being farmers and growers from a 150-mile radius. Many of these are Georgia Grown and Certified SC Grown farms. The Forsyth Farmers’ Market also recognizes and supports quality food producers, including youth entrepreneurs. This year, the market continues to make positive changes in the community through special events, educational programs and partnerships aimed at improving food access and promoting healthy eating habits. This ongoing collaboration with market operators, vendors, shoppers and neighbors ensures that the Forsyth Farmers’ Market meets the evolving needs of the community.

The Forsyth Farmers' Market seeks to cultivate a more robust food supply chain and ensure food and health equity for the whole community. The nonprofit organization works to achieve that goal through the operation of the Farm Truck 912, a mobile farmers' market that services nearly 30 routes per week; SNAP/EBT and double SNAP funds through a grant supported by Wholesome Wave Georgia; and the USDA GusNIP program. Additionally, the Forsyth Farmers’ Market offers a token economy for the equitable right of value so that everyone, from customers to vendors, has a fair base value.

“Across the country, farmers markets are defining their role in our communities,” said Willa Sheikh, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition. “Markets are designed in partnership with the people they serve and are a place where market operators, farmers, shoppers and neighbors can collaborate to meet the evolving needs of their community. As we look to the future, farmers markets will play a key part, as they always have, in leading efforts to adapt, respond, innovate and advocate for our local food systems. National Farmers Market Week is a chance to celebrate all the ways farmers markets show up for us.”

ABOUT THE FORSYTH FARMERS MARKET:

The Forsyth Farmers’ Market in Savannah, Ga. stands apart as the largest farmers market in south Georgia and is focused on supporting local growers, producers and residents as well as expanding access to fresh, affordable food. The Forsyth Farmers’ Market hosts a weekly market every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Forsyth Park, located at 13 E. Park Ave., and organizes Georgia’s first mobile Farm Truck 912 program, bringing local seasonal fruits and vegetables to neighborhoods throughout the greater Savannah area. An inclusive 501©3 nonprofit organization that was honored in the Georgia Business Journal’s 2023 Best of Georgia Awards, the Forsyth Farmers’ Market also organizes a wide range of programs throughout the year, including the 912 Food Farmacy, Youth Booth and Forsyth Family Farm Share. Learn more: forsythfarmersmarket.com