Celebrate National Farmers Market Week

The week of August 4-10 is National Farmers Market Week, so let’s celebrate all that we do here at Orr’s Farm Market!

By definition, a farmers market is a location where farmers can sell their wares to customers. The beauty about our farm market is that customers don’t only get to put a face with the product we sell, but they also have the advantage of coming onto the farm itself to see where we produce the food they buy.

We are not alone in our endeavor to bring fresh, quality food to the masses. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Farmers Market Directory, there are at least 8,000 farmers markets across the U.S. Here in the Eastern Panhandle there are nearly 10!

What we love about having our own farm market is that while people shop in the farm market, they can look out into the fields where some of the crops grow. Other than for the pretty cool view, we put together five reasons why you should shop at a farmers market.

It’s fresh. Actually, the only way you’ll get fresher food is if you pick it yourself (which you can do here at Orr’s!). Our food isn’t put into a truck that drives hundreds of miles to be sold at a grocery store, but is grown right here.
Face to face. When you purchase food from a farmers market, you’re most likely going to be interacting with the farmer or the farmer’s family. They are the ones who nurtured the food from a sprout to that zucchini you’re holding. So when you ask a question about how it’s grown or what is used to grow it, you’re asking the people who actually know.
Support local. Putting money into the pockets of local farmers means no middleman. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, for every dollar of food spent in 2017 in America, the American farmer only received 17.4 cents. But when food is purchased directly from the farmer, he or she can make up to 90 cents on the dollar. In turn, that helps to boost the local economy and continues the legacy of generational farmers.
Great place to meet up. It’s a good place to run into friends, family and neighbors. That’s because a farmers market is more than a destination–it’s the community hub of like-minded individuals.
Learn something new. Farmers markets give you the ability to learn to prepare food that you serve all the time in a new and exciting way. At a farmers market, you can pick something up, give it a sniff, and ask anyone near you: “Any ideas on how I should prepare this?” You’re bound to get some good advice.

Come see how many of these five things you can experience at our market. We’re open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.