The following is a submission from th City of Santa Monica. Image: NH567/Flickr.
The Santa Monica Farmers Markets will join markets across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from Aug. 4-10.
The week will kick off with a celebration at the Sunday Main Street Market on Aug. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and wrap up at the Saturday Pico Farmers Market on Aug. 10 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Both celebrations will feature special activities, music, prepared and prepackaged food, photo opportunities and farm stands with locally grown produce.
The Santa Monica Farmers Market began in 1981 and has grown from one to four weekly markets. These four markets together host more than 150 farm stands selling a wide variety of products, including stone fruit, lettuces, corn, greens, garlic, artichokes, cucumbers, nuts and a wide variety of hard-to-find seasonal produce. The Downtown Santa Monica markets feature mostly agricultural products and organic produce, while the Main Street and Pico markets feature a combination of agricultural products and prepared and pre-packaged foods, as well as live music and special activities.
“The Santa Monica Farmers Markets are a great place to shop for items you may not have tried before,” Santa Monica Farmers Market Coordinator Kym Otterstedt said. “Our mission is to create thriving, inclusive, connected and diverse communities by promoting the prosperity of California farmers and small food businesses and by preserving the agricultural arts and sustainable food systems. We do all this and have fun, feed people and make new friends along the way.”
“Across the country, farmers markets are defining their role in our communities,” Willa Sheikh, executive director of the Farmers Market Coalition, said. “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!”
All four Santa Monica markets accept SNAP/EBT, including the P-EBT and SunBucks Cards, and a Market Match Program is offered at the two community markets (Main Street and Pico), where customers can receive a match of up to $20 in coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables. All four markets accept the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks.
For more information about the Santa Monica Farmers Markets, visit santamonica.gov/farmersmarket or follow on Instagram and Facebook.
