Et cetera : ANNUAL FARMERS MARKET WORKSHOP TO BE HELD FEBRUARY 8th

NNUAL IOWA FARMERS MARKET WORKSHOP TO BE HELD FEBRUARY 8th

Training for market managers and vendors will be held at First Christian Church in Des Moines

The 16th Annual Iowa Farmers Market Workshop will be held on Saturday, February 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 2500 University Ave., in Des Moines. The workshop is sponsored by the Iowa Farmers Market Association (IFMA) and will provide training and information for farmers market managers and vendors.

The workshop registration fee is $30 and lunch is included. For more information visit www.iafarmersmarkets.org or contact Barb Ristau, IFMA Treasurer, at 641-456-4811.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will welcome attendees and Larry Johnson, who manages the Dane County Farmers Market in Madison, Wisconsin will be the keynote speaker. Johnsons’ morning presentation will focus on community support for new markets and market rules. In the afternoon, Johnson will speak on keeping established markets vibrant and thriving. There will be break-out sessions discussing the topics Johnson is presenting.

The details of the event follow here:

What: 16th Annual Iowa Farmers Market Workshop

Where: First Christian Church, 2500 University Ave., Des Moines

When: Saturday, February 8, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

How: For more information, please contact Barb Ristau, IFMA Treasurer, at 641-456-4811

Farmers markets continue to grow in popularity as Iowans seek fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. An Iowa farmers market survey completed for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship showed that market sales have increased an average of 18 percent per year from 2004 to 2009. It also showed that Iowa markets had $38.4 million in direct sales in 2009 and a $71 million impact on Iowa’s economy.

To help support the more than 230 farmers markets in Iowa, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has an Iowa Farmers Market App for both iPhones and Android smartphones. The app allows users to find the farmers market closest to them by using GPS location services or to search for specific farmers markets by city or zip code. Once they have located a market, the user can view the hours of the market, browse a list of vendors and see a phone number and email address of the market manager.