2012 PRESS RELEASES

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July 3, 2012
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE VIRGINIA FARMERS’ MARKET
Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804.786.7686

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) encourages consumers to vote for their favorite Virginia Farmers’ Market in a nationwide contest. “American’s Favorite Farmers’ Market Contest” is sponsored by the American Farmland Trust. Shoppers can vote for their favorite market. Enter the name of your market and then click when its name appears.

Shoppers can vote—only once—through September 3 for as many participating markets as they choose.

The 2012 contest has expanded to include all 7,175 markets listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Farmers Market Directory. A $1,000 Farmers Market Inspiration Award, sponsored by the Farmers Market Coalition, will be presented to a farmer who shows the greatest dedication to his or her market.

Virginia had more winning markets than any other state in last year’s contest, with nine ranked in the Top 20 and four in the Top 5 in their respective size categories.

Matthew J. Lohr, VDACS Commissioner, says, “Virginia has seen a tremendous growth in the number of farmers’ markets in the last few years, from 88 in 2005 to 208 in June 2012. We want to maintain Virginia’s rankings among the top markets in the U.S., so I encourage everyone who shops at a farmers’ market to vote today.” Consumers can search for farmers’ markets by county, zip code or even products offered at www.VirginiaGrown.com.

VDACS posts all of its news releases on Facebook and Twitter. To receive immediate updates, follow us on Twitter@VaAgriculture or like us on facebook.com/VaAgriculture.