ClarksvilleNow.com Reporting
news@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Results are in from the I Love My Farmers Market Celebration, and Clarksville’s Downtown Market has been ranked the best in Tennessee.
This year marks the fifth time that the American Farmland Trust has organized the contest in which customers were challenged to pledge their intent to spend at least $10 at their local farmers markets. The effort raised a reported $250,000 total, which went directly to the family farmers who supply the markets.
I Love My Farmers Market is a part of the American Farmland Trust’s No Farms No Food® Campaign, which encourages consumers to shop locally, helping as many families maintain their farms as possible.
American Farmland Trust Vice President of External Affairs, Susan Sink said the celebration was “about celebrating the unique qualities of farmers markets throughout the nation and the important role that these markets play in keeping family farmers on the land.”
According to the American Farmland Trust, the Clarksville Downtown Market received a total of $3,760 in pledges. For every $10 spent on local food at the market, as much as $7.80 is re-spent in the local community, supporting local jobs and businesses. The farmer also takes home almost $8-9 instead of the $1.58 that farmers and ranchers receive when food is purchased through a retail market.
The Clarksville Downtown Market is located at One Public Square, and will be open from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. every Saturday, now through October 19.
Since its founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect more than 5 million of acres of farmland. AFT’s national office is located in Washington, DC. Phone: 800-431-1499. For more information, visit www.farmland.org.