Clarksville, TN – Get ready Clarksville, our Downtown Market at Public Square is one of the contestants in the 2011 America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest hosted each year by American Farmland Trust. Thanks to your support, our market was last year voted No. 1 in the state of Tennessee and No. 6 in the nation.
The Clarksville Downtown Market is held from 8:00am to 1:00pm every Saturday at Public Square. For details, visit www.clarksvilledowntownmarket.com.
American Farmland Trust (AFT) has opened the voting to select “America’s Favorite Farmers Markets” at www.farmland.org/vote. The online contest is a nationwide challenge to see which of America’s farmers markets can rally the most support from their communities. At the end of the contest on August 31, one large-, medium-, small- and boutique-sized farmers market will win the title of “America’s Favorite Farmers Market” for 2011. Winners will be featured on Epicurious.com, an award-winning food website, and will be honored at local celebrations where they will receive prize packages from American Farmland Trust and its partners.
Farmers markets are a vital link between local farms and their supporting communities, providing fresh and healthy foods, as well as other items. By partnering with farmers market managers, American Farmland Trust is encouraging consumers to consider the importance of farmland and to support local farmers. Market shoppers can cast their vote in support of their region’s farmers, community and market. To vote for the Clarksville Downtown Market, simply go to www.farmland.org/vote.
“The America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest is a fun and engaging way for farmers market shoppers to show their pride for their local farmers markets and to directly support their communities,” said Jon Scholl, president of American Farmland Trust. “Farmers markets provide a vital connection from town and city centers to surrounding local farms, supplying fresh and healthy food and an experience that cannot be matched anywhere else.”
The America’s Favorite Farmers Contest is a part of American Farmland Trust’s No Farms No Food® campaign, which raises awareness of the dangers of farmland loss by making connections to food. Farms near metropolitan areas produce 91 percent of the nation’s market value of fruit, 78 percent of vegetables, and 67 percent of dairy products.
About American Farmland Trust
American Farmland Trust is the nation’s leading conservation organization dedicated to saving America’s farm and ranch land, promoting environmentally sound farming practices and supporting a sustainable future for farms. Since its founding in 1980 by a group of farmers and citizens concerned about the rapid loss of farmland to development, AFT has helped save more than 3 million of acres of farmland and led the way for the adoption of conservation practices on millions more.
AFT’s national office is located in Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.farmland.org.
For more details on the Clarksville Downtown Market, please contact the Clarksville Parks and Recreation at 931-645-7476.
