The Department of Agriculture Farmers Market outside the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C., will open May 6, for its 25th season.
“The USDA Farmers Market provides an opportunity to highlight the agricultural diversity of the Chesapeake Bay region and serves as a showcase for the importance of creating more and better markets for local food and building community where we work and live," Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Jenny Lester Moffitt, in an April 18 department news release. "We are excited to welcome new vendors, as well as past favorites, to the reopening of our market.”
The market promotes the incorporation of healthy fresh produce in consumers food choices through VegU, an educational style program, the release stated. VegU partners with USDA research and promotion boards to market and promote the consumption of commodities through short educational sessions and recipe demonstrations.
The market will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays, according to the release.
“The reopening of the USDA’s Farmer’s Market for its 25th market season is an opportunity to celebrate the important role that farmers markets continue to play in meeting the growing demand for local fresh and healthy food produced by local farmers, ranchers, and processors,” Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Jewel Bronaugh, said in the release.
The market helps the local economy and "provides access to an assortment of local and regional sourced products, and increases access to healthy, affordable fresh food in D.C.’s Ward 2," the department said.
