The Kansas Department of Agriculture has received a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farmers Market Promotion Program Grant to create a Kansas Farmers’ Market Toolkit. The toolkit will provide promotional materials and resources to enhance existing farmers’ markets in Kansas and promote awareness to customers.
The Kansas Farmers’ Market Toolkit will include marketing materials and food sampling and demonstration equipment to 20 farmers’ markets in Kansas. Ten existing farmers’ markets in low income/low access areas of the state were pre-selected to receive materials, and an additional ten established markets were selected through an application process. The identified markets will receive signage, flags, tents, hand-washing stations, sampling supplies, recipe cards and other items to promote the markets and enrich the consumer experience.
“Our goal is to enrich existing farmers’ markets by providing them resources which will maximize their volunteer time and community support and help them promote their markets locally to connect consumers and producers,” said Julie Roller, agriculture marketing specialist.
Farmers’ markets play an important role in providing access to healthy food choices in low income and rural areas, as well as enhancing the local economy. There are currently 71 registered farmers’ markets in Kansas. Markets receiving the toolkit include: Allen County, Augusta, Belleville, Emporia, Garnett, Geary County Community Hospital, Great Bend, Hamilton County, Leavenworth, Liberal, Manhattan–Downtown, Overland Park, Pittsburg, Salina–9th and Grant, Sheridan County, Thomas County, Topeka–Capitol Midweek, Wichita–Kansas Grown! Inc., Wichita–Old Town and Winfield–Walnut Valley.
KDA, which serves as the state’s regional farmers’ market authority, promotes and supports farmers’ markets through its Kansas Farmers’ Market Network, at regional farmers’ market workshops, and through the state’s agricultural trademark program, From the Land of Kansas. This supports KDA’s commitment to providing an environment that encourages economic growth of the agriculture industry and serving Kansas farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses and the consumers they serve.
For more information about farmers’ markets in Kansas or the Kansas Farmers’ Market Toolkit, contact Julie Roller, state trademark program specialist, at 785-564-6755 or Julie.Roller@ks.gov, or at www.FromtheLandofKansas.com/farmersmarkets.