July 6, 2015
"Is this tomato homegrown?"
This question is one of the most common questions we get at the market each week. Knowing how and where our food came from is one of the important parts of growing a local sustainable food system. When consumers shop locally, especially from local producers, more resources stay in our community and increase the flow of economic resources for everyone.
The Rockmart Farmers market helps the local shopper feel confident that the goods they find at the weekly market are truly "homegrown". RFM annually visits the farms represented at the Thursday market. During the visit we confirm the veggies listed on the application are in the field growing, as well as, learning more about local farmers and sharing this new information with you via the "Featured Vendor" write-ups on the website and at market.
Some of the canned goods and baked goods use products from outside our community but most of the ingredients are grown locally. For example: fruits and vegetables in the canned goods are grown at the local farms, some of the fillings for Dewey's fried pies he grows in his backyard, and Donald grew his boiled p-nuts himself. Way to go farmers!
As a shopper this process helps you know that you are getting the local produce you want while supporting your neighbors and strengthening the local economy.
Farmers interested in vending with us can find the guidelines and application here and customers can find information regarding the farmers here. We will see you all Every Thursday 2-6pm, Downtown Rockmart.
