Washington, May 4, 2017 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farmers Market on the National Mall opens for its 22nd season, Friday, May 5. The market offers an opportunity to more than 30 farmers, ranchers and small food businesses to sell their products directly to those who work, live and visit the Nation’s Capital.
The USDA Farmers Market, located outside USDA Headquarters at 12th and Independence Ave., S.W., runs every Friday from May to October from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special night markets will be held to celebrate Pollinator Week on June 23 and National Farmers Market Week on August 11 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
On opening day, the band Mariachi El Rey will perform from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.
Adjacent to the USDA Farmers Market is a certified organic vegetable garden known as the Headquarters People’s Garden. Visitors can take a walking tour of the garden, borrow a blanket to picnic on the lawn, listen to music, and soon can attend morning yoga classes.
This year, small food businesses at the market are using more local ingredients sourced directly from farmers and ranchers in the Chesapeake Bay region. Shoppers can find produce, fresh cut flowers, homemade breads, and locally made foods. Breakfast and lunch options are plentiful, too. VegU, the popular fruit and vegetable education program, returns this season to teach shoppers how to grow, pick, prepare, and store 26 different fruits and vegetables. Visitors can receive a “VegU-cation” by attending short 10-minute classes in the VegU tent between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) operates the USDA Farmers Market and works to improve marketing opportunities for producers across the country through the combination of research, technical assistance, and grants. AMS connects consumers to producers at over 8,600 farmers markets across the U.S. through the National Farmers Market Directory available online at www.usdalocalfooddirectories.com.
For updates about the USDA Farmers Market, including the schedule for VegU classes, follow us @USDA_AMS on Twitter and Instagram and look for #USDAFarmersMkt or visit www.usda.gov/farmersmarket. Photos from the Farmers Market can be found on the USDA Flickr stream.
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