Celebrate National Farmers Market Week | Letters to the Editor

Over the past year, our farmers market community in Napa County has showcased resilience in our rapidly changing world. Farmers markets have always been a hub for innovation, and our farmers markets have been at the forefront of adapting rapid solutions to protect staff, customers, and our community in this time of crisis. More than ever before, National Farmers Market Week is an opportunity to showcase the value of farmers markets in Napa County.

We know that farmers markets are essential — the COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that local food systems with short supply chains are resilient and farmers markets play a vital role in keeping our community connected. Farmers market operators have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to redesign operations and create robust safety plans to continue to serve their communities.

Farmers markets serve as community hubs fostering direct relationships between community members and farmers which work to create a more sustainable food system. Together, there are farmers market operators and community leaders paving the way to improve the effectiveness of farmers markets throughout our community.

Certainly, we are all proud of the world-class agriculture that Napa County is famous for and that includes many agricultural products in addition to our world-famous wine grapes. Napa County is also a top producer of floral and nursery crops, vegetable crops, field crops, as well as livestock and poultry. Each of these agricultural commodities plays an important role in maintaining Napa County’s world-class agricultural status.