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Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles is inviting Kentuckians to celebrate farm families across the state next week, as Kentucky Farmers’ Markets Week is being observed August 6-12.

Farmers’ Markets Week salutes the 170 farmers’ markets located in 115 Kentucky counties. In those 170 markets, more than 2,400 vendors offer products for sale.

Kentucky farmers’ markets not only bring consumers the freshest foods available, they also connect the consumer with the farmers who grow and raise their food. Farm-fresh produce, meats, eggs and much more are available at Kentucky Proud farmers’ markets across the state.

“Farmers’ markets provide the freshest and healthiest foods direct from Kentucky’s farms,” Quarles stated. “Farmers’ markets remain a vital resource to provide a direct pathway for farm fresh foods for consumers. If you haven’t made it out to a Kentucky Proud farmers’ market near you, this is your invitation to stop by and see what your agriculture neighbors have to share.  You won’t be disappointed.”

The popularity of farmers’ markets continues to grow. Since 1994, the number of farmers’ markets in the U.S. has increased from 2,000 to more than 8,600. A recent University of California, Davis study discovered, “for every dollar of sales, direct marketers [Kentucky’s farm families] are generating twice as much economic activity within the region.”

Supporting local businesses creates jobs where Kentuckians live, and shopping at a local Kentucky Proud farmers’ market means food travels fewer miles from the farm to the plate of Kentucky families. According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, more than half of farmers traveled less than 10 miles to their market. That not only allows consumers to pick their food at the very peak of freshness, but also conserves energy and resources in the form of decreased transportation costs and reduced packaging.

With reported sales across Kentucky of more than $15 million last year, farmers’ markets are an economic engine that celebrates the state’s agricultural roots and brings the farm to Kentucky’s consumers.

Communities across the state are celebrating Farmers’ Market Week with scheduled special events. To find a farmers’ market near you, visit kyproud.com/farmers-markets/.