One thing west Georgia doesn’t lack is an abundance of healthy, locally grown food choices, and during National Farmers’ Market Week next week, Tanner Health System’s Get Healthy, Live Well hopes area residents will take the opportunity to explore some of the region’s offerings.
National Farmers’ Market Week runs Aug. 7 to Aug. 13. The Cotton Mill Farmers’ Market in Carrollton is open from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday through Oct. 29.
Kids who come to the market this Saturday, Aug. 6, will have the opportunity to join the Power of Produce (POP) Club.
The POP Club provides an opportunity for children to engage in the local food system through fun learning activities. Kids may sign up and participate on the first and third Saturdays of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. through Sept. 3. Get Healthy, Live Well teamed up with the Cotton Mill Farmers’ Market and Get Healthy, Live Well volunteer Caron Connelly to launch the POP Club in 2015.
The fun continues during National Farmers’ Market Week when the market hosts an ice cream social with handmade gelato from Little Hawaiian Restaurant on Saturday, Aug. 13. Get Healthy, Live Well is also promoting the Farmers’ Market Coalition’s summer campaign, “There’s More to Market!”
Farmers’ markets are more than just an outlet for fresh produce and friendly farmers. Farmers’ markets preserve America’s rural farmland, stimulate local economies, increase access to fresh, nutritious food, support healthy communities and promote sustainability.
The Cotton Mill Farmers’ Market, which began in 2002, has about 15 craftspeople and farmers selling a wide variety of products, including vegetables, fruits, herbs, 100 percent grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, farm-fresh eggs, handmade soap, honey, jams, jellies, salsas, relishes, breads and pastries. In the most recent season, the market generated viable income for these vendors and brought in hundreds of people for these local producers, a valuable economic boost for the region.
For more information, visit www.cottonmillfarmersmarket.org or www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org.
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Amanda Thomas
Communications Coordinator
Tanner Community Benefit
303 Ambulance Drive
Carrollton, GA 30117
Office: 770-812-9617
Cell: 770-609-0674
