Farmers markets lend personal touch

We'd better grab the sweetcorn while we can, because the season is slipping away.

But as the Main Street Farmers Market continues throughout the summer, new home-grown crops will come into season to take their place, and other products will appear as well.

Many of us in Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas have the luxury of enjoying our own home-grown produce, but not all of us can grow everything we like to eat.

It's easy to grow too many squash, for example, and not enough green beans.

The answer is the Saturday morning Farmers Market, on the south side of West B Street, just west of Norris Avenue. There, we can sell excess produce, or buy a vegetable treat we didn't our couldn't grow ourselves. Not to mention buying baked goods or other products that may take more time or talent than we have to create ourselves.

Former Nebraska governor, and current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has declared this week National Farmers Market Week.

The current farm bill, working its way through Congress, includes funding for promoting farmers markets -- a growing segment of the agriculture industry.

The most recent USDA directory lists 4,385 farmers markets in the United States, an 18 percent increase from the 3,707 listed in 2004.

Farmers markets are a benefit to small farm operators, those with less than $250,000 in annual receipts who work and manage their own operations -- some 94 percent of all farms, according to the USDA.

Besides farmers having direct access to markets to supplement farm income, consumers have access to locally grown, farm-fresh product.

The marke ts provide fresh, nutritious foods to people in urban areas, and help promote nutrition education, wholesome eating habits and better food preparation as well as boosting the community's economy.

But one shouldn't discount the social value of a farmers market -- where else can you personally meet the farmer who grew your food?