Farmers’ markets are important for many reasons and are critical to our local communities. They are the oldest form for farmers to sell produce directly to the public. Farmer’s markets are usually hosted once or twice a week in a designated area such as a park, closed street, or parking lot. In some farmers’ markets, you can also find live entertainment, food trucks, and local small businesses from your community. They offer a unique and fun experience for food shopping that you won’t get at your local grocery store. 

Benefits of Farmers Markets

Farmers’ markets are an important part of our local economy and communities. Here are a few of their main benefits:

• Increasing access to affordable, fresh, and nutritious foods, which supports healthier communities. 
• Helping local family farmers, who are having a hard time competing with bigger food marketplaces. 
• Exposure to new local vendors in your area and finding new small businesses you and your family can support.
• Promoting sustainability and helping us reduce our carbon footprint by conserving fuel, reducing the use of pesticides or fertilizers, and offering minimal packaging. They bring products directly from the grower to the consumer, cutting out warehouses, big retailers, and distributors. 

What does FreshFarm do?

In an effort to support local food producers and lower the carbon footprint associated with food transport, FreshFarm hosts roughly 20 farmer’s markets in the DC/Maryland/Virginia area. Here are a few examples of the great things FreshFarm stands for:

• Supporting sustainable agriculture while also improving food access, education, and equity. 
• They run producer-only farmers’ markets that provide crucial economic possibilities for local farmers and food producers.
• Pioneering food distribution programs that improve food availability for low-income areas.
• They host innovative food education programs that help communities become healthier.

How can I help?

FreshFarm thrives thanks to its supporters, volunteers, and donations. You can be a part of your local community by supporting farmers, growers, and vendors with any of these practices:

• Make a donation: Your donation helps provide economic opportunities for local farmers and producers, promote food education, helps low-income families buy healthy and local foods, and provides weekly food deliveries to underserved children. 
• Volunteer some of your time: You can volunteer with FoodPrints which is hands-on cooking, gardening, and environmental literacy lessons. Or volunteer with the Pop-Up Food Hub where volunteers help pack fresh, local produce for communities around the city.
• Support companies: that work along FreshFarm to make strides towards a more sustainable planet. 
• Visit your local farmer markets often: They are a fun experience you can share with your friends and family.

How is Renaissance involved?

Our mission at Renaissance Power & Gas is to provide cleaner electricity to your neighborhood. We offset 100% of the carbon output generated by the power we supply through purchasing carbon credits and contributions to various green projects.

At Renaissance Power & Gas, we put our money where our mouth is by making donations to green causes as a regular part of our business. We are proud sponsors of a variety of organizations, like FreshFarm, all of which are dedicated to making improvements to our communities and to our natural environment.

Sign up today with us at Renaissance Power & Gas and join us in our mission to help local communities and the environment.