Farmers Markets are Booming in Delaware

Farmers Markets are Booming in Delaware! After leaving work on Fridays, I head to the famers market to buy fresh meats, fruits, vegetables and seafood. Open markets have wall to wall vendors and serve swarms of people who wait in line to buy from local businesses which support our local economy. Take a ticket and wait patiently for someone to shout out your number to personally serve you. What you get is, access to high quality food and the most fresh seasonally grown produce. Although, buying meats and produce grown without pesticides, chemicals and hormones may be more costly, to me it is worth the extra expense. Secretary of Agriculture., Ed Kee states, "Over the last few years, we have seen an incredible rise in people wanting to eat healthy and buy fresh, local foods for themselves and their children (News Journal)." Delaware has the 13th highest obesity rate in the country with over a 31.1% adult obesity rate (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). Recently, there has been a push to get farmers’ markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The policy has seen a positive response with the total value of SNAP redemptions at farmers’ markets and food stands reaching an all-time-high. Today there are more farmer's markets accepting Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards around the country. This program would benefit working families and allow them to make healthier choices buy purchasing high quality foods. For more information on famers markets near you, go to www.tovacaresblogspot.com.

                               What tips can you share for staying Healthy during the summer months?