Pledge Program to Benefit Lilburn Farmers Market

Could eating sun ripened tomatoes from Lilburn Farmers Market make us all tomato farmers? No, but it might make us think twice about the nearly one million acres of farmland we have been losing to development every year.

I Love My Farmers Market Celebration, hosted by the American Farmland Trust, encourages consumers to pledge $10 to spend at their farmers market, according to a news release. Each pledge honors the nation’s farmers, the community and the Lilburn Farmers Market. The celebration hopes to collect $1 million in pledges, and the city's market is part of that celebration.

Pledge your support everyday here and join locals in downtown Lilburn every Friday in June, July and August from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Contact the city's farmers market at lilburnfarmersmarket@hotmail.com or visit its webpage at lilburnfarmersmarket.org. Pledging will close midnight on Sept. 9, 2013.

Farmers markets provide the vital link between eaters and where our food comes from, and as such highlight the importance of preserving farmland.

“The I Love My Farmers Market Celebration is about celebrating the unique qualities of farmers markets throughout the nation and the important role that these markets play in keeping family farmers on the land,” said Susan Sink, the American Farmland Trust vice president of External Affairs.

The program works to raise the national awareness about farmers markets. The celebration is part of the American Farmland Trust’s No Farms No Food Campaign. Nationwide, the food and farming system contributes nearly $1 trillion dollars to the national economy. Farms near metropolitan areas produce 91 percent of the nation’s market value of fruit, 78 percent of vegetables, and 67 percent of dairy products. Farmland generates more local tax revenue than it costs in services, unlike highly developed lands. For all of these reasons and more, conserving and protecting farmland for future generations of eaters is something we can all celebrate.

About the American Farmland Trust: The American Farmland Trust is the only national conservation organization dedicated to protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land. Since its founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect more than 5 million of acres of farmland. AFT’s national office is located in Washington, DC. Phone: 800-431-1499. For more information, visit www.farmland.org.

The above information is from a press release from the Lilburn Farmers Market.

See also:

• Save the Date: Lilburn Farmers Market Is June 7
• Lilburn Farmer's Market Applications Available
• Lilburn Farmers Market Awarded Grant

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