The Arkansas Agriculture Department (AAD) and Farm Credit are pleased to partner together in announcing a new Arkansas Farmers Market Promotion Program. The program will provide grants to established farmers market organizations throughout the state that will help fund promotional items designed to build awareness of farmers market locations and offerings. Grant applications are available at www.aad.arkansas.gov and will be accepted through April 1, 2016. Grant recipients will be announced in May, and funds must be utilized by December, 2016.

Grants through the Arkansas Farmers Market Promotion Program are made available by Farm Credit.

Any farmers market across Arkansas that meets the following criteria is eligible to apply: 1) The farmers market location must be a place where a farmer may offer for sale the produce of his/her farm at least weekly during the months of May, June, July, and August; and 2) The farmers market must be governed by an organized body in freely obtainable bylaws or market guidelines; and 3) On any given market day, the farmers market must have at least 50% farmer-vendors.

Farmers Market Promotion Grants may fund the following promotional items to build community and regional awareness for a specific farmers market offerings: signage listing names, seasons, times of operation, and location details; local advertising including print, radio, and television media projects; and even social media campaigns.

“The Arkansas Agriculture Department is pleased to partner with Farm Credit in announcing the new Arkansas Farmers Market Promotion Program. Grants obtained through this program will help to connect consumers with Arkansas agricultural producers.

Increasing consumer awareness of the farmers markets that are located in our state will help to expand market opportunities for our producers while also helping to put money back into our local economies,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward.

“Farm Credit is proud to support local producers with grants that will help promote area markets,” said Glen Manchester, president and CEO of Farm Credit of Western Arkansas.

“Increasing awareness and demand for fresh, local produce benefits local growers and the growing network of farmers markets across the state,” Manchester added.