GILBERT, AZ -- It seems like every weekend there’s a new farmers market creeping up in the Valley.
Every city from Mesa to Phoenix to Gilbert has its own farmers market.
Some even run on Wednesday for those looking for their midweek fix on fresh fruits and vegetables.
According to the Arizona Farm Bureau, more and more people are turning to farmers markets to get their fruits and vegetables.
The need has become so great, the Arizona Farm Bureau has set up an online farmer/rancher directory.
It's called "
Fill Your Plate," and besides more recipes, readers will find a comprehensive list of farmers markets.
The sight just got a new facelift and includes a directory of more than 120 farmers.
As part of the site, the Arizona Farm Bureau is inviting Arizonans to “Chat with a Farmer.”
Viewers to
http://www.fillyourplate.org/ will now see a new tab in the upper left portion of the site called “Chat with a Farmer.”
Once selected, viewers are put into a forum they can register for and have an opportunity to chat with Arizona farmers and ranchers. Topics will vary and the forum is set up for a regular exchange between producers and consumers.
“We’re very excited about this new feature on Fill Your Plate,” says Arizona Farm Bureau President Kevin Rogers, a valley farmer that sells hay directly to consumers. “It’s one more way for farmers and consumers to connect.”
Rogers suggests it can even be used for ongoing contact. “You might have met one of your favorite farmers at a local Farmers’ Market, but for follow-up conversation, you can now connect with him online at Fill Your Plate’s Chat with a Farmer forum.”
He adds, “The changes to Fill Your Plate in general make the site much easier to use and navigate. It’s providing a wealth of information.”
Other aspects of the Fill Your Plate facelift included putting more videos up highlighting Arizona farmers. In conjunction with a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture administered through the Arizona Department of Agriculture, some of the videos highlight the importance of fruit and vegetable production.
The Fill Your Plate site has also added more recipes to its searchable recipe feature. The majority of recipes have been provided by Arizona farmers and ranchers. If a user to Fill Your Plate goes into the recipe section of www.fillyourplate.org they can search by main ingredient. Various recipes will appear for the user to choose from. Once a recipe has been selected, for example beef casserole, the recipe window will also list Arizona ranches on Fill Your Plate that will sell you beef directly.
“We’ve had a tremendous response from users regarding our recipes on Fill Your Plate,” says Julie Murphree, public relations director for Arizona Farm Bureau. “As the great cooks in our membership contribute recipes, Arizona families will have a wider choice of nutritious, economical and tasty recipes to choose from.”
About Arizona Farm Bureau:
The Arizona Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving and improving the Agriculture industry through member involvement in education, political activities, programs and services. The Arizona Farm Bureau’s www.fillyourplate.org is a free service to agriculture members and made available to the public to keep us informed about Arizona agriculture.
