The American Farmland Trust and Farmer’s Market Coalition has announced that the 29 Palms Farmer’s Market has placed 1st in California in the 2022 America’s Farmers Market Celebration.
The Saturday open-air market started in 2018 and currently hosts a growers selling fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, eggs, honey, juice and other desert sundries – as well as a range of handmade items and local vendors.
The American Farmland Trust says that farmer’s market like the one in 29 fosters direct relationships between community members and farmers which can work to create a fairer and more sustainable food system.
Roger Thomas, market operator, says “I am a connector. I value the connections we have in our communities and strive to bring the right people together for the right reasons at the right time. That is my goal each week at the Twentynine Palms Certified Farmers Market. I take the time to see what is actually in the produce our farmers bring, I visit their farms, understand their soil and their processes. I know what is grown, where and how and only allow real farmers into the market. Sometimes it makes for a smaller market or a product that is not in season, but it the right thing to do.”
The market also is a place for live music, community events such as blood drives, and other events that foster a sense of community and collective action around shared values.
Thomas concludes with, “I want to thank our customers. I am naturally curious and a fact finder! I ask questions, and listen. I go to the farms, I attend other events, I make friends and stay connected. It is not always easy, but it is worth it when I see the community enjoying a market or event. Pure unbridled determination will take you far.”
You can come down to the award-winning 29 Palms Farmer’s Market – the #1 Farmer’s Market in the great state of California – every Saturday at Freedome Plaza from 8AM to 1PM.
