Grayson Farmers Market Ranks No. 27 in Country

The Grayson Farmers Market ranked No. 27 in the country on the Top 100 Most Celebrated Farmers Markets list by American Farmland Trust's I Love My Farmers Market Celebration.

Grayson also ranked No. 4 in the state. The contest ended Sept. 9.

That's not too shabby considering 2013 is the first year for the local market, and the downtown development authority had started planning it in May. 

The Grayson Farmers Market Facebook page announced the win on Tuesday (Sept. 10): "Our thanks to all of you who voted for Grayson Farmers Market as the Top 100 Most Celebrated ... we finished at #27 in the nation! Amazing for a first year market!"

Nearby, Snellville led the country at No. 1, and Monroe finished at No. 21 nationally and No. 3 in Georgia.

American Farmland Trust's I Love My Farmers Market Celebration encourages consumers to pledge to spend $10 at their local farmers market, and then the pledges go toward the market's ranking. 

With those pledges, Snellville won by a huge margin. The Snellville Farmers Market had $27,460 pledged, while No. 2's Aptos Farmers Market in California had only $12,680. Grayson had $1,560, and Monroe had $2,030. 

Not only do pledges help a customer's farmers market earn national recognition—it also helps the community. For every $10 spent on local food, as much as $7.80 is re-spent in the local community, supporting local jobs and businesses. Also, the farmer takes home almost $8 to $9 instead of the $1.58 that farmers and ranchers receive when food is purchased through a retail market.

The Top 100 most celebrated markets will receive a special logo honoring their achievement; No Farms, No Food gear; and recognition on the Celebration’s website.

The Grayson Farmers Market runs every Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Grayson City Park. The last day of the 2013 market is Oct. 30.