Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Aaron Goodman People shop for groceries at the weekly farmers' market held in Clark Park evert Saturday. Experts say the growth in farmers' markets across the country has been spurred largely by the nationwide obesity epidemic. [Click to enlarge]

When Andy Anderson is a farmer, he's also a teacher, a salesperson and a cashier.

The manager of Pennypack Farms in Horsham, Pa., Anderson both grows produce and runs educational sessions about sustainable living.

He also brings his wares to the farmers' market in Clark Park every week, part of a rising trend of farmers' markets held both in the Philadelphia region and nationwide.

Over the last decade, the number of farmers' markets across the country has increased by over 250 percent to about 4,385 in 2006, according to the Farmers Market Coalition nonprofit organization.

The local area is no exception to the trend, with ten seasonal markets opening within the past year.

And as markets keep sprouting up across the region, local officials say it's the recent emphasis on healthy eating that has led to the surge.

"It's taken the obesity and child obesity epidemics for people to start thinking more about their food," said David Adler, president of the Food Trust, a local non-profit involved with 28 farmers' markets in the region. "People are more interested in connecting to higher quality food."

In Philadelphia, Adler explained, the markets are especially important in providing nutritional food to urban areas.

"In a lot of neighborhoods where there's not necessarily a lot of access to fresh fruits and vegetables, they definitely fulfill a need," he said.

Institutions both big and small have taken notice: National grocery chain Whole Foods jumped on the farmers' market bandwagon two years ago when it began offering weekly or monthly farmers markets outside of its stores nationwide.

Popular items eventually may be sold inside the stores, Whole Foods regional manager Sarah Kenney said.

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