BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey has declared Aug. 3 to Aug. 9, 2025, as Massachusetts Farmers Market Week.

 

This annual celebration highlights the essential role that farmers markets play in strengthening the local food system, supporting family farms, and increasing access to fresh, healthy food for residents across Massachusetts. 

 

With over 275 markets operating across Massachusetts, these markets serve as festive community spaces for more than a quarter of the state's 7,000 farms. In addition to providing residents with access to nutritious food, farmers markets help keep farms in business and dollars in local communities.

 

"With so much produce in season right now, head out to your local market to support our farmers," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. "Farmers markets are not only places to buy groceries – they are essential parts of our food system. They provide a reliable source of income for Massachusetts famers, bring healthy food into neighborhoods, and create lively spaces where communities can come together to support local agriculture."

 

To mark the week, Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Commissioner Ashley Randle and agency staff will visit three farmers markets across different regions of the state. The visits will highlight the role these markets play in serving diverse communities, supporting local farms and vendors, and improving access to healthy food.

 

"Farmers markets support small and mid-sized farms that depend on direct-to-consumer sales," said Commissioner Randle. "These markets are where growers earn a fair price for their products and where families can build relationships with farmers to learn more about how their food is grown. They are a powerful tool for strengthening both food access and the agricultural economy."

 

Farmers markets in Massachusetts are active partners in addressing food insecurity. Many markets accept benefits through programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Programs. These programs ensure that families in low-income communities can access fresh, nutritious food.

 

In response to recent federal cuts to SNAP and other food assistance programs, Governor Healey recently issued an Executive Order, creating an Anti-Hunger Task Force. The task force will bring together state agencies, food system leaders, and community partners to coordinate efforts to improve food access and strengthen emergency food infrastructure across Massachusetts.

 

To further support market operations and outreach, MDAR launched the Farmers Market Sustainability Grant Program in 2023. Now in its second year, the program recently awarded over $130,000 to 17 farmers markets across the state to help support strategic planning and consumer marketing efforts to grow sales at these farmers markets.

 

The administration's investment in local food systems is also reflected in the recently introduced Mass Ready Act. This legislation makes targeted investments in farmland protection, infrastructure, and food security programs that help ensure long-term agricultural viability and support sustainable farming practices.

 

In addition, to coincide with Farmers Market Week and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, MDAR is launching a website highlighting Massachusetts agriculture. The website includes information about seasonally available crops, resources for locating farmers markets, recipes to inspire cooking with local ingredients, along with historical insights into the state's farming legacy.