Farmers Market Week Celebrated in Connecticut and Nationally
/The Connecticut Farmers Market Association joins markets across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week from August 2-8, 2026. Farmers markets across the state help to create a more fair and sustainable food system, according to the association. This community focus has been most visible, they point out, during recent times of crisis and uncertainty as market managers innovate to continue essential operations for the farmers and shoppers who depend on them.
As part of this year's celebration, a proclamation issued by Governor Ned Lamont declaring August 2-8, 2026 as CT Farmers Market Week will be read on Thursday, August 6 at 11:00 AM at the Westport Farmers Market, recognizing the “vital contributions farmers markets make to Connecticut's local economy, food system, and communities.”
The Association will also host their third educational webinar of the year, with this one focused A Forum on Food Policy with Christian Duborg, on August 11 at noon. The forum aims to elevate the voices of market managers and the farmers they support, offering a space to discuss the policy issues shaping the future of farmers markets across the state.
"Farmers markets are much more than a place to buy fresh produce — they are where our communities come together," said Lori Cochran-Dougall, Executive Director of the Connecticut Farmers Market Association. "This week is a chance to celebrate the hard work of our farmers and market managers/directors. We are honored Governor Lamont recognizes our contributions through this proclamation. CFMA’s ongoing educational programming, such as the Food Policy Forum, help ensure that the people running and supporting these markets have a real voice in shaping the future of local food in Connecticut."
Farmers markets foster shared values between community members and farmers, and National Farmers Market Week is an annual celebration of farmers markets proclaimed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and coordinated by the Farmers Market Coalition (FMC), a membership-based nonprofit organization that supports farmers markets nationwide through training, technical assistance, and network-building.
Each year, FMC's National Farmers Market Week Campaign highlights the vital role farmers markets play within our nation's local food systems. For more than fifty years, farmers markets have influenced the way Americans eat, shop, and connect to their food, their farmers, and one another. Farmers markets are more than places to shop, they are places where neighbors learn, grow, and work together, officials highlight.
"Across the country, farmers markets are defining their role in our communities," said Willa Sheikh, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition. "Markets are designed in partnership with the people they serve and are a place where market operators, farmers, shoppers, and neighbors can collaborate to meet the evolving needs of their community. As we look to the future, farmers markets will play a key part, as they always have, in leading efforts to adapt, respond, innovate, and advocate for our local food systems. National Farmers Market Week is a chance to celebrate all the ways farmers markets show up for us!"
The CFMA is led by a dedicated team of market directors, industry experts, and non-profit professionals committed to its mission. The leadership team includes Lori Cochran-Dougall (Executive Director of the Westport Farmers Market), Kay Carroll (Market Manager for the Litchfield Hills Farm Fresh Market), Peggy Zamore (Director/Nutritionist for the Danbury Farmers Market Community Collaborative), Haley Schulman (Senior Program Manager at Food Rescue US), Lisa Lewin (Owner of Socialability Consulting) and Mike Santini (Founder of HATRACK Consulting).
CFMA is actively working to expand its board with "thinkers and doers who see beyond the day to day tasks of a farmers market," notes Board President Lori Cochran-Dougall. Anyone interested in being involved on a higher level is asked to contact info@ctfarmersmarketassociation.org to learn more, For more information about the Connecticut Farmers Market Association, visit www.ctfarmersmarketassociation.org and follow the association on social media.
