We work in collaboration with thousands of local partners and grassroots leaders across the nation who share our commitment to advancing shared prosperity, creating resilient economies, and improving quality of life.
Made up of small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts, the thousands of organizations, individuals, volunteers, and local leaders that make up Main Street America™ represent the broad diversity that makes this country so unique.
Looking for strategies and tools to support you in your work? Delve into the Main Street Resource Center and explore a wide range of resources including our extensive Knowledge Hub, professional development opportunities, field service offerings, advocacy support, and more!
Join us in our work to advance shared prosperity, create strong economies, and improve quality of life in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts.
National Farmers Market Week Celebrates Communities Coming Together and Supports Farmers Markets Nationwide
The farmers market in Lee's Summit, Missouri. Photo courtesy of Downtown Lee's Summit
Farmers markets have always been essential. They increase access to fresh and nutritious food, particularly in communities that lack grocery stores and other food retail outlets. They keep money circulating in local economies by providing shoppers with an opportunity to buy directly from small businesses, local vendors, and independent farmers, many of whom practice sustainable farming methods that protect our planet’s water, soil, and air. They provide a place where friends, families, and neighbors can come to visit, learn about food and agriculture, and have fun. And as we have most recently experienced, farmers markets prioritize the health and safety of our communities, even during crises.
In response to the pandemic, community farmers market quickly adapted to ensure their shoppers—as well as their staff and vendors—remained safe and healthy in the symbiotic pursuit to access and sell locally produced food. In Virginia, Culpeper Downtown turned their traditional farmers market into a drive-thru to minimize points of contact for vendors and customers. In Missouri, Downtown Lee’s Summit launched a virtual farmers market on their organization’s webpage. In Massachusetts, East Somerville Main Streets created a pick-up market, encouraging customers to order from vendors online and fulfilling orders in a central location.
As challenging as it has been (and the challenges have been aplenty), farmers markets have risen to the occasion to provide a necessary sense of unity and stability at a time we need it most. In addition to COVID-19 precautions, many market leaders have also taken action to improve equity at their markets. It’s important to acknowledge many farmers markets have not always reflected their local communities or provided a space where everyone can feel welcome. Together, market operators and community organizers are paving the way to make farmers markets safe, inviting, and accessible for all.
The COVID-19 pandemic and renewed calls for social justice reform have made it as clear as ever: farmers markets are essential and can rapidly respond to the immediate needs of the communities they serve, especially during times of crisis.
Of course, this comes as no surprise to those of us here at the Farmers Market Coalition and the farmers market operators we represent. A national organization dedicated to strengthening farmers markets, we support markets through resource development, technical support, advocacy, and promotion. While interest in local food continues to grow nationwide, the increased costs and time required to keep these essential food retail outlets in operation—especially throughout the pandemic—have been major challenges for market operators everywhere. Understanding that farmers markets are complex and the organization themselves requires support, we know that if communities want to offer a thriving market in their area as a source of healthy living and economic vitality, supporting the market organization is an essential place to start.
If there’s ever been a moment to elevate and support farmers markets, now is the time, so be sure to join us in celebrating farmers markets this week during National Farmers Market Week (NFMW). Declared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture yearly for the last two decades, NFMW has been a week of celebration for everyone who supports farmers markets, highlighting the important role farmers markets play in the nation’s local food system. During this week, farmers markets in towns big and small, from coast-to-coast, work hard to host special events, contests, activities, and more. It’s fun, it’s festive, and it’s a chance to really celebrate all that farmers markets do for their communities!
During National Farmers Market Week, we’re partnering with Main Street America to make sure that farmers markets and the vibrant communities that they support have everything they need to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year. The Farmers Market Coalition provides a toolkit for organizations across the country to use to promote National Farmers Market Week and engage their communities in supporting farmers markets and local businesses.
Join in the celebration of farmers markets this week, August 1-7, by engaging with your community on social media and sharing why #FarmersMarketsAreEssential in your community for economic development, community engagement, and a vibrant Main Street!
REV Birmingham and Woodlawn United share how they work to reenergize spaces and places in Birmingham, Alabama, through civic infrastructure projects in the city’s historic commercial corridors.
Learn how the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta uses this unique mural program to celebrate Valentine's Day and raise important funding for their work.
Parking is a challenging problem for many Main Streets. We explored the arguments for and against free parking, and a method for conducting an inventory of parking in your downtown.
In big cities and small towns, people face increasing danger when navigating communities on foot. As advocates for connected and walkable downtowns, Main Streets have a crucial role to play in increasing pedestrian safety.
To celebrate National Parks and Recreation Month, we explored three innovative and interesting parks-based projects and collaborations in Main Street communities.
Main Street America was awarded $5.9 million to support 20 communities in the Main Streets Community of Practice through the Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program over the next two years.
The City of Leeds, AL welcomed a new downtown mural over the holidays that has brought a sense of excitement and anticipation for the continuing efforts to focus on the Leeds downtown district.
What is more Iowan than turning grain bins into public art? Learn how Main Street Coon Rapids created these beautiful murals to celebrate their downtown.
The AARP Community Challenge program gives out quick-action grants to activate public spaces. Meet some of the Main Streets awarded grants through the program this year.
To support Georgia Main Streets throughout the recovery process and position them for long-term sustainability, Main Street America launched the Georgia Main Street Innovation Grant Program, made possible through generous support from The Williams Family Foundation of Georgia.
We heard from organizations across the nation about the incredible impact their markets have had on community engagement, entrepreneur and small business support, and keeping their district vibrant.
In contrast, the Main Street Program in Laramie, Wyoming, is thriving, having successfully cultivated millions of dollars to help fill these vacant, blighted spaces with permanent structures.
In 2016, the North Carolina Main Street & Rural Planning Center partnered with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Department of Interior Architecture (UNCG) to provide design assistance to Main Street communities.
Placemaking is a strategy that Six Corners Association has enthusiastically applied to our community development efforts because of its seamless integration with the Main Street Approach.
In 2015, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) partnered with the University of Wisconsin–Madison to engage Wisconsin Main Street organizations and farmers markets in the Metrics and Indicators for Impact – Farmers Markets (MIFI-FM) toolkit.
The local Main Street organization, Downtown Milford Inc., is trying to address these shifting demographics by creating a more inclusive sense of community.
This is the story of how a National Endowment for the Arts gathering in DC inspired the leaders of a small town in Appalachia to connect with those in Milwaukee to transform a neglected park.
Main Street communities across the country are no stranger to seeking creative strategies to solve their most nagging issues – vacant buildings, marketing downtown, bolstering retail to name a few.
This article is the second in a series on corridors and the important role they play in Main Street revitalization. The previous article focused on the historic origins of corridors, corridor types, and functions that they serve in our communities.
While the Main Street program may not take the lead in corridor enhancements, it can be a vital partner and advocate for improvements in overall community appearance.
A lot of signs are necessary to make a downtown work well, but not every community knows what a good sign system looks like, or how instrumental it can be to the creation of a successful downtown.