[Durham INC] Durham Farmers' Market Launches Farmer Foodshare Donation Station this Satuday!

[Erin Kauffman]

DURHAM FARMERS’ MARKET LAUNCHES FARMER FOODSHARE 
“DONATION STATION”
Durham Farmers Join with Community Partners to Provide Fresh Local Food for the 
Hungry at Market
 
Durham, NC – April 20, 2010– Durham Farmers’ Market announces the launch of 
Farmer Foodshare at the Durham Farmers’ Market on Saturday April 23rd. 

Join local farmers, shoppers and volunteers at market from 8a to noon to provide 
fresh, nutritious and delicious local food for the food insecure in the Durham, 
while helping to support local farmers. 

 
“The Durham Farmers’ Market is very excited to participate in this innovative 
program” says DFM Market Manager Erin Kauffman.  “While DFM vendors have donated 
left over food to organizations that provide meals for the food insecure for 
many years, we are looking forward to including our customers and the Durham 
community in the process”. 

 
Good Food and Fun for All
Stop by the Donation Station SM next to the Information Booth. Shoppers can stop 
by and donate either cash to buy food from the farmers or buy their own farm 
fresh food and donate it directly. Volunteers of all ages are also welcomed to 
sign up for this quick and easy way to help your local food system and nourish 
low income community members at the same time.
 
 “Durham is an extraordinarily creative and engaged local food community,” said 
Margaret Gifford, founder and executive director, Farmer Foodshare. “We look 
forward to seeing what the farmers and shoppers of Durham can do to help provide 
fresh, nutritious food to community members in need, while supporting local 
farmers.”
 
The Need for Fresh Food and Local Farm Support
Hunger, poverty, health and food insecurity are linked. 1.3 million North 
Carolinians (1 in 7) are food insecure.  North Carolina is above the national 
average for poverty. North Carolinians suffer from very high levels of 
malnutrition-related obesity and diabetes, both of which disproportionately 
affect low income and minority residents. 8.6 % of our children live in “extreme 
poverty” conditions, which means that they subsist on $7 or $8 per day for all 
of their basic needs, including food. At the same time, North Carolina farming 
is going through intense transition. Between 2002 and 2007, NC lost 164 farms 
and over 500,000 acres of farmland; the percentage of farms reporting net losses 
grew from 54% to 58%. 

 
Climate change and increasing prices for oil mean that a vibrant local farm 
sector is more important than ever. Local farmers markets are a growing 
industry. The value of direct sales to consumers by NC farmers increased almost 
60 percent from 2002 to 2007, and the number of farms selling directly to 
consumers increased by 21% (data: NASS Census of Agriculture). Farmer Foodshare 
Donation Station programs provide economic support to farmers and nourish the 
community. 

 
Anyone who cannot shop the market is invited to donate online at The Abundance 
Foundation’s web site, http://theabundancefoundation.org/farmer-foodshare, and 
volunteers will buy market food with the funds. Please note that you are 
donating for the Durham Farmers’ Market program.  

 
 
About the Durham Farmers’ Market
The Durham Farmers' Market is held in the Pavilion at Durham Central Park, 501 
Foster Street in the heart of downtown Durham (click here for map and 
directions). The market is open every Saturday from 8am to Noon and Wednesdays 
from 3:30 to 6:30 pm. Market is open rain or shine! The Durham Farmers’ Market 
is an all local, producer-only market. Its 64 vendors, all of whom are located 
within 70 miles of the market, sell only items that they have produced.
 
About Farmer Foodshare
Farmer Foodshare provides fresh local food to is a farmers' market-based 
volunteer and farmer-led community giving and gleaning program to get fresh, 
locally-grown farmers’ market food to the food insecure in North Carolina. 
Started in 2009 at the Carrboro Farmers’ Market, there are now five Farmer 
Foodshare programs in North Carolina. For information or to start a market 
program, please contact Margaret Gifford at mgw at well.com.
 
Media Contacts:
Margaret Gifford
margaret at farmerfoodshare.org
646.245.4959
 
Erin Kauffman
info at durhamfarmersmarket.com919-667-3099 
 
###
 Erin Kauffman
Market Manager
Durham Farmers' Market
919-667-3099
info at durhamfarmersmarket.com
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