COVID-19 has brought to light the importance of locally grown food. In fact, farmers markets across the country report increased sales, even during the pandemic. One in Tennessee was just named the best in the country by the American Farmland Trust.
Forty-five minutes north of Nashville, Tennessee is Clarksville. Mayor Joe Pitts says that this farmers market is as much a festival as it is a market.
“This is a party and a festival all wrapped into one, and it’s just featuring local artists and artisans and agriculture folks and farmers. This is what Clarksville is about,” the mayor said.
This Clarksville Downtown Market runs for 20 weeks from May through September and for those who work with parks and recreation, like Maria Caruso and Trey Stroud, the No. 1 ranking is quite an honor.
“The greatest group of venders I’ve ever been around and the greatest group of people, and I’ve been around markets a long time,” Stroud said. “They stuck together so much this year because they knew how important this market was to this community; so, I am so proud of them.”