FMC's 2016 Farmers Market Poster Contest Winners!

FMC’s 2016 Farmers Market Poster Contest Winners!

Posted On: August 8, 2016

It’s that time of year we’ve all been waiting for – National Farmers Market Week! To kick off celebrations here at FMC, we’re excited to announce the winners of our 2nd Annual Farmers Market Poster Contest. Entrants were challenged to submit farmers market posters that depicted a combination of engaging graphics, informative messaging and regional or market identity. And once again, we were blown away by the creativity of our nation’s farmers markets.

We received over 130 posters from across the country, each beautifully designed with images and info unique to their region. We applaud the efforts of all our entrants – and all farmers markets – that go the extra mile to promote their venue. Your posters do more than just promote a place to find delicious, farm-fresh food, they promote opportunity – the opportunity to connect with neighbors, support the livelihood of local farmers, and preserve America’s precious farmland and environment.

Your posters also play an important role to increase access to fresh, nutritious food for families in need. As more and more markets accept SNAP (formerly food stamps) and offer nutrition incentive programs, market posters draw more and more families to spend their benefits with local farmers. Your advertising efforts are vital pieces of successful SNAP/EBT programs, because they help inform people of all income levels about the fresh, healthy, and affordable food at their local farmers market.

We can’t stress enough the incredible impact something as simple as a poster can have on your market, farmers, and community.

This year, the contest was judged by farmers market leaders from across the country, including FMC board and staff members. Four prizes have been awarded in the following categories: 1st and 2nd place for best overall poster; Fan Favorite—the poster with the most votes on Facebook; and best SNAP/EBT poster—the poster that best promotes a market’s SNAP/EBT or incentive program. Posters of the winning markets will also be featured at National Farmers Market Week events in Washington, D.C., including a display at the USDA Farmers Market on August 12. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates and ideas from the weeklong celebration.

And now, ladies and gentlemen…our winners!

Congratulations to this year’s 1st place ($500) winner: Downtown Farmers Market in Salt Lake City, Utah!

A round of applause for our best SNAP/EBT ($500) winner: Gillette Farmers Market in Gillette, Wyoming!

Taking home this year’s 2nd place ($300) prize is: Eastside Farmers Market in Madison, Wisconsin!

And last but not least, our Fan-Favorite ($200) winner, decided by 199 votes is: Roslindale Villiage Main Street Farmers Market in Roslindale, Massachusetts!

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all markets that participated. Next year’s poster contest will be here before we know it, so start designing those posters now and be ready to enter! Check out our 2016 and 2014 entries for ideas.