New Newsletter: Public Markets Policy Memo

Posted by on September 22, 2006

[posted from Community Food Security listserv]

Project for Public Spaces

Public Markets Policy Memo – June 2006
http://www.pps.org/markets/info/pm_squared/pm_squared_june2006

There are more farmers markets and public markets in the U.S. than ever before, improving Americans’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables, providing vital public gathering places, and benefiting small and mid-sized farmers. How do we ensure their long-term sustainability, though? One way is by exploring how policies can better support market activities.

Welcome to the first edition of the Public Markets Policy Memo, or “PM Squared” – a periodic update to help public and private leaders at the federal, state, and local levels better support the development and expansion of public markets and farmers markets across the country. PM Squared builds on PPS’s three-year, $3 million grant program for public markets, which provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to reach out to new partners at the national level, while our grantees create new partnerships at the local, regional, and state levels.

Because interest in markets is so broad, each issue of PM Squared will be geared to a specific audience, whether public or private. This first edition is an introduction to new developments, including:

* New funding resources for farmers markets;
* How public and private leaders are working together to support markets nationally;
* A new guide to existing farmers market policies; and
* PPS’s 2006 “Diversifying Farmers Market” grantees.