Market in the Park

About the Program

Category: Civic Education and Public Information (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

Market in the Park, located on the grounds of the Pinellas Extension Service, is an educationally oriented farmers market that promotes locally grown produce and products supporting regional merchants and economic sustainability. This farmers market is unique in emphasizing outreach education from the Pinellas Extension Service, an extension of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Pinellas County, the most urbanized county in Florida, created Market in the Park to serve the community and promote practices which are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially equitable. The Market encourages sustainability and fresh local flavor by offering a wide assortment of locally grown products. Extension staff provides a variety of free educational programming during the Market to promote healthy nutritious foods, healthy lifestyles, sustainable and green practices, and environmentally and conservation oriented practices. They also provide opportunities for community involvement. Nestled between Extension Service, the Florida Botanical Gardens and Heritage Village, the county’s living history museum, provides a vast array of horticultural, educational, cultural, and historical venues to Market clientele, in addition to providing economic stimulus for local farmers, sustaining local agriculture, and promoting consumer education.