Falls Church Farmers' Market Earns Third Place National Ranking

Another great summer of fresh produce, a lively chef series and plenty of neighborly conversation led to a number three ranking among medium-sized markets in the United States for the Falls Church Farmers Market.

The rankings are released as part of The American Farmland Trust's annual “America’s Favorite Farmer’s Market” competition. The trust is recognized for being the leading national organization for saving farm and ranch land, according to their website. Coming in first was the Historic Lewes Farmers Market in Lewes, Del., and in second was the Saratoga Farmers Market in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The contest ran from June 1 through Aug. 31, and Falls Church’s 45 vendors were categorized in AFT’s “medium markets,” featuring markets with 31-55 vendors. The year-round Falls Church market is sponsored by the City of Falls Church Parks and the city's recreation department, delivering fresh local produce to the city for more than a decade.

“We are very proud of the accomplishment,” said Barbara Gordon, spokeswoman for the City of Falls Church. “We are very pleased that the city can host a market – fresh fruits and vegetables are so important to good nutrition, and we know that is so important to everyone now more than ever.”

Consumers come from areas throughout the greater metropolitan region and farmers from as far as Pennsylvania, West Virginia and areas further west make the trek to "The Little City" to showcase their best food and drinks.

“It is very representative of the small-town community atmosphere of Falls Church,” Gordon said. “Falls Church has a very special identity and that market is something that brings a lot of the community together on Saturday mornings – it's something the city is known for, having a really good size market for such a small city. The medium size market is pretty impressive.”

In 2010, the Falls Church market was voted number one in the country among medium-sized markets, and this year they were also number one in the state of Virginia in the medium category.

Is it the chef series, the locally grown produce, the support of the local farming industry or the friendly exchange of conversation that keeps residents coming back? Maybe it’s the Master Gardener’s booth. But one thing’s for sure, when you come to City Hall on a Saturday morning, you are getting one of the top farmers market experiences in the country.

“The Saturday morning farmers markets are quite a social event for some people,” Gordon said. “It has grown in popularity over the years and I think its because we’ve had a consistent high quality of produce and merchandise. It just makes for a really nice Saturday morning.”