For Release: August 19, 1998

Contact: Stephen Volpe 222-2781 ext. 4501

PROVIDENCE - The Department of Environmental Management's Division of Agriculture and Resource Marketing's announces the grand opening of it's Farmers' Market in Goddard Memorial State Park Friday, August 21.

The grand opening, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will feature cooking demonstrations of Rhode Island-grown vegetables by Chef Michael Evengelista, information about nutrition, free recipe cards, and children's face painting. Radio station B101 will also be on hand.

About a dozen vendors will sell locally grown vegetables, fruit, and nursery stock. Fresh baked goods and homemade assorted soaps also will be available.

Although the Goddard Memorial State Park Farmers' Market has been open since mid-May, the "grand opening celebration" was purposely put off until the height of the farm produce season, which lasts from August through October.

The Goddard Memorial State Park Farmers' Market, open every Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October, joins a growing number of farmers' markets throughout the state where locally-grown products are sold. The market at Goddard Memorial State Park is the first to be located in a state park and is seen by DEM as a pilot project in the state parks and beaches system.

DEM Director Andy McLeod, who will visit the Farmers' Market during the grand opening, said the Department's support of the state's Farmers Markets is one part of DEM's many efforts to assist farmers. "Farming in Rhode Island is an important industry that contributes about $140M to the state's economy every year despite the fact that land under cultivation in Rhode Island has declined in the past 150 years from 80 percent to less than 10 percent.

"Rhode Islanders appreciate locally grown farm produce, and we help with marketing efforts to keep our local farmers competitive," McLeod said.

The market is a joint project with DEM's Divisions of Agriculture and Parks and Recreation, and the RI Department of Health WIC program, and is funded in part with a US Department of Agriculture Division of Marketing and Transportation federal and state marketing improvement program grant for $60,000.

DEM's Division of Agriculture and Resource Marketing, which helps farmers with marking information, offers a free brochure that lists the locations of all farmers' markets and roadside stands, along with addresses, hours, days and months of operation, and telephone numbers.

To obtain a brochure, call the Division's 24-hour request line at 222-2781 and press 1-4754, or write to the DEM Division of Agriculture and Resource Marketing, 235 Promenade St., Providence, RI 02908.