Description
AIM serves 350+ farmers, food purveyors, and artisans from 38 California counties who participate in AIM’s eight Certified Farmers Markets across the Bay Area. Our goal is to showcase the benefits of buying locally grown, raised, sourced and products directly from the producer.
The Agricultural Institute of Marin is an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization AIM’s mission is to (1) educate the public about the health, environmental and economic impacts of eating locally grown food directly from farmers and to (2) connect and support communities and local and regional food systems so the public can access healthy and sustainably-grown food.
AIM serves 350+ farmers, food purveyors, and artisans from 38 California counties who participate in AIM’s eight Certified Farmers Markets across the Bay Area. AIM provides hands-on educational programs to thousands of children and adults, operates a farm audit program, runs a mobile market for older adults and underserved communities, and operates CalFresh/EBT and Market Match services to create a healthy, equitable food system.
When a fruit or vegetable spends more time maturing before being picked it can develop more nutrients than when picked early to be shipped long distances and sit in warehouses before reaching the grocery store. Since local produce is picked and sold around or at its peak, it can have more nutrients and provide added health benefits. With locally produced products like cheese, there’s no need to add preservatives for shelf-life and storage. Delivered to the farmers market straight from the producer is purer than what’s available at a brand-name grocer.
AIM shares that food grown or produced and handled by someone who is part of your local community are the foundation for a community’s economic security. When locals buy from each other they strengthen their local economy which promotes economic diversity. Plus eating what’s grown in your own area comes with the pride of knowing that your food comes with a significantly smaller carbon footprint than what’s available at most supermarkets.