Canada: Alberta Farmers Markets are only an app away
.
“A mobile app was seen as a flexible, easy and widely accessible way to get information to as many Albertans as possible,” says Maria Iacobelli, project coordinator with AFMA. “The app provides so much information, from GPS location of the markets so you can find the closest market no matter where you are, to opening days and times. The app is a handy comprehensive market listing, and the mobility of the technology makes it easy to find the information you need, no matter where you are.”
The app will be updated on an ongoing basis as new AFMA member markets are added and as seasonal information dictates, as some markets move from summer outdoor hours to winter indoor hours. The app is designed to make it easy to determine if a market is ‘all-year’ or seasonal, where it’s located and what the hours of operation are.
Many of the member markets listings include a link to their individual websites, which is where even more information is available such as market vendors, available Alberta made and grown products, and any special features at the market.
“In 2014, the AFMA is celebrating its 20th anniversary,” says Iacobelli. “One of the special events being planned for the celebration is a photo contest. The new app includes a “frame-it-cam” that lets Albertans take photos of themselves and their families at markets. When the photo contest gets underway, Albertans can then submit their photos to an email address and be part of the anniversary photo contest. More details on the photo contest will be posted to the AFMA website, so watch for more information, including the prizes, in March 2014.”
The app can be found on the main page of the AFMA website. A simple download and all of the information needed to find your way to one of the Alberta Farmers Markets Association markets will be right there at your fingertips
Partial funding for this initiative was provided by the Ag Initiatives Program.