USDA FARMERS' MARKET HELPS SHOPPERS AND NEEDY FAMILIES GET INTO THE
  THANKSGIVING SPIRIT


                                            Release No. 0619.96

                                   Jim Petterson (202) 720-4623
                                   Johna Pierce  (202) 720-4623


     WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 1996--The U.S. Department of Agriculture showed
its holiday spirit today by hosting another farmers' market and donating the
excess food to a local charity.

     Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, a leading national advocate for
both farmers' markets and food recovery, joined the public at the farmers'
market sorting through fresh produce and other food items for the
Thanksgiving table.

     The market -- filled with locally grown fruits and vegetables and
tempting baked goods --is the fifth such farmers' market hosted by USDA this
year.  At the conclusion of the market, the farmers donated their excess
produce and other goods to the D.C. Central Kitchen, a local non-profit
agency that provides meals to shelters, soup kitchens and other feeding
facilities.

     "We are thankful and we remember those who are in need," Glickman said.
"Therefore, when the shoppers are gone, the excess food will be given to the
less fortunate.

     "Last Saturday in his radio address, President Clinton announced that
practicing and promoting gleaning and food recovery would be the policy of
the federal government," Glickman said. "The President directed each federal
agency to actively work to recover surplus food from cafeterias,
commissaries, and public events -- such as farmers' markets.  So, as we have
done at our previous markets, excess fruits, vegetables and baked goods will
be donated to the D.C. Central Kitchen to help make Thursday a day of thanks
giving for more area residents."

     The four previous farmers' markets have resulted in the donation of
800 pounds of produce and baked goods to the D.C. Central Kitchen, enabling
them to provide more fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables to the families
they serve. The D.C. Central Kitchen is a member of Foodchain, a national
network of food recovery programs.

     Also on Saturday, the President announced the publication of USDA's A
Citizen's Guide to Food Recovery, a guidebook to help individuals and
communities get involved in gleaning and food recovery. Citizens can obtain
a copy of the guidebook by calling USDA's toll free food recovery hotline,
1-800 GLEAN IT or by accessing the USDA home page on the World Wide Web at
www.usda.gov.

     The term  gleaning' comes from the Bible when the poor would gather,
or glean, what the farmer had left behind in the field. Today, gleaning
covers a variety of different food recovery efforts; though most commonly it
applies to the collection of crops from the fields following the harvest.
One of Secretary Glickman's highest personal priorities is promoting and
encouraging gleaning and food recovery.

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