The Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch was recently named No. 1 in Florida as part of the 15th annual America’s Farmers Market Celebration (AFMC), sponsored by the American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition. The event ran from June 19 to Sept. 18, during which the public voted on their favorite markets. The Market was also ranked 22nd in the nation. The AFMC is the only annual ranking of the top farmers markets in the U.S. as voted on by the public. The Farmers’ Market at Lakewood Ranch, which is about to enter its sixth season, is home to more than 100 curated vendors of the region’s best food and flavors, and is located at Waterside Place – Lakewood Ranch’s newest town center. Open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. year-round, The Market has become a favorite weekly tradition for people from all over the region seeking farm-fresh produce, prepared foods, and specialty items and gifts. Other activities on Market Sundays include yoga at 9 a.m. at the adjacent Waterside Park, weekly live music, Kids’ Corner crafts, games, and storytelling; and a Community Supported Agriculture program each fall and winter in partnership with Honeyside Farms. The Market also works with Transition Sarasota as part of the Suncoast Gleaning Project. Among other efforts, volunteers pick up leftover vegetables from the farmers weekly and take them to food banks to make meals for those in need, thereby helping diminish food waste while providing nutritious produce to diverse populations. For more information about The Market, contact Nicole Hackel at 941-757-1520 or visit lakewoodranch.com/life-on-the-ranch/themarket/.