Check out King County’s new farmers markets web page! You can find where to shop for farm fresh food and learn more about farmers markets using two ArcGIS Online (AGO) tools, a web map and a story map, both of which we helped build here in the King County GIS Center Client Services group for the King County Agriculture Program.

The easy-to-use web map allows you to pan around the county and zoom in and out to discover and explore farmers markets. When you click on a market’s icon, a pop-up provides a website link, street address, and operating days and hours.

Right below the web map you can launch the new “Explore Farm Fresh Food” story map (or just click here). An AGO story map is a compilation of multimedia content, such as text, images, and maps, all of which provide a wealth of information about a given subject. The Explore Farm Fresh Food story map was created through a collaborative effort by folks from King County Executive Services, Natural Resources and Parks, Design and Civic Engagement, and the King County GIS Center.

Pictures of local farm scenes, custom data graphics, farmers market web maps, and a text narrative create a dynamic and fun educational experience. The story map encourages you to eat local and shows you how in all of the following ways.

• See where farmers markets are located
• Learn what the markets offer
• Plan a market or farm visit and get tips that will make your trip successful and comfortable
• Enrich your experience with some colorful history (can you guess which local institution is the longest-running year-round farmers market in the United States?)
• Find out the value of farmers markets to their communities
• Help farmers markets and your family’s health thrive by signing up for a Community Supported Agriculture program

Have fun exploring our new maps and eating local!

Mary Ullrich is a GIS analyst and trainer in the KCGIS Center Client Services group.