ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - An analysis in the Roanoke Valley shows farmers’ markets and farm shares are not profitable.

“We have five farmers’ markets on the same day and at the same time, and they’re all in close proximity. That really spreads our customers thin and our farmers thin,” said Virginia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Resources Agent Shawn Jadrnicek.

Virginia Cooperative Extension is holding a Farm Profitability Workshop to talk about the research.

“The idea is to bring people together to look at other cities that have more profitable marketplaces to see what they’re doing differently and then take a look at what we’re doing in our marketplace to improve,” Jadrnicek said.

They’ll also talk about what a farm share is and how those sales could improve.

“Let’s explore these problems and see how we can work together as a community to solve the problems,” Jadrnicek said.

The Farm Profitability Workshop is Sunday, June 1, from 2 – 3:30 p.m., at the Brambleton Center gym in Roanoke. When you sign up, you’ll get a Zoom link in case you’re not able to attend in person. Click here to register.