Farmers’ Markets Growing by Leaps and Bounds

From Foodlinks America – August 26, 2011 ☛

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Farmers’ Markets Growing by Leaps and Bounds

More than a thousand new farmers’ markets opened across the country last year, testifying to consumer interest in buying local fruits and vegetables. The 2011 National Farmers’ Market Directory from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) contains 7,175 entries, up from 6,132 in 2010.

"The remarkable growth in farmers markets is an excellent indicator of the staying power of local and regional foods," said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. "These outlets provide economic benefits for producers to grow their businesses and also to communities by providing increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods. In short, they are a critical ingredient in our nation's food system."

The two states with the largest growth in farmers’ markets, at 46 and 38 percent respectively, were Alaska and Texas. Rounding out the top ten fastest growing states were Colorado (38 percent); New Mexico (38 percent); Indiana (37 percent); Oklahoma (32 percent); South Dakota (32 percent); Pennsylvania (31 percent); Ohio (31 percent); and Michigan (30 percent)

California leads in the number of markets with 729, followed by New York at 520, then Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Iowa, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. For additional details, see: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2011/08/0338.xml.