The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) kicked off National Farmers Markets Week, Aug. 3-9, with the announcement of continued demand for farmers markets with a growth of 76 percent since 2008. The USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory now lists 8,268 markets in every region of the country.
The USDA National Farmers Market Directory, available at farmersmarkets.usda.gov, provides information about U.S. farmers market locations, directions, operating times, product offerings and much more. The data is collected via voluntary self-reporting by operating farmers market managers and is searchable by zip code, product mix and other criteria, according to the USDA.
Local farmers markets are beneficial for farmers, consumers and communities as they bring urban and rural communities together, improve agricultural and food economies and offer access to fresh, healthy foods.
Also, AMS is developing three new local food directories in the categories of Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA), Food Hub and On-Farm Market. Farmers or food businesses are urged to visit www.usdalocalfooddirectories.com to list their company, which will be available for consumers early in 2015.