The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) just launched a Farmer’s Market Directory that helps users find farmers markets in their area.
The tool allows users to search by state, zip code, available products and season (winter vs. summer markets). With this directory, the USDA aims to “provide consumers with convenient access to information about farmers market listings” in order to meet the rising demand for local, direct-to-consumer goods. Market coordinators need only spend five minutes adding a listing for their market of two or more farm vendors in a public, consistent location. This search tool helps connect urban and agricultural communities in order to provide local produce to the surrounding public.
The benefits of farmers markets:
Farmers markets have grown significantly in number and popularity over the past 20 years, with over four times as many registered markets in 2014 as in 1994. This growth accompanies an increased consumer interest in fresh produce and local agriculture.
On a smaller scale, the USDA encourages farmers markets as a way for farmers to provide “access to locally grown, farm fresh produce” as well as to engage and “develop a personal relationship with their customers” in order to “cultivate consumer loyalty.” Those relationships can translate into important sources of revenue for local farmers.
On a larger scale, the local food movement has an environmental component as well. Although there is significant controversy surrounding some of the more traditional arguments for the environmental benefits of eating local (for example, the concept of “food miles”), local agriculture still has its environmental merits. At the most basic level, buying local helps “preserve local farmland/open space buy supporting [the] economically productive use of land.” Additionally, local food systems can provide a valuable safeguard against shortages of items that are vulnerable to climate instability elsewhere (this article provides the example of flooding, wildfire and storm systems potentially inhibiting the regular transfer of tomatoes from Florida to Ohio.)
For consumers, farmers markets satisfy a growing investment in “farm-to-table” food practices, which aim to support local agriculture, increase awareness of food origins and promote healthier eating. One CNN article notes, “shoppers can benefit from social engagement with their neighbors as well as with the farmers behind the food. This engagement can actually manifest in nutritional benefits, where shoppers may be more likely to add fresh produce to their diet.”
The problem of limited access:
This benefit to consumers can be limited by economic boundaries, as local and organic goods are often pricier than those available at national chain stores. One study confirms that lower-income families typically have less nutritious diets because “energy-dense sweets and fats are tasty, cheap, readily available, and convenient,” whereas higher-income households can afford “whole grains, seafood, lean meats, low-fat milk, and fresh vegetables and fruit.” Although the report proposes specific dietary guidelines to accommodate nutritious meals on a small income, many families do not have access to this information or the time to implement such plans.
To address this disparity, the USDA offers several programs that provide financial assistance to low-income households for use in purchasing more nutritious food items. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enables individuals to use EBT cards to purchase nutritious items including breads, fruits, vegetables, fish, poultry and dairy products. The more specific Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) includes the Farmers Market Nutritional Program (FMNP), which provides vouchers that can be used to purchase a variety of produce grown within state borders.
To promote these programs and make local foods more accessible to all, the USDA Farmer’s Market Directory also has an option to search by payment options, distinguishing markets that accept SNAP, FMNP and WIC cash value vouchers.
For more information, visit USDA’s page on farmers markets and local food marketing.
