The Department of Agriculture reported Friday that farmers markets all across the country have been sprouting up and that compared to last year there are more than 1,000 new farmers markets.
The news comes as the USDA releases their 2011 National Farmers Market Directory, which lists a total of 7,175 farmers markets in the U.S., which is a significant increase over last year. This number is compared to 2010, in which the USDA listed 6,132. The USDA's 2011 directory is based on voluntary self-reporting from individual farmers markets from April 18 to June 24. However, the USDA continues to update the directory throughout the year as more submissions are received from individual farmers market.
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said, "The remarkable growth in farmers markets is an excellent indicator of the staying power of local and regional foods. 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 Chicago Tribune reported the USDA also noted there has been a growth in the amount of farmers markets that take SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, as a way for customers to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables. In fact, 12 percent of farmers markets listed this year accept the SNAP credit to make purchases.
The news site also noted the Union for Concerned Scientists released a report that suggested that local food systems, including farmers markets, could be the source of tens of thousands of jobs and that more food systems could shift from large operations to medium and smaller-scale operations which directly produce edible crops.
The state that saw the greatest growth of farmers market is Alaska, which now has 35 markets listed, up 46 percent from last year. Following Alaska are Texas, Colorado and New Mexico, all of which saw a 38 percent increase. Additionally, the states will the greatest number of farmers markets are California (729), New York (520), Michigan (349), Illinois (305), and Ohio (278).
The USDA is kicking off National Farmers Market Week from Aug. 7-13, which was declared by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Residents can access the 2011 National Farmers Market Directory through the official USDA website. The directory allows users to search by location, types of payment accepted, products available, and more.
Rachel Bogart provides an in-depth look at current environmental issues and local Chicago news stories. As a college student from the Chicago suburbs pursuing two science degrees, she applies her knowledge and passion to both topics to garner further public awareness.
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