Farmers Market

The announcement this week that the number of farmers markets has grown by 17 percent nationwide comes as no surprise to the USDA’s Market News. As demand for local and regional foods has grown, USDA’s Market News has grown as well by providing coverage of farmers markets and auctions.

Every month, more than 44 million people use SNAP to get nutritious food. Most of us probably imagine participants buying items like tomatoes, squash, and apples with their benefits. But did you know that SNAP can also help people grow their own food? With SNAP, participants can buy seeds and edible...

In February, 2011, Centro del Obrero Fronterizo was awarded one of 14 FY 2010 Hunger-Free Communities Grants. Grantee projects started on March 15, 2011, and even after only two short months our grantees are noting encouraging results. Centro del Obrero Fronterizo provided this background and update...

Cross posted from the Let's Move! blog: In his opening remarks at this season’s first Department of Agriculture Farmers Market, held adjacent to our headquarters on the National Mall, Secretary Vilsack spoke about the national movement to rebuild our rural economy and connect urban communities with...

USDA Farmers Market Directory Counts Nearly 900 Winter Farmers Markets. The tents are up. The vendors are ready, with proud displays of local produce, meats, baked goods, and other delights. Customers are out – shopping, visiting, and mingling. It’s a typical farmers market scene, robust with fresh...

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time at the Crossroads Farmers Market in Takoma Park, Md. The market’s motto is, “Bringing fresh, local, healthy food to individuals of all incomes and backgrounds,” something we consistently support at the USDA. Just last week Crossroads received a $50...

In the hustle and bustle of working for the WIC program in the Southwest Region, I travel quite often, attending meetings and ensuring logistics much like many of my fellow federal and state co-workers. Recently I had the privilege to attend the Pottawatomie County Farmers Market five-year...