A new survey from USDA found farms received more than $8.5 billion in revenue from direct marketing in 2015.
The Local Food Marketing Practices Survey says more than 167,000 farms locally produced and sold food mostly through farmers markets and on-farm markets. California led the nation in direct food sales, followed by Michigan with $459 million in sales, Wisconsin rounded out the top five at $431 million.
Institutions, such as public schools along with wholesalers like food hubs, were the largest direct buyers from local farmers. Direct sales to consumers came in second. More than 80 percent of sales were made within 100 miles of the farm and most farms are located within 20 miles of their largest market.
The survey also found a greater percentage of women make decisions for direct-to-market farms compared with all farms.
Source: brownfieldagnews.com