Number of Farmers' Markets Grows 13%

The USDA announced last week that the number of farmers' markets in the country grew more than 13% this year, from 4685 markets to 5274 currently. The same week the Seattle Weekly printed an article about declining sales at Seattle farmers' markets, while acknowledging that sales are up in the state overall.

I've heard market administrators say that they think part of the problem here is that there are too many markets, so they cannibalize one another. But it's strange to be to hear this kind of talk when farmers' market sales only account for about 2% of what we spend on food, and this way of eating has the potential to generate so much positive change in our communities, for our collective health, and for our quality of life in general.

It's certainly been a rough year for farmers' market sales. My own sales are definitely down, though not quite as much as some of the vendors featured in the article. The recession is definitely to blame, and I wouldn't entirely deny that the sheer number of markets could be impacting sales at some individual markets. But I'd like to see this as an opportunity, rather than a burden. It's exciting that so many neighborhoods want their own markets, and if we haven't figured out how to make this work with such a rich variety of markets to choose from, then this is as good a time as any to learn.

There have been quite a few industries in recent years that have struggled to survive in a changing business environment, from video rentals, to daily newspapers, to film developing. In each of these instances, the success stories are the enterprises that adapt, and come up with smarter business models. I think the farmers' market community could very well be experiencing something similar, and I'd love to see us come out of it with an updated approach, one that can reach a broader community.