Are you or your organization working to increase food access in your community? Are you looking to grow your farmers market but having a hard time getting new vendors or showing the potential economic impact? Check out this week’s data viz showing the value of agricultural products sold for direct consumption. This data includes all food product sales from roadside stands, farmers markets, pick-your-own sites, and other direct-to-the-consumer venues and livestock sales.
It’s important to note that the data exclude non-edible products such as nursery crops, cut flowers, and wool (even though we sure do love the variety of non-food arts and crafts you can find at just about every farmers market!).
These data are based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2012 Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture is the leading source of facts and figures about American agriculture. Conducted every five years, the Census provides a detailed picture of U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them. It is the only source of uniform, comprehensive agricultural data for every state and county in the United States.