Farmers markets, a rising option for local producers

According to BusinessWeek, there are 7,175 farmers markets in the country, which is double what it was in the middle of the past decade. While consumer demand for increased produce clarity is certainly helping drive these direct producer-to-consumer sales, the competition from foreign and even domestic agribusiness has been pointing many farmers to direct retail.

“People are more aware of where their food comes from, which helps us selling retail, plus the wholesale market is more precarious because distributors now seem to buy from everywhere,” said Dawn Buzby, of the farm AT Buzby, to BusinessWeek. “The time is just right for us to exploit farmers markets.”

Dawn Buzby also claims that nearly 20 percent of the farm’s $1 million in revenue come from these farmers markets, which is slightly impressive as the family operated business only goes to four markets every week. But although the rise of farmers markets is catering towards the growing population of consumers desiring locally produced food, the sector of the market stands at only 2 percent of the industry – which is still about $1 billion annually.

Farmers markets are clearly a legitimate option for producers who wish to add another revenue stream with very little risks, but another increasingly popular method is to directly sell to high-end restaurants. BusinessWeek gives the example Liberty Gardens in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, a little over an hour outside of New York City. The farm says that selling to high-end chefs and restaurants in the metropolis has given it a chance to carve out a niche in the industry, especially as restaurant goers are more likely to spend on locally grown produce than mass manufactured.

If similar producers wish to partake in these emerging markets, they may want to invest in a Primera LX Series custom label printer to create the labels that play toward the growing influence of local foods.