Farmers' Market
Growth and Evolution
in United States

- - - - Processed data with more than 8,000 records from the United States Department of Agriculture using R
        Generated visual insights on geographic, products, social media, and payment system distribution of farmers’ market
        Achieved data-driven storytelling on growth and evolution of farmers’ market from 2009 to 2020 across the U.S. via Tableau

Background

In the past 12 years, from 2009 to 2020, farmers’ markets boomed. Not like the traditional public markets, farmers’ markets have many advantages such that they typically consist of booths, tables or stands and are more flexible, and that they directly connect farmers with consumers, which allows farmers sell their healthier foods and sometimes homemade products much easier. The rapid expansion of farmers’ markets benefited from the development of the technology and the support of the U.S. government.

Keywords: Farmers’ Markets, Data Analysis, Data Visualization, Flourish, ggplot2

[data source] https://www.usda.gov/our-agency/initiatives/usda-farmers-market

Figure A. National Count of Farmers Market

Since 2009, the number of farmers’ markets listed in the National Farmers Market Directory at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has increased 464% (see Figure A). From 2009 to 2016, farmers markets were in a period of rapid development, with annual rate of growth over 10% and peaking between 2011 and 2014; and from 2017 to 2020, with the market stability and scale formation, farmers’ markets developed in a relatively slow speed, with growth rate lower than 10% (see Table A).

Table A. Annual Rate of Growth of Farmers Market

Multiple factors have contributed to the growth of farmers’ markets across the nation, including efforts to connect farmers to consumers. Besides the USDA, Non-Profit Organizations (NPOs) and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) have been involved in promoting farmers’ markets among consumers.

1. Products Distribution

According to the climate and geographical features, the United States can be divided into four major regional areas (see Figure 1-1). The West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming; The Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin; The Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont; The South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. The main products of the United States are vegetables, baked goods, honey, herbs, eggs and jams (see Figure 1-2).

Figure 1-1. U.S. Regional Areas

Figure 1-2. Products Distribution of Farmers Market (link)

Figure 1-2 shows the products distribution of farmers’ market in the United States.

The Western Area has a range of climates including semiarid and alpine along the Rocky and Sierra Mountains. The coastline of the Pacific Ocean in California is a Mediterranean climate. Desert climates can be found in Nevada and Southern California. In addition to typical products, the major goods of this area include prepared, flowers, soap, crafts, and especially nuts and coffee. Thanks to the fisheries along the coastal line, seafood industry is developed here.

The Midwestern Area has a humid continental climate throughout most of the region, with Great Lakes, Great Plains and Mississippi River nearby. Owing to the wide distribution of pastures and fecund soil, this area mainly produces plants, flowers, trees, meat and maple. It is also one of the most cornucopian areas in the United States.

The Northeastern Area is surrounded by Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, thus it possesses humid continental climate with cool summers in the northernmost areas. During the winter, the temperatures are regularly below freezing. There are cheese and poultry besides meat, plants and flowers. Meanwhile, among the four major areas, the Northeastern Area produces the most wine products.

The Southern Area can also be divided into east part and west part. In the east part, due to low latitude, it has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and a coastline along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. However, this area often suffers the hurricanes in the summer and fall. In the west part, semiarid steppe climate can be found and it is more humid than the east part. The major geographical features are Rocky Mountains, Colorado River, Grand Canyon and Gulf of Mexico. This area accounts for the most production in the United States and is abundant with cheese, coffee and seafood.

2. Influence of Social Media

According to the technological development of social media, especially Website and Facebook, it is much easier for farmers to promote their products to consumers. Since 2012 was the initial period of using social media, 2016 was the end of rapid growth of farmers’ markets, and it is 2020 now, Figure 2-1, 2-2 and 2-3 show the distribution of farmers’ markets using social media in 2012, 2016 and 2020 respectively.

It is obvious that using social media as online marketing methods becomes more and more popular among farmers. As represented in Figure 2-1, the trends of having social media originated from the coastal developed areas. In the Northeast, where the economy was developed and the market was open in 2012, farmers had a higher chance to accept and apply new methods. Along the coastline of the West, which was the home of high technologies, such as Silicon Valley in San Francisco and Facebook in Seattle, farmers were exposed to the benefits provided by new technologies. With the fast growth of more convenient technologies and scales of farmers’ markets, social media users became more and more common and extended to the Midwest and the South from 2012 to 2020 (see Figure 2-2 and 2-3).

Figure 2-1. Farmers Market Using Social Media in 2012 (link)

Figure 2-2. Farmers Market Using Social Media in 2016 (link)

Figure 2-3. Farmers Market Using Social Media in 2020 (link)

Benefitting from the convenience of advertising by social media in the past 12 years, people managing farmers’ markets were more likely to operate multiple online platforms to make themselves more accessible. There was a great increase in the percentage of farmers holding more than one social media (see Figure 2-4). Besides the most popular social media such as Website and Facebook, farmers’ favorite tools include Twitter, YouTube and so on (see Figure 2-5).

Figure 2-4. Impact of Social Media on Farmers Market

Figure 2-5. Social Media Distribution of Farmers Market (link)

3. Change of Payment Method

Before 2012, the payment method was confined to cash and a small quantity of credit cards. Thus, operating farmers’ markets was not easy. Furthermore, the price of products in the farmers’ markets was higher than the price of those in the typical public markets, making them inaccessible to many potential customers. However, with the help of the U.S. government and some organizations, there are many new payment methods available now, such as The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), The Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), and The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Since 2012 was the initial period of the popularization of new payment methods, 2016 was the end of rapid growth of farmers’ markets, and it is 2020 now, comparisons should be made in these three years.

3.1 Credit

The U.S. government has one of the most developed credit systems in the world. Figure 3.1-1, 3.1-2, 3.1-3 show the development of farmers’ markets accepting credit cards in 2012, 2016 and 2020 respectively. It is obvious that in 2012, farmers’ markets were centralized in the Northeast, which was an economically developed area. However, after 2016, the credit system became extremely developed and convenient across the whole country.

Figure 3.1-1. Farmers Market Accepting Credit Payment in 2012 (link)

Figure 3.1-2. Farmers Market Accepting Credit Payment in 2016 (link)

Figure 3.1-3. Farmers Market Accepting Credit Payment in 2020 (link)

3.2 WIC and WIC cash

WIC provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. WIC has dramatically developed in the pas 12 years. With the support of the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) operating in 49 states, more people have access to the farmers’ markets now in 2020. Figure 3.2-(a), (b) represents the national evolution of WIC and WIC cash respectively in 2012, 2016 and 2020.

(a) WIC (link)

(b) WIC cash (link)

3.2 Evolution of Farmers Market Accepting WIC and WIC cash

3.3 SFMNP and SNAP

Similarly, the USDA designed a program named SFMNP to provide low-income seniors with access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey and herbs, increase the domestic consumption of agricultural commodities, and aid in the development of new and additional farmers markets. Meanwhile, the USDA also supported a program named SNAP aiming to provide nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so that they can purchase healthy foods and move towards self-sufficiency. The development tendencies of SFMNP and SNAP were the same as WIC from 2012 to 2020, which already formed a benign circle. The needy people can live a healthy life and the farmers’ markets can grow fast. Figure 3.3-(a), (b) represents the national popularization of SFMNP and SNAP respectively in 2012, 2016 and 2020.

(a) SFMNP (link)

(b) SNAP (link)

3.3 Evolution of Farmers Market Accepting SFMNP and SNAP

4. The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP)

The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) also made great contributions on the evolution of farmers’ markets. The FMPP aims to increase consumer’s access to fresh local food, and develop new market opportunities for farmers and other agricultural businesses. It grants two direct marketing project types: capacity building projects help to develop new farmers’ markets and improve and expand existing markets; community development, training and technical assistance projects bring management, food safety and business training to farmers, ranchers and market workers.

The FMPP works within the 50 states in the U.S., the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. In the past 12 years, it awarded 879 grants for over 58 million dollars from over 2,700 applications requesting more than 201 million dollars.

5. Contribution to the Community

As the market mechanism matures, new services rise in response to the proper time and conditions. More and more farmers’ markets are offering education to go with their produce now. If a customer picked up a strange-looking fruit or vegetable and asked the vendor how to cook it, farmers would try their best to ensure consumers leave knowing a bit more about the food they buy. Farmers even design some websites introducing special or healthy recipes of the foods they sell and providing information from seasonality charts and calendars to food storage tips.

Another one of the best arguments for farmers’ markets is that they help to build the community. Farmers’ markets not only connect neighbors to producers, but also make it in a unique way. For example, the Motor Avenue Farmers’ Market in Los Angeles collaborates with local schools and community spaces to plant urban gardens and educate neighbors in sustainable agriculture. On some degree, farmers’ markets, which build a virtuous cycle, are new hearts of many towns and cities across the country.

Yearly Growth in Number of Farmers’ Markets in Different States (link)

Yearly Growth in Number of Farmers Markets in Different Regions (link)

Conclusion

The appearance and development of farmers’ markets have a profound effect on the agricultural business model across the United States. Meanwhile, farmers’ markets are still keeping modernizing and evolving. It is well worth learning from the farmers’ markets about how they are combined with high technologies including social media and payment methods, how they collaborate with the government and organizations, and how they generate a great social impact.