If it seems like farmers markets are popping up like weeds, it’s because they are. New data out from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that more than 1,000 farmers markets have opened in the past year, up 17% from 2010.
The newly released 2011 National Farmers Market Directory shows a total of 7,175 farmers markets in the U.S. this summer, up from last year’s 6,132.
These markets allow farmers to sell their produce directly to consumers and often bring fresh fruits and vegetables into neighborhoods that lacked them.
According to the USDA, growth in farmers markets was biggest in states where they hadn’t been as popular before, with the two biggest being Alaska, up 46% and Texas, up 38%.
Photo by NatalieMaynor.