The announcement this week that the number of farmers markets has grown by 17 percent nationwide comes as no surprise to the USDA’s Market News. As demand for local and regional foods has grown, USDA’s Market News has grown as well by providing coverage of farmers markets and auctions.
The coverage serves small and mid-sized producers by providing another piece of market information on a more localized scale. Many small and beginning farmers pursue a number of market outlets—including direct-to-retailer, direct-to-consumer (farmers markets), and farmers auctions—which allow many producers to aggregate their products and sell to buyers looking for local products in bulk.
Sometimes small and beginning farmers and ranchers struggle to establish pricing for their products at these trading levels and need detailed local information to do so. Market News provides that local information which, along with national and regional reporting, aids producers in marketing their products and allows for smarter competition.
Market News has produce information for the farmers markets and auctions in several of the recently named top ten states. For livestock and grain, Market News has 360 auction reports that provide weekly information on cattle, sheep, goats, and hay. Together the reports gather information from farmers markets and auctions in over 26 states.
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is committed to supporting all agricultural business models and Market News is just one of the many ways we empower businesses—both large and small. Market News reports give businesses the information they need to evaluate market conditions, make purchasing decisions, monitor price patterns, evaluate shipment movement, identify future trends and more.
Market News has been providing market information on cotton, dairy, livestock and grains, poultry and eggs, and fruits and vegetables for over 90 years.
Visit USDA Market News on the AMS website to view hundreds of pre-made reports—including the reports for farmers markets and auctions—or create a custom report to see only the information you need.
