Community-supported agriculture, which includes selling farm products directly to consumers, farmer's markets and agri-tourism, "will only continue to grow with the next generation of farmers," Agri-Pulse reports. "Enough data exists to show that there is a significant trend towards retail and consumer-oriented agricultural marketing practices," said Gary Matteson, Farm Credit Council vice president of Young, Beginning, Small Farmer Programs and Outreach. He said the next farm bill should "lay the groundwork" for understanding this sector of agriculture. (Council map)
The economic impacts of these activities aren't measured, but in 2007, 136,000 farmers had direct-to-consumer sales totaling more than $8 billion, according to researchers at the Center for Rural Economy. CSAs "enthusiastically embrace" direct-to-consumer sales, Agri-Pulse reports. This business model allows farmers to offer "shares" of his or her production to the public, the dividends being a weekly box of produce or other farm products. Erin Schneider of Hilltop Community Farms LLC, a CSA in Wisconsin, said she and her husband use it for supplemental income. She said they chose to operate a CSA to grow sustainably "from an ecological, economic and social standpoint." Many large-scale and conventional operations use "on-farm diversification" to market products and support their income.
Agri-Pulse reports there's not a lot of data about "retail" agriculture, and this makes it hard to track the trend. But young farmers' interest in online marketing and entrepreneurship makes Matteson confident the trend will continue to grow. "Young farmers are willing to engage in this and use communication skills to open those markets. Young people who grew up in the internet age are finding ways to capitalize on those skills," he said. Agri-Pulse is available by subscription only, but a four-week free trial is available here.
The economic impacts of these activities aren't measured, but in 2007, 136,000 farmers had direct-to-consumer sales totaling more than $8 billion, according to researchers at the Center for Rural Economy. CSAs "enthusiastically embrace" direct-to-consumer sales, Agri-Pulse reports. This business model allows farmers to offer "shares" of his or her production to the public, the dividends being a weekly box of produce or other farm products. Erin Schneider of Hilltop Community Farms LLC, a CSA in Wisconsin, said she and her husband use it for supplemental income. She said they chose to operate a CSA to grow sustainably "from an ecological, economic and social standpoint." Many large-scale and conventional operations use "on-farm diversification" to market products and support their income.Agri-Pulse reports there's not a lot of data about "retail" agriculture, and this makes it hard to track the trend. But young farmers' interest in online marketing and entrepreneurship makes Matteson confident the trend will continue to grow. "Young farmers are willing to engage in this and use communication skills to open those markets. Young people who grew up in the internet age are finding ways to capitalize on those skills," he said. Agri-Pulse is available by subscription only, but a four-week free trial is available here.
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