Farmers markets are now a $1 billion business

No one doubts that farmers' markets are becoming more popular with consumers, but who knew how commercially successful they have become for the farmers? Robert Strauss of Bloomberg BusinessWeek reports that more than 7,175 farms are now clamoring for the $1 billion in business that the anti-big, open-air, bring-your-own-basket markets now bring in. The number of markets alone has doubled just since the mid-2000s, Strauss writes, and because of the increased desire for local food. (Photo by Tom Wilkinson)

However, says Larry Lev, a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economies at Oregon State University, it's also a byproduct of competition from foreign and domestic agribusiness, encouraging more independent farmers to try direct retailing.

Those farmers who try the direct route sometimes find they must branch out to many different towns -- all in the same week -- and include a wide array of fruits and vegetables, because that's what consumers are looking for. Nicky Uy, a senior associate at a Philadelphia nonprofit that supports local agriculture, says small farmers are finding success bodes well for their future of small farms, especially those near big cities. (Read more)