Local news site links to Extension Service list of farmers who sell to the public; good idea for community papers

During the pandemic, food-supply chains were disrupted and many farmers began selling directly to the public. In a recent column, Jennifer P. Brown, editor and publisher of the Hoptown Chronicle in Hopkinsville, Ky., lauded (and linked to) a directory of local food producers who sell to the public.

"Part of Hoptown Chronicle’s public service mission has always been to cultivate a broader appreciation for traditions and institutions that are truly local and unique to this community," Brown writes. "Independent businesses help define Hopkinsville and Christian County — and I believe the people who grow food and decorative plants are a big part of our local identity."

"Every local news outlet should consider running a directory of local food producers who sell directly to the public. It could also be a revenue opportunity," says Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which publishes The Rural Blog. He notes that every county is served by the Cooperative Extension Service, which created the digest Brown writes about, and that your extension office may have its own list, or at least the information for you to compile one.