USDA National Directory of Farmers Markets

Transcription

1 USDA National Directory of Farmers Markets Debra Tropp, Chief Edward Ragland, Economist Farmers Market and Direct Marketing Research Branch Marketing Services Division USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) American Farmland Trust Webinar April 13, 2011

2 Who Are We: Marketing Service Division (MSD) Division Director Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program Marketing Grants & Technical Assistance Branch Farmers Market & Direct Marketing Research Branch Farmers Market Promotion Program Marketing Channel Research & Development Postharvest Handling & Technology Marketing Information & Education Farmers Markets & Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Market Facility Design

3 Services Provided The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) strategic mission mandates that our programs reduce the price spread between producers and consumers. Therefore, we: Conduct baseline research on emerging marketing opportunities, best practices and promising models of supply chain development for small and mid-size farmers and food processors Our research products include database development, survey research, and case study analysis. Advise farm vendors, market managers and community planners about farmers market operations, performance issues and physical layout. Provide technical guidance to small and mid-size growers on how to become more competitive in accessing commercial and institutional markets by improving their postharvest handling, packaging and delivery practices. Support direct marketing demonstration projects through two competitive grant programs (FMPP and FSMIP)

4 U. S. Farmers Market Growth,

5 Farmers market information included in the Directory is voluntarily and self-reported to AMS from market managers, local state market representatives, state associations, and other relevant farmers market stakeholders. Directory information is updated annually through an automated on-line process. Updated information includes market location, number of vendors, product type, months, days, hours of operating times and other valuable market information. The results of the Directory update will be announced during National Farmers Market Week, August The searchable on-line database now consists of nearly 6,300 markets. Information can be searched by farmers market name, state, city, zip code, county, and participation in federal nutrition assistance programs.

6 Search Engine Page The website address for the Farmers Market Search Engine page is

7 What s New! USDA s National Farmers Markets Directory website was enhanced in December 2010, with a new mapping feature providing geo-coded market locations and access to a raw data set of geographic coordinates in Excel. A National Map of Farmers Markets, and a State Map of Farmers Markets, that pinpoint specific markets and location in Google maps. The Geographic Coordinates Spreadsheet for U.S. Farmers Markets

8 Who s Using It? USDA National Farmers Markets Directory Featured on CNN in partnership with the social media platform Foursquare. As part of this partnership, shoppers were encouraged to use the Directory to find a local farmers market and use Foursquare to log in their visits. Data.gov Public Health Indicators (Center for Disease Control) Application Developers Since January 2011, the USDA National Farmers Markets Directory website has had more than 10,000 visits per month.

9 Who s Using It? USDA National Farmers Markets Directory The USDA National Farmers Market Directory and database have become the "gold standard" for food writers and media folks writing about farmers markets and increasingly for key members of Congress, State Agricultural Commissioners and other policy makers. Gus Schumacher, Executive Vice President, Wholesome Wave Tourists love the directory. I sometimes ask where they are from and we look up any farmers markets in their hometown that they might not know about. Sometimes tourists look to make sure their regular/favorite farmers market is listed. Heidi Dawn,Market Manager, Ashland Saturday Market, Medford, OR "The USDA farmer's market dataset was an important seed to our food guide. Atop of this dataset, we've added more information; real time inventory data on farmers, vendors, and the goods they have that market day, as well as tools for vendors and managers to promote themselves. Karl Rosaen, Founder, Realtimefarms.com and former Google Android Senior Software Engineer, Ann Arbor, MI

10 There are over 4,700 farmers markets with map coordinates listed on the National Map of Farmers Market.

11 State Map of Farmers Markets lists the number of farmers markets in the selected state. Market manager need to identify their physical location through the automated on-line updating process to have their market accurately listed on the site map. Only farmers markets that provided physical street addresses were geocoded. Other geocodes will be added during update process.

12 Select a farmers market from the map to view market information.

13 AMS partnered with Michigan State University to develop the process for updating the farmers market listings in the Directory. On April 4, 2011, AMS initiated a soft launch of the Directory update an invitation went out to approximately 4,000 market managers currently listed in the Directory requesting that they review and update their market listing. After one week 672 managers have updated their listing. This soft launch of the Directory update was done to avoid some of the duplicate information provided to the Directory during the update period. These managers were given a unique link to access their market information that is listed in the directory and review and/or update their current listing.

14 If any of you on the conference call are market managers and had a current address listed in the Directory, and you received an asking you to update your market information, please use the unique link provided in that to update your market information. On Monday April 18, 2011, the automated on-line updating process for the Directory will open up to the general public and for those market managers that we were unable to contact by . The link and updating instructions will be available on the Farmers Market website at

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16 Updates received in the database by Sunday, May 1, will be reflected in the Directory by Wednesday, June 1. It is in the interest of the market manager to act quickly so that their customers will have the most current information about their market listed during peak operating season. Updates received in the database by Friday, May 27, will be reflected in the Directory by Wednesday, June 15. The 2011 official count will be announced during National Farmers Market Week, August We can not guarantee market information received after June 15 will be included in the official count.

17 For Further Information USDA/AMS Marketing Services homepage: USDA Farmers Market Search Engine homepage: USDA Farmers Market homepage: Or feel free to contact: Phone: Phone: