More than 147,000 U.S. farms produced and sold food locally through direct marketing practices, resulting in more than $9 billion in revenue in 2020, according to the April 28, 2022 USDA “Local Food Marketing Practices” survey.
The survey found that direct farm sales of food rose from $8.7 billion in 2015 to $9 billion in 2020, with direct-to-consumer sales falling slightly in that time period, from $3 billion in 2015 down to $2.9 in 2020. Sales to retailers also fell, from $2.3 billion in 2015 to $1.9 billion. Direct farm sales to institutions (schools, colleges, universities, and hospitals) and local intermediary businesses (wholesalers, distributors, and processors) saw sales rise from $3.4 billion to $4.1 billion during 2015-20, the survey said.