2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey Underway

Data collection is underway for the 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey. NASS’ Adam Cline said they are mailing survey codes to thousands of producers across the country trying to expand on the data collected during the 2017 Census of Agriculture.

“The Census of Agriculture always does a great job of providing high-level data on a variety of items in the agricultural industry. However, in order to get more detailed data on certain industries such as aquaculture, organics, irrigation, and right now with local foods, we try to reach back out to producers who have indicated that they were involved in these types of agriculture on the Census of Ag and asked them for more detailed data on those industry topics.”

Cline said the goal of this survey is to produce data about local and regional food systems, such as the number of operation is the U.S. that produce local foods, the value of local food sales by marketing channels, the value of crops and livestock sales, marketing practices and expenses, and federal farm program participation.

“The federal funding and policies for local and regional food systems have been greatly expanded recently. However, more official data and a need for increased understanding of this emerging trend in the agricultural sector is still needed. Until 2015, no federal farm level benchmark data existed on local food sales, production practices, risk management, marketing channels, and other factors that are key to informing and implementing policies and programs.”

Cline says producer participation is vital. Click Here to participate. You can do so on-line or over the phone.

Results for the Local Food Marketing Practices survey will be available November 18^th. 

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