Counting Farmers Markets
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Level by design analogy; narrative historical literature review of market trends.
OpenAlex W2004799316 · doi:10.1111/j.1931-0846.2001.tb00246.x
What was done
Reviewed twentieth-century literature and historical records to identify trends, policy impacts, and growth cycles in US farmers markets.
What was found
The literature revealed four historical surges in US farmers market counts during the twentieth century, with the fastest increase following the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act of 1976. Between 1970 and 1986, market counts increased tenfold in certain states and rose by nearly 500 percent nationally by one estimate, with another continuing growth phase starting in the late 1980s.
Why it matters
It provides historical context for modern direct-to-consumer agricultural systems by demonstrating that recent growth in farmers markets is part of recurring historical cycles rather than an entirely new phenomenon.
Limits
The review relies on inconsistent historical records, variable classification schemes across jurisdictions, incomplete descriptions of market operations, and lost data sets.
Cited by
- supports The number of farmers markets in the United States has grown to approximately 9,000.