Multiple Listings Can Maximize Market Reach

      Posted On: July 20, 2008

Now is the time to make sure your farmers market is listed in the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) national directory of farmers markets. Staff at AMS are currently updating the directory with the intention of announcing a new official number of farmers markets on or before Farmers Market Week. If you represent a farmers market, make sure to be included in this number and in future national surveys by sending your complete mailing address, e-mail address, and other pertinent contact information to Velma.Lakins@usda.gov. Please use the following format (using all the fields below as examples) to submit your market information:

USDA Farmers Market
Corner 12th St. & Independence Ave.
USDA Parking Lot
Washington, DC 20250
Contact: Velma Lakins
Phone: (202) 720-8317
E-Mail: velma.lakins@usda.gov
Website: http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets
Covered: No
WIC: Yes
SFMNP: No
EBT: No
Open Year-Round: No
June 6 – October 25
Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

In addition to the USDA directory, it’s also a good idea to start and annually maintain market listings on sites like localharvest.org, which offer a free profile, and which are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. New on the scene, with some exciting features, is Culinate, a site designed for food writing, blogging, and recipe sharing. Markets can not only set up profiles in their searchable directory, but can use it as their market blog and choose from a wide variety of fresh new recipes to add to their market page throughout the season. According to Co-Founder Mark Douglas, the site is already earning a loyal following among chefs, “foodies,” and consumers interested in sourcing local food. “All the things you need to help create wonderful meals using local and seasonal ingredients can be found online right now, but it is a daunting and time-consuming task to navigate those resources and manually connect each — Where is the market? What is in season now? Do I have the right recipe(s)? Do I know how to cook it? Culinate puts all this pieces together where each market is a uniquely managed space, but also where each market can connect as part of the larger community to all others with share news, recipes, stories and more. We are not about just locating a market, we are about building communities around great local and seasonal foods.” Learn more about how your market can establish a free web profile by visiting Culinate’s web site, calling Mark at 503-916-1777, or e-mailing him at mark@culinate.com.