JANUARY 2022

D E S I G N I N G 

F O O D 

FACILITIES

OVERVIEW
1

T

his series, Designing Food Facilities, shares the basics of USDA’s free 

architectural services (Wholesale Market and Facility Design) and the 

design process for new or renovated farmers markets, food hubs, 

community kitchens, or mixed-use facilities. 

These documents: 

• Outline the elements that stakeholders must consider when building 

farmers markets, food hubs, and shared kitchens.

• Offer quick references of what to expect when considering renovations 

or new construction. 

• Provide guidance for anyone interested in learning more about working 

with USDA architects and the design process in general. 

Farmers markets connect farmers and consumers, promote local foods, 

and strengthen local economies and community bonds. Food hubs and 

community kitchens expand local farmers’ capacity by making locallygrown food more widely available through food aggregation, local and 

regional distribution, and value-added processing. 

During design of a farmers market or other food-related facility, creativity 

should be balanced with practical considerations. Developing plans is an 

iterative process that may require adjustments along the way. Budget 

or space restrictions may require the simplification of previous plans. 

Feedback from stakeholders and others in the community is vital to the 

design process. 

The development of facility designs must respond to the limitations of 

the site and are influenced by contextual factors such as climate and 

topography. Other factors that influence design include facility size, 

location, financial feasibility, and amenities.

Project managers and stakeholders should be aware of business and 

practical design trends as they consider a new or expanded facility. The 

following are some examples of recent design trends:

• Space for processing and developing value-added products.

• Dedicated space for cooking demonstrations, especially with the 

growing connection that vendors are developing with local chefs.

• Allowing space for special events that functions both as a gathering 

place in the community and may be a source of revenue for the facility.

• Building lifecycle performance, looking at building performance for 

the extent of its life, from the time it is constructed to demolition, is 

growing in importance, as owners look for ways to optimize energy use.

Farmers market success is not determined solely by building design. 

Lasting success relies heavily on management, community outreach, and 

promotion. A long-term vision will help the facility adapt, as will other 

factors, such as market competition, demographics, and vendor mix shift. 

A long-term plan may also need to consider available space and finances, 

as the facility may benefit from modification or expansion.

Demographics

The study of social factors 

gender, age, income level, 

education, etc. as they pertain to 

understanding consumers in your 

market area.

Lifecycle Performance

A building’s performance 

considering costs over the life 

span of a building, including 

purchasing a site and developing 

new land, retrofitting an existing 

building, ongoing maintenance, 

and utilities costs.
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The ultimate design and configuration of a market structure must fit the 

economic environment of a specific region with realistic expectations. 

Business forecasts, including revenue and customer and vendor numbers, 

are important for assessing feasibility and will influence the design for all 

retail, warehousing and distribution facilities. 

Design work requires synthesizing an extraordinary range of overlapping 

elements. Aesthetic, technological, economic, human, environmental, and 

safety factors must all come together into a coherent and appropriate 

plan. Design decisions will have a lasting impact on the future of the 

community and local agricultural economy. 

USDA SERVICES

The Wholesale Market and Facility Design team provides technical 

assistance and support to stakeholders regarding the construction of 

new structures or the remodeling of existing ones. These facilities include 

wholesale markets, farmers markets, public markets, incubator kitchens, 

and food hubs, all of which are important parts of the national food 

distribution network. The facilities may be indoors or outdoors, a single 

building or an industrial complex.

Market construction projects can require major capital investment. 

USDA AMS’ involvement may facilitate project advancement. The 

design involves far more than its appearance. The building must also 

be functional, safe, efficient, and meet the needs of the people using it. 

Our support involves leadership in design development, from the initial 

concept discussion with the customer through hand over to a local 

professional in the completion of the construction documents. The team 

also offers review of the costing phase and the construction process. 

In developing the design, our work follows building codes, zoning laws, 

fire regulations, and other local and state ordinances for Americans with 

Disabilities Act compliance.

The program does not offer or provide any engineering disciplines (i.e. 

structural, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, etc.). Nor does it provide the 

stakeholder with construction documents, specifications, or stamped and 

sealed documents for construction.

Our services include, but are not limited to, assistance with:

• Review of environmental issues/ impacts.

• Site selection (space planning, layout, etc.).

• Initial design concept (sketches, programming, floor plans, elevations, 

etc.).

• Building cost study (S.F. costs only).

• Coordination with local design professionals as a non-contracted third 

party.

• Third party design reviews as a non-contracted third party.
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USDA normally receives requests for assistance from local entities, such 

as a municipal or county governments, non-profit organizations, farmers’ 

co-ops, or community economic development corporations. Service may 

entail the layout of an open-air facility, a single building, or a building 

complex. Each request requires detailed information about the proposed 

project and sponsoring entities, including: 1) the number of farmers 

being served, 2) a short statement about the goals of the project, and 

3) the tasks needed to meet the goals. A request form for USDA-AMS 

architectural services is available by accessing: https://www.ams.usda.

gov/sites/default/files/media/TechnicalAssistanceRequestForm.pdf.

For more information on USDA Wholesale Markets and Facility Design, 

visit: https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/local-regional/facility-design.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.