Connecting Rural & Urban Communities

2016 HIGHLIGHTS

United States Department of Agriculture

F A R M E R S 

M A R K E T 

PROMOTION 

PROGRAM

Agricultural Marketing Service
2 USDA AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM 3

A local and regional 

food movement is 

growing inside the 

United States.

It connects consumers with where and how 

their food is grown, creates new economic 

opportunities for producers, and draws young 

people back to rural communities. It fosters 

appreciation for America’s farms and ranches 

and marketing opportunities for farmers, 

ranchers, chefs, and local food businesses. It 

connects schools and our Nation’s children with 

fresh, healthy food. And it helps increase healthy 

food access in rural and urban communities 

across the country.

FMPP has awarded 879 grants for over $58 million

 since the 2008 Farm Bill was enacted.

Since 2008, FMPP has received over 2,700 applications, requesting 

over $201 million. The program funded 

 33% of applications.

Behind the Scenes: Staffing and External Reviewers

AMS administers FMPP with just five full-time employees: a program manager and four grants 

management specialists. During the application review process, FMPP works with external 

reviewers with relevant agricultural experience. If you’re interested in reviewing applications 

and have experience in the local food sector, please visit www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/

fmpp/reviewer.

One of the USDA grant programs supporting this movement is the 

Farmers Market Promotion Program

(FMPP), administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The 

program awards competitive grants, with the goal of expanding access to locally 

produced agriculture products and developing new market opportunities for farms 

and ranches participating in direct farmer-to-consumer marketing. Since 2006, 

FMPP has helped communities establish farmers markets, community supported 

agriculture (CSA) enterprises, road-side stands, and agritourism in all 50 States and 

U.S. territories. All project proposals must demonstrate community support and 

directly benefit farmers and ranchers.
4 USDA AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM

5

Direct producer-to-consumer agricultural markets—including farmers markets and CSAs—have become 

increasingly popular. For over 20 years, USDA’s National Farmers Market Directory has provided easy, onestop access to current information for farmers markets across the country (www.ams.usda.gov/local-fooddirectories/farmersmarkets ). From 1994 to 2016, the number of markets listed increased by 394 percent 

to over 8,600 markets. The value of local food purchased directly from farmers by consumers doubled 

between 1992 and 2012, with sales hitting $1.4 billion in 2012.

Small and medium-sized farms account for most of the sales by farmers selling directly to consumers. Local 

food sales provide significant economic benefits to communities, since farmers selling directly to consumers 

are more likely to purchase farm supplies locally or hire local labor. Farmers markets also increase foot 

traffic and sales at neighboring businesses.

8,675 markets

733 CSAs

1,393 on-farm markets

170 food hubs 

voluntarily listed in National 

Farmers Market Directory as of 

September 2016.

Consumers purchased

$1.4 billion

worth of local food directly from 

farmers in 2012.

“From encouraging new customers 

like transit riders and SNAP 

participants to shop at Greenville’s 

TD Saturday Market to expanding 

market programming, FMPP grant 

funding played a vital role in the 

market’s present-day success. 

Today, the Saturday 

Market sees upwards 

of 4,000 individuals 

compared to less than 

2,000 per week prior to 

the city’s first FMPP grant. 

FMPP grant funding not only 

provided the resources necessary 

to achieve this remarkable growth 

but advantageously positioned the 

market to sustain a high level of 

growth for years to come.” 

-Angie Prosser, Director of Public 

Information and Events, City of 

Greenville, South Carolina

D I R E C T 

Farm-toC o n s u m e r 

MARKETS

Photo by City of Greenville
6 USDA AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM 7

DOLLARS

INVESTED

FMPP provides resources to support 

outreach and promotional activities 

that help direct producer-toconsumer markets become selfsustaining and can be repeated in 

communities across the country. 

These investments bring people 

together, support strong local and 

regional food systems, and increase 

access to healthy foods. Since the 

2008 Farm Bill was enacted, FMPP 

has awarded over $58 million to 

879 projects.

21% 18% 17% 13% 12% 10% 9%

FUNDS

Requested 

& Awarded 

(in millions)

GRANTS

Requested 

& Awarded

AWARDED

REQUESTED

AWARDED

REQUESTED

Grant % BY REGION

Grants across THE NATION

The size of each dot on this map corresponds to the FMPP award amount that 

organizations headquartered in each city/town received between 2006 and 2015.

>$75,000 - $100,000 >$50,000 - $75,000 >$30,000 - $50,000 $1,000 - $30,000

WESTERN

SOUTHEAST

MIDWEST

NORTHEAST

MIDATLANTIC

MOUNTAIN 

PLAINS

SOUTHWEST

Grant % BY ORGANIZATION

57%

NONPROFIT 

CORPORATIONS

AGRICULTURAL 

& PRODUCER 

GROUPS

LOCAL 

GOVERNMENTS

15% 25%

12.7

31

36.7

29.4 28 29.3

34.8

2011 2012 2014

3.5

2008

4.6

2009

4.3

2010

9.2

2011

9

2012

14.4

2014

13.4

2015

406

164

2015

353

183

370

131

382

149

225

452

512

85 86 81

2008 2009 2010
8 USDA AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM 9

MARKETING & 

PROMOTIONAL

Activities

Marketing activities raise awareness of products, locations, and Electronic 

Benefits Transfer (EBT) availability at farmers markets and other direct 

producer-to-consumer venues. The most common type of FMPP grantsupported projects, these activities help increase vendor and customer 

awareness and engagement.

G R A N T E E 

ACTIVITIES

FMPP grants fall into three categories:

Marketing & Promotional Activities 

Capacity Building 

Training, Education, & Technical Assistance

FMPP grants have helped create and expand hundreds of direct 

producer-to-consumer agricultural markets. Twenty-two percent 

of FMPP grants supported startup or expansion activities. FMPP 

investments have also enabled direct producer-to-consumer markets 

to build capacity and enhance marketing opportunities through the 

purchase of new equipment, such as increased refrigerated storage. 

Other activities supported by the grants include market research, 

agritourism ventures, training, and establishing new partnerships.

Program In Action: The Highland Center

In 2010, The Highland Center, a Virginia-based nonprofit, assembled a committee of market stakeholders to 

create improvement plans for participating markets in western Virginia and eastern West Virginia. With the 

help of FMPP funds, they held 10 workshops to develop marketing plans to optimize sales and launched 

“Faces of Farmers” online to highlight vendors, farms, and products (http://faces-of-farmers.org). 

155% increase in average sales for participating markets.

RESULTS 38% increase in vendor sales over 2 years. 

Photo by the Highland Center 
10 USDA AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM 11

Program in Action: Penn’s 

Corner Farm Alliance

In 2007, the Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance (PCFA) was on 

the brink of shutting down its fresh produce distribution. 

After years of running a multi-farm CSA and successfully 

supplying locally grown produce to Pittsburg area chefs, 

PCFA was struggling to maintain quality control with 

outdated cold storage equipment. 

With the help of an FMPP grant, the cooperative acquired 

a 16-foot refrigerated box truck and installed two walkin coolers. The enhanced delivery and storage capacity 

allowed PCFA to retain its farmer membership, recruit new 

farmers, and expand its customer base.

Program in Action: The 

Michigan Food & Farming 

Systems

The Michigan Food and Farming Systems (MIFFS) is 

a nonprofit corporation in East Lansing, Michigan. 

In 2008, MIFFS worked with the Michigan Farmers 

Market Association (MIFMA) to increase the 

number of Michigan farmers markets accepting 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 

EBT. With support from FMPP, MIFFS and MIFMA 

organized 4 training sessions that provided 115 

market managers and farmers with technical 

assistance in accepting EBT.

Capacity-building projects represent 14 percent of FMPP grants. They are 

intended to help develop and improve the capacity of farmers markets, CSA 

programs, agritourism, and other direct producer-to-consumer models to 

take advantage of market opportunities.

CAPACITY

BUILDING

TRAINING,

EDUCATION, 

& Technical Assistance

FMPP training, education, and technical assistance projects serve the needs 

of farmers and ranchers interested in supplying local direct producer-toconsumer markets. Training and education can include market management, 

food safety, and business training for farmers, ranchers, and market 

managers, among other topics. These projects also support recruitment of 

market managers and farmers, as well as outreach to new consumers.

RESULTS

RESULTS

“FMPP grant funding has 

been essential to expanding 

and supporting MIFMA’s 

organizational operations and 

growth. It provided us with the 

resources to start new programs 

and invest in capacity 

building needed 

to sustain those 

programs.” 

-Amanda Shreve,

Program Director, 

Michigan Farmers’ 

Market Association

In 2012, PCFA sold about

$10,000 worth of 

canned tomato 

products. 

By outsourcing processing of 

its No. 2 grade tomatoes to a 

specialty food manufacturer, Stello 

Foods, PCFA created income from 

lower grade tomatoes that had 

previously gone to the compost 

pile. 

600%+ increase in business 

volume over 2 years.

6,000-square-ft. warehouse

slated to be PCFA’s new home 

as of June 2016.

45 delivery locations

maintained throughout the Pittsburgh metro area.

30+ member farms represented.

Increase in farmers 

markets accepting 

EBT from 11 in 2007 

to 30 in 2009.

1,776% 

SNAP 

redemption 

increase 

($15,833 to over $297,000).

Photo by Michigan 

Farmers Market 

Association
12 USDA AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM 13

A majority of the FMPP projects from 2008 to 2015 directly benefited farmers markets. The 

most recent USDA Farmers Market Manager Survey in 2015 analyzed responses from 1,396 

market managers throughout the United States. Of the total surveyed, 104 markets reported 

receiving support from 129 grants. USDA used the responses to evaluate the impacts of 

FMPP.

According to the survey results, FMPP-supported markets had a larger increase in 

business development, market promotion, education, and civic activities than other 

markets. 

Program in Action: Adelante 

Mujeres

Adelante Mujeres is an Oregon-based nonprofit dedicated to 

empowering Latina women and their families by promoting 

community participation and leadership. 

In 2012, FMPP supported the launch of Adelante Mujeres’s 

Sabor Color commercial kitchen project, which trained 

small food producers and processors to develop culturally 

appropriate foods from local ingredients. Successful trainees 

had the chance to launch their products at the Forest Grove 

Farmers Market.

FMPPSUPPORTED 

MARKETS

NONSUPPORTED 

MARKETS

Sponsored 

EVENTS 

such as food 

tastings or youth 

activities

Promoted

NUTRITION 

by encouraging 

nutrition 

education, health 

screenings, or 

healthy cooking 

demonstrations

Offered 

COMMUNITY

Programs 

such as allowing 

local organizations 

to host market 

events or recycling 

programs

Supported 

BUSINESS 

Development,

sharing facilities, 

retail space, 

and assisting 

new agricultural 

enterprises

What FARMERS 

MARKET MANAGERS 

Say About FMPP

26 trainees educated in food safety and 

preservation.

18 trainees developing food 

businesses.

6 food businesses 

licensed.

3 food businesses

participating in multiple farmers markets.

Farmers 

Markets as 

B U S I N E S S 

INCUBATORS

86% 83%

67%

34%

73% 60%

46%

19%

RESULTS

Photo by Adelante Mujeres
14 USDA AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM FARMERS MARKET PROMOTION PROGRAM 15

The 2014 Farm Bill increased funding for FMPP and expanded it to support intermediate marketing 

activities—such as aggregation, processing, storage, and distribution of local foods—through the Local 

Food Promotion Program. The broader program, known as the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion 

Program (FMLFPP), supports food system activities essential for helping farms and ranches meet the growing 

demand for local food. Total funding was increased from $10 million to $30 million per fiscal year, with $15 

million for FMPP projects and $15 million for LFPP projects (which require 25 percent in matching funds). 

Planning projects: Intended for planning stages of establishing or 

expanding a local and regional food business enterprise. Activities can 

include market research, feasibility studies, and business planning.

Implementation projects: Intended to establish a new local and 

regional food business enterprise, or improve an existing one. Activities 

can include training and technical assistance for the enterprise, consumer 

outreach and marketing, and non-construction infrastructure upgrades to 

enterprise facilities or Information Technology systems.

Since 2014, the LFPP has awarded $24.6 

million to 350 projects, leveraging $13.6 

million in matching funds or in-kind 

services from the recipients. 

AMS investments in local and regional food 

systems help farmers and ranchers take advantage of market 

opportunities, provide consumers with more choices,

and create jobs in rural and urban communities. FMPP supports critical retail 

outlets for America’s small and medium-sized farmers and provides good 

entry opportunities for new and beginning farmers. The awards represent 

transformative investments in rural America that strengthen local economies 

and communities across the country. 

AMS continues to evaluate and improve FMPP to best meet the changing 

needs of direct producer-to-consumer markets and their diverse 

stakeholders.

2 LFPP Grant Types

NEW EMPHASIS ON

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

January 2017