Percent

28

23

17

11

10

6

5

Direct Farm Sales of Food 

ACH17-27/April 2022

Highlights Results from the 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service www.nass.usda.gov/AgCensus

Number and Location

California, with $1.4 billion in direct 

farm sales, accounted for 16% of the U.S. 

total. At the regional level, the 11-state 

northeastern region had the largest 

share of direct sales with $2.5 billion, 

which accounted for 28% of the U.S. 

total. Four of the top 10 states are in the 

northeastern region.

Top States in Direct Farm Sales ($ million)

California 1,432

Pennsylvania 600

New York 584

Michigan 555

Maine 342

Washington 323

Texas 273

Oregon 255

Massachusetts 254

Florida 247

California also led the country in the 

number of farms selling food directly 

with 14,308 farms, which accounted 

for 10% of the U.S. total. Texas was the 

only other state with more than 10,000 

farms selling directly. Regionally, the 

southwest and northeast had the most 

farms engaged in direct sales of food 

(25,644 and 26,707 farms, respectively).

In 2020, farmers produced and sold $9 billion of local edible food commodities 

directly to consumers, retailers, institutions, and intermediaries. Direct farm 

sales of food increased by 3% from 2015. The number of operations selling 

locally produced food decreased by 12%. Intermediaries and institutions 

accounted for 46% percent of direct food sales while direct-to-consumer sales 

accounted for 33%. Direct farm sales included both fresh foods and processed 

or value-added products such as bottled milk, cheese, meat, wine, and jams.

147,307

farms

$9 billion

local food sales

$4.1 billion

sold through institutions

and intermediate markets

Direct Farm Sales of Food by Regional Share, 2020

What is local?

A locally or regionally produced agricultural food product that is transported less 

than 400 miles or within the state it is produced.

Farms sell directly to: 

Consumers - Includes sales through farmers markets, onsite farm stores, roadside

stands, Community Supported Agriculture arrangements, online sales, pick-your-own 

operations, mobile markets, and other means. 

Retailers - Includes supermarkets, supercenters, restaurants, caterers, independent

grocery stores, and food cooperatives. 

Institutions - Includes schools, colleges, universities, and hospitals.

Intermediate markets - Includes intermediary businesses such as wholesalers, 

distributors, processors and more.

U.S. Total = $9 billion
Direct-to-Consumer Sales 

Seventy-seven percent of farms with direct sales sold directly to consumers. Of 

the $2.9 billion in direct-to-consumer sales, on-farm stores and farmers markets 

accounted for $1.7 billion (59%). 

Among farms selling directly to consumers, 42% sold fresh food products while 

75% sold processed or value-added products. 

Direct-to-Consumer Sales by Marketing Practice, 2020 ($ million)

Community Supported Ag 225

Roadside Stand Away From Farm 252

Online Market 312

Other (pick-your-own, etc.) 415

Farmers Market 514

On-Farm Store or Stand 1,231

SNAPSHOT

Producers with Direct Sales

of Food, 2020

Number=299,238*

Direct Sales All U.S.

(Census 2017)

(percent)

Sex

Male 57 64

Female 43 36

Age

<35 11 8

35-64 56 58

65+ 33 34

Primary Occupation

Farming 49 42

Other 51 58

With military service 9 11

Hispanic 4 3

Race

American Indian/Alaska Native 1.3 2.3

Asian 1.9 0.7

Black/African American 1.2 1.4

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Isl 0.6 0.2

White 96.2 96.2

*Data collected for up to four producers per farm, may report more 

than one race per producer.

Source: USDA NASS, 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Direct Farm Sales of Food by Type of Buyer, 2020 and 2015

2020 Sales*

($ billion)

2015 Sales

($ billion)

Consumer 2.9 3.0

Retailer 1.9 2.3

Institutions and Local Intermediary Businesses 4.1 3.4

Total Direct Farm Sales 9.0 8.7

*May not add to total due to rounding.

About the Survey

The 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey 

was designed to collect data related to the 

marketing of foods directly from farm producers 

to consumers or retailers who then sell directly 

to consumers. The primary purpose of the Local 

Food Marketing Practices Survey was to produce 

statistics on the number of farms that market 

food directly, the value of these direct sales, and 

the marketing practices used in conjunction 

with direct sales. The survey was administered in 

all 50 states. 

The 2020 data as well as results of previous NASS 

Local Food surveys are available in the NASS 

Quick Stats database at 

www.quickstats.nass.usda.gov, or at

www.nass.usda.gov/go/local-food.

52% The share of direct-to-consumer sales that were

fresh food products. 

Other Direct Sales 

There were 40,675 farms selling food to institutions and intermediary 

businesses with $4.1 billion in direct sales. Fresh commodities accounted for 

56% of the total sales. Of the 40,675 farms, 19,655 (48%) sold fresh commodities, 

while 22,533 (55%) sold processed or value-added commodities. Fewer farms 

(24,137) sold directly to retailers than to individual consumers, institutions, or 

intermediaries. Sixty-two percent of sales to retailers such as grocery stores and 

restaurants were fresh foods.

The majority (57%) of farms marketing food directly were located in 

metropolitan counties. These farms accounted for 62% of all direct food sales.

Approximately 78% of farms selling food directly sold all of their directlymarketed food within a 100-mile radius of the farm.

About 300,000 individuals were involved 

in making decisions for the farms that sold 

food directly in 2020. Producers of farms that 

sold local food directly were more likely than 

all U.S. farms to be female and age 34 or 

younger.