1

In 2015, farmers produced and sold $8.7 billion of edible food commodities 

directly to consumers, retailers, institutions, and a variety of local food 

intermediaries such as distributors and wholesalers that market and sell locally 

branded products. Consumers accounted for 35 percent of these direct food 

sales, and retailers, 27 percent. (Table 1) Direct farm sales include both fresh 

foods and 

processed or 

value added 

products such 

as bottled milk, 

cheese, meat, 

jam, cider, wine, 

etc.

California, with $2.9 billion in direct farm sales, accounted for 33 percent of the 

U.S. total. At the regional level, the seven-state southwestern region, of which 

California is part, had the largest share of direct sales (35 percent). Four of the 

top ten states 

in direct sales 

are among the 

11 northeastern 

states that 

together 

accounted for 22 

percent of the 

U.S. total. (Fig. 1)

California also 

leads the country 

in the number 

of farms selling 

food directly, with 

14,315 farms 

selling fresh and 

processed food 

to consumers, 

retailers, 

institutions, 

Direct Farm Sales of Food 

Results from the 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey

United States Department of Agriculture

National Agricultural Statistics Service

www.agcensus.usda.gov

(800)727-9540

Highlights

167,009 U.S. farms . . . 

. . . sold $8.7 billion in edible 

food directly to consumers, 

retailers, institutions, and local 

distributors.

Top States in Direct

Farm Sales

($ millions)

California 2,869

Michigan 459

New York 441

Pennsylvania 439

Wisconsin 431

Texas 357

Vermont 250

Massachusetts 229

Virginia 217

Iowa 194

ACH12-35/December 2016

Table 1

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

$ billion %

Consumer 3.0 35

Retailer 2.4 27

Institution and local intermediary business 3.4 39

Total 8.7 100

Source: USDA NASS, 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey. 

Fig. 1

Direct Farm Sales of Food by Regional Share, 2015

35

22

15

11

7

6

4

percent

Total U.S. = $8.7 billion

Source: USDA NASS, 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey. 

About the Survey

The 2015 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 benchmark 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. For more information on 

the survey, go to 

www.agcensus.usda.gov
2 USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Farms sell directly to: 

Consumers (35 percent of direct sales in 2015)

Includes sales through farmers markets, onsite farm stores, 

roadside stands, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) 

arrangements, online sales, pick-your-own operations, mobile 

markets, and other means.

Retailers (27 percent of direct sales in 2015) 

Includes supermarkets, supercenters, restaurants, caterers, 

independent grocery stores, and food cooperatives.

Institutions and Intermediary Businesses (39 percent of 

direct sales in 2015)

Includes institutions such as schools, colleges, universities, 

and hospitals as well as intermediary businesses such as 

wholesalers, distributors, processors, etc., that market locally 

or regionally branded products.

Other Direct Sales

There were 59,911 farms 

selling food to institutions 

and intermediary businesses, 

with the $3.4 billion in 

sales almost evenly divided 

between food commodities 

and processed or valueadded products. Fewer 

farms (23,624) sold directly 

to retailers than to individual 

consumers, institutions, or 

intermediaries; 64 percent 

of sales to retailers such 

as grocery stores and 

restaurants were fresh foods. 

Direct Sales Primarily Urban-Centered

The majority (53 percent) of farms marketing food 

directly were located in metropolitan counties, and two

thirds (67 percent) of direct food sales were from farms 

located in metropolitan counties. More than 80 percent of 

farms selling food directly sold all of their directly 

marketed food within a 100-mile radius of the farm.

Who Sells Directly?

About 300,000 persons were involved in making decisions 

for the farms that sold food directly in 2015. Of these, 62 

percent were men, 38 percent were women – a higher 

proportion of women than among all farms, according 

to data from the 2012 Census of Agriculture. Three 

fourths (77 percent) of farmers who direct marketed were 

established farmers, having farmed ten or more years, and 

14 percent were veterans. (Table 3) 

Table 3

Characteristics of Farm Operators with Direct Sales of Food, 2015 

Farms w/

Direct Sales

All Farms

(2012 Census)

Gender (male/female) 62/38 69/31

Primary occupation is farming (yes/no) 41/59 44/56

<35 years old (yes/no) 9/91 8/92

Years farming (<10/ 10+) 23/77 22/78

Veteran (yes/no) 14/86 n/a

Source: USDA NASS, 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey and (for All Farms data) 2012 

Census of Agriculture. 

and local intermediary businesses. Texas was the only 

other state with more than 10,000 farms selling directly. 

Regionally, the southeast and northeast had the most 

farms engaged in direct sales of food (32,516 and 30,297 

farms, respectively).

Direct-to-Consumer Sales

Selling directly to consumers is the most popular form of 

direct marketing, done through a variety of channels by 69 

percent of farms with direct sales. Of the $3 billion in directto-consumer sales, on-farm stores and farmers’ markets 

accounted for $2 billion, or 67 percent. (Table 2) 

Table 2

Direct Sales to Consumers, by Marketing Practice and Number of Farms, 2015 

Sales No. of

$ million % Farms

On-farm store 1,322 44 51,422

Farmers’ market 711 23 41,156

Roadside stand away from farm 236 8 14,959

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) 226 7 7,398

Online 172 6 9,460

Other (pick-your-own, mobile market, etc.) 360 12 39,765

Total 3,027 100 114,801*

*Is less than the sum of individual practices because a farm may use multiple practices. 

Source: USDA NASS, 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey. 

Fresh food products account for 53 percent of direct-toconsumer sales. California ranked first in direct sales to 

consumers, Pennsylvania ranked first in number of farms 

making such sales. 

Top States: Direct-to-Consumer 

Sales, 2015 ($ millions) 

California 467

New York 237

Pennsylvania 224

Virginia 155

Massachusetts 136

North Carolina 134

Michigan 132

New Jersey 123

Missouri 108

Ohio 108