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On the Farmers Market Frontier, It's Not Just About Profit

On a corner in Washington, D.C., where stores burned during riots 44 years ago, there's now a plaza where farmers sell produce on Saturday mornings. Dan Charles/NPR hide caption

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Dan Charles/NPR

The Salt

On the Farmers Market Frontier, It's Not Just About Profit

The farmers markets opening up in lower-income neighborhoods may not be as good a business for farmers, but they're helping build community. And they're making fresh food available that people might have thought was outside of their budget.

On the Farmers Market Frontier, It's Not Just About Profit

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Farmers Markets Flourish In Winter's Snows

Georgia O'Neal harvests winter greens at the Tree and Leaf Farm in Unionville, Va., on March 16, 2011. Maggie Starbard/NPR hide caption

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Maggie Starbard/NPR

The Salt

Farmers Markets Flourish In Winter's Snows

Winter veggies from your local farmer may be coming to you or may already be near you, says says the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But even though more farmers are finding a way to maintain the harvest, coaxing vegetables out of the ground when the air is chilly and the wind is brisk is tough work.

Local Food Is No Small Potatoes: Farmers Rake In Almost $5 Billion

Desmond Brown sells fruits and vegetables at a farmer's market outside the Alabama Capitol in Montgomery, Ala. Dave Martin/AP hide caption

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Dave Martin/AP

The Salt

Local Food Is No Small Potatoes: Farmers Rake In Almost $5 Billion

More than half of the $5 billion in local food sales came not from farmers' markets but from restaurants and grocery stores, according to a government report. Those points of sale have attracted bigger farmers who might not bother with direct-to-consumer sales.

Virtual Trip To 'Local' Food Market Can't Beat The Real Thing Yet

The regular old supermarket is still king for choice, price and convenience

Bart Sadowski/iStockphoto.com hide caption

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Bart Sadowski/iStockphoto.com

The Salt

Virtual Trip To 'Local' Food Market Can't Beat The Real Thing Yet

The online services offer wide variety and avoid the major disadvantage producers face at farmer's markets, like figuring out how much inventory to bring. But they haven't quite figured out the magic combination of choice, price and convenience to beat the grocery store.