Local farms producing and selling food products locally continues to be a growing market. According to a recent Packaged Facts study, this market will reach $5 billion in sales this year. Key quote from the study press release:
"Food safety issues and America’s awakening "green" culture are just a couple of the factors driving the surge in fresh and locally grown food sales, with locally grown foods expected to jump from approximately $4 billion in 2002 to $5 billion in 2007, according to Local and Fresh Foods in the U.S., a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts."
Wegman's, the innovative northeast grocery store chain, is joining this effort. They have begun selling produce grown on their own 50-acre organic farm to nearby grocery stores. Key quote from article in Greenbiz.com:
"...the company's CEO, Danny Wegman, said the goal is to use the land not just to grow fresh produce for sale, but to help grow the local food market in the area."
Most of the farms participating in the local foods industry are relatively small, and this is another example of niche small businesses thriving in industries considered the domain of larger enterprises.
I first saw a reference to this on Iconoculture, which is a good source for trends.
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