Last month, the United States Federal Department of Agriculture announced an initiative to fund greater links between farmers, retailers, restaurants and consumers. The new programme, branded “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” has already allocated US$230,000 on research.

This money will be used “to assess the capacity of the northeastern United States to produce enough food locally to meet market demands, rather than relying on food transported long distances to feed the burgeoning East Coast population”, according to Federal Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.
“Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” plans to connect people more closely with the farmers who supply their food, and to increase the production, marketing and consumption of fresh, nutritious food that is grown locally in a sustainable manner.
The initiative is expected to be a huge boost for farmers’ markets, which now number 4000 across the US.
“Farmers markets assure that consumers have easier access to local fruits and vegetables and this growth demonstrates incredible interest consumers have in purchasing from local producers,” said Vilsack. “Farmers markets also connect the community to the local farmers who produce the fresh food, and play an important role in the direct marketing of produce to local consumers.”
Chris Fortune of Farmers’ Markets NZ comments: “The Obama administration is a refreshing change from the previous one. They are making sure that smaller people are getting a fair go.
“We are really excited about what is happening in the US, and in Australia and Europe with markets. We are all working together to encourage people to look for their food in their own backyards, to eat fresh and to eat seasonally.”