From my wife Lysara:
Posted by: “Karen Cline” karen.cline@gmail.com englishsheps
Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:46 am (PDT)
Tricia Dameron has a blog at www.oklavore.com – but in this case she was
blogging on “fresh greens”
Excerpted:
But here’s the kicker: In Oklahoma direct farm sales rose to $11.5 million
from $3.7 million in 2002. *That’s an increase of 209%. *How does this
compare with our neighbors? New Mexico: 70%; Texas: 51%; Arkansas: 44%;
Missouri: 43%; Colorado: 30%; Kansas: 3%. In fact, *Oklahoma had the largest
increase in the country!* The runner-up was Oregon with an increase of 163%.
[Table 2<http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Full_Report/Volume_1,_Chapter_2_US_State_Level/index.asp>]
Venues for direct farm sales include farmers’ markets, roadside stands,
CSAs, pick-your-own sites, online sales, the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, and
farm-to-school programs. So, what can we do to encourage this growth? Are
there any public policy changes that would nurture a thriving local
agricultural economy?
Here’s the link to the full article:
http://freshgreens.typepad.com/fresh_greens/2009/03/census-of-agriculture.html
