Nationwide, the number of farmers markets increased from 2,000 in 1994 to more than 8,600 in 2019. However, this led to a major problem: There are too few farmers to populate the market stalls and too few customers filling their canvas bags with fresh produce at each market. Reports of farmers markets closing have affected communities from Norco, California, to Reno, Nevada, to Allouez, Wisconsin. At the same time, markets in big cities are hurting too.
Diane Eggert, executive director of the Farmers Market Federation of NY, received numerous reports of closings; she believes the problem is one of pure mathematics. "There are way too many markets," she says. "The markets have started cannibalizing both customers and farmers from other markets to keep going."
According to npr.orgΒΈ Eggert also points to all the other options that consumers have for accessing fresh foods, including community-supported agriculture and home delivery options from companies such as Amazon, Instacart or Blue Apron that might be more convenient than shopping at a Saturday morning market.