BACKYARD MATTERS: We've All Got a Stake in Keeping Small Family Farms Around
More and more, Americans relish locally grown food. This interest is reflected in the growth of farmers' markets, which experienced a 9.6 percent rise in the last year alone. Today, U.S. consumers have more than 7,800 opportunities to purchase the nutritious, just-picked bounty of nearby farms. Back in 1994, they had fewer than 2,000.
With America's population projected to increase by 29 percent between 2000 and 2025, the demand for fresh, healthy food is only going to rise. The key to growing adequate supplies is ensuring that farming remains economically viable.
