USDA Helping Consumers Find Local Food
By Joe Dales, Farms.com
The trend seems to be that consumers are seeking out more information about how their food is produced and like the idea of supporting local farmers in their community. Although consumers aspire to support the local food economy, it’s often a challenge to find the information needed to connect with farmers in their area. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working towards filling in this information gap and help consumers understand where their food comes from.
The USDA has launched the second stage of the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” online compass resource. The compass, web-based tool allows the consumer to find and source local food.
“Local food systems work for America, when we create opportunities for farmers and ranchers, our entire nation reaps the benefits” says Barack Obama, President of the United States.
The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative was started two and a half years ago and it strives to help farmers and ranchers access a farm-gate consumer market. The first year of the project USDA funded 29 farmer and rancher development projects that trained more than 5,000 producers on consumer relations.
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan states "the new stories and data in the 2.0 version of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass offer a comprehensive look at the impact local food is having across the country." Helping farmers and ranchers find new market opportunities and enabling them will help meet the growing trend for local food. Not only does the farming help local economies but it’s becoming more important for consumers to have a deeper understanding of where their food comes from.
The USDA will also host a #ASKUSDA Twitter chat on local food and the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative this on Tuesday, July 24, at 1:30 pm.
For more information, visit the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food website at www.usda.gov/knowyourfarmer or join the conversation on Twitter by using the hash tag #KYF2.
Also check out:
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2012/07/0240.xml&navid=NEWS_RELEASE&navtype=RT&parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&edeployment_action=retrievecontent