New Mapping Feature on USDA Farmers Market Directory

We Built the Dataset and Map, Now You Can Design a Farmers Market App! From the USDA Blog; Posted by David Shipman, Acting Administrator, AMS

In 2010, the USDA National Farmers Market Directory counted over 6,200 operational farmers markets in the country.  That’s more than a 16 percent growth in farmers markets from 2009. In every state and season, shoppers flock to nearby farmers markets in search of healthy, fresh foods.  Farmers markets can offer it all: from seasonal, fresh produce to local meats, dairy products to locally baked bread and fragrant cut flowers. Do you know where your farmers market is? Today we’re pleased to announce a new mapping feature on the USDA National Farmers Market Directory.  This feature allows you to pull up state-by-state maps of farmers markets listed in the USDA National Farmers Market Directory and zoom in to see detailed location. Information about farmers markets is easily accessed via convenient hotlinks right from the map. The Directory is also searchable by state, county, zip code and participation in federal nutrition assistance programs, such as the Women, Infants and Children program or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  Results from the USDA National Farmers Market Directory are based on voluntary reporting from farmers market managers.

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But wait, that’s not all!

As part of the our dedication to open government, transparency and providing high-value data to citizens, we are proud to offer a raw data set from the USDA National Farmers Market Directory on Data.gov.  This data set is perfect for app designers and researchers to develop even more sophisticated or fine-tuned uses of the USDA Farmers Market Directory. The data set, which includes farmers market names and physical street locations, is available as a downloadable Excel file.

CNN has already put this data to good use as part of a series called Eatocracy: Mind, Body and Wallet, which included a partnership with the social networking site Foursquare to create a healthy eating badge for frequent farmers market shoppers. What will you build?

Find more information on the USDA National Farmers Market Directory here.