Local Foods Marketing Practices

Description

The Local Food Marketing Practices Survey produces data about local food marketing practices, including production and local marketing of foods, value of food sales by marketing channel such as farmers markets, restaurants, roadside stands, and institutions; also value of crop and livestock sales, marketing practices, expenses, and federal farm program participation.

Detailed Methodology

Sample

The Local Food Marketing Practices Survey (LFMPS) was designed to collect data related to the marketing of foods directly from farm producers to consumers, institutions, retailers who sell directly to consumers, and intermediate markets who sell locally or regionally branded products. The primary purpose of the Local Food Marketing Practices Survey was to produce important statistics on the number of operations that sell using direct marketing channels, the value of foods sales, and their marketing practices. The survey's scope excluded farms such as grazing associations, American Indian reservations, and government-operated units (i.e, hospitals, prisons, research farms, university and other school farms, and church farms). The survey was administered in all 50 States.

Method of Data Collection

Survey (self- or interviewer-administered)

Frequency of Data Collection

Every five years

Reference Date

Last year/last 12 months

Number of Cases

Varies by year, appoximately 12,000 records

Number of Variables

Varies by year, approximately 350 variables

Linkage Capabilities

Linking at an operation level over time cannot be accomplished using the Local Foods Marketing Practices Survey data or Census of Agriculture due to the methodology used to sample the survey.