Think that's a coincidence?
I've included a few more maps below the fold.
The key is small but the categories are: 2.1-5% 5.1-10% 10.1-15% 15.1-20% 20.1-39.7%
Percent of all Food Dollars Spent on Direct Farmer to Consumer Sales
The key here is: 0-1% 1.1-3% 3.1-10% 10.1-33.3%
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Holy spritzer.
Correlation in the first two graphs is stunning. Even the "doughnut hole" in the Southeast is replicated.
What is Wyoming, Oklahoma and Utah's secret? And pardon my cynicism, but I hope it doesn't have something to do with reporting?
;-P
Why not, though? North Dakota and Maine (which I also missed), too. Let's see those numbers!
"% Farm sales $ direct to consumer"
Multnomah (Portland), which is small enough that you can't make out on the map above, falls in the 3.1 - 10% range. Clackamas and Washington (where many Portland-area farmers' market farms are located) Counties fall into the 0 - 1% range, though. Bad news, that.
Over 90% of stuff grown in Multnomah, and over 99% of stuff in Clackamas and Washington Counties is grown for non-local interests and processors? Am I understanding that right? Is that even possible?
The high numbers for these counties are probably explained by the limited nature of the "direct to consumer" category. Farm sales to restaurants, independent groceries, or institutions are not direct to consumer, so even if a large fraction goes to these channels, it won't count in the food atlas.
Plus, in spite of the fact that if you can do the marketing, you'll have better margins selling direct to the consumer, an awful lot of people don't want to be bothered. They don't want to carry the extra liability insurance, deal with marketing, etc.
A lot of people also are conditioned to not think of direct to consumer sales as well. I don't know how many people, including Harold, think that the only way you can market production from the farm is in the commodity markets. He wanted to raise a couple of veal calves and then take them down to the auction in the fall. I told him that if that's the idea, then don't even bother picking the calves up. The most we'd make is about $75 after we got through feeding them, vaccinating, etc., then the auction yard got their cut. I ain't interested in working at $75/year wages. Ain't worth it. Regarding locavores as elitists - explain to me how supporting local business is elitist....
Reference - Recipe For America - Eat Well Guide - Local Harvest - Sustainable Table - Farm Bill Primer - California School Garden Network
Organizations - The Center for Food Safety - Center for Science in the Public Interest - Community Food Security Coalition - The Cornucopia Institute - Farm Aid - Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance - Food and Water Watch - National Family Farm Coalition - Organic Consumers Association - Rodale Institute - Slow Food USA - Sustainable Agriculture Coalition - Union of Concerned Scientists
Magazines - Acres USA - Edible Communities - Farmers' Markets Today - Mother Earth News - Organic Gardening
Book Recommendations - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Appetite for Profit - Closing the Food Gap - Diet for a Dead Planet - Diet for a Small Planet - Food Politics - Grub - Holistic Management - Hope's Edge - In Defense of Food - Mad Cow USA - Mad Sheep - The Omnivore's Dilemma - Organic, Inc. - Recipe for America - Safe Food - Seeds of Deception - Teaming With Microbes - What To Eat
User Blogs - Beyond Green - Bifurcated Carrot - Born-A-Green - Cats and Cows - The Food Groove - H2Ome: Smart Water Savings - The Locavore - Loving Spoonful - Nourish the Spirit - Open Air Market Network - Orange County Progressive - Peak Soil - Pink Slip Nation - Progressive Electorate - Trees and Flowers and Birds - Urbana's Market at the Square
