United States Department of Agriculture

The 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey is a survey conducted by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to produce data about local food marketing practices. This 2017 Census of Agriculture special study provides data on the marketing of locally and regionally produced agricultural food products, as directed under the 2018 Farm Bill.

NASS mailed survey forms, starting in January 2021, to 65,540 producers nationwide. Responses were due by Jan. 19, 2022. All farms and potential farms on NASS’s List Frame were eligible for sampling.

The 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey asked about the marketing of food directly from farm producers directly to consumers, retailers, institutions, and a variety of local food intermediaries such as distributors and wholesalers that market and sell locally branded products. Information was asked on local food marketing practices during 2020, including items such as:

1. 1. Value of food sales by marketing practice (i.e. farmers markets, CSAs, restaurants, roadside stands, food hubs, and more)
2. 2. Commodity and value-added sales by marketing channel
3. 3. Federal farm program participation

Several options are available for accessing the 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices survey data. Data is available via a searchable database called Quick Stats. Additional formats of summary results are available. Visit Census of Agriculture section of this website to access the information online. Follow NASS on Twitter @usda_nass.

For additional information on the Local Food Marketing Practices survey, call the Agricultural Statistics Hotline at 800-727-9540 or email nass@usda.gov.

Pending Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval, we will collect data as a special study following the 2022 Census of Agriculture.

A farm is defined as any place that produced and sold, or normally would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products during the census year. You can register online if your farm meets this benchmark.

Call the NASS Agricultural Statistics Hotline at 800-727-9540, email nass@usda.gov, or visit Census of Agriculture section of this website.

In statistics, methodology is the survey processes by which data are collected, analyzed and summarized.

Enhancements to methodology are always made to improve the reliability of data and ensure we are providing the type of information data users need. Producers selected to participate in the 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey were identified through NASS's List Frame. Data was collected via mail, internet, and telephone interviews. NASS reviewed the reported data to determine the validity and representative quality of completed questionnaires and then summarized the data to produce final estimates, adjusting for non-response and coverage. The survey's methodology and definitions of terms and phrases used are thoroughly documented and available online at survey's methodology

The 2020 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey results reflect the industry as of the time the list was built and the 2020 production year. Comparisons with the 2017 Census of Agriculture, other NASS publications, and other non-NASS sources must allow for differences in reference periods, definitions and weighting methodologies.

Coefficient of variation (CV) provides a measure of uncertainty of an estimate. The lower the coefficient of variation, the higher the reliability of the estimate. For the Local Food Marketing Practices Survey, it means that data users can assess the comparable reliability of the estimates. By publishing the CV, NASS is increasing transparency and data usability.

Request a special tabulation on the NASS website.

If you have a concern about state-level data, please contact the appropriate USDA NASS regional office . If your concern is about national-level data, please contact or 800-727-9540. We can direct you to the appropriate subject matter expert.