Editing Organic farming (section)

==== Direct-to-consumer sales ====

In the 2012 Census, direct-to-consumer sales equalled $1.3 billion, up from $812 million in 2002, an increase of 60 percent. The number of farms that utilize direct-to-consumer sales was 144,530 in 2012 in comparison to 116,733 in 2002.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/2012-census-organic-local/|title=2012 Census Drilldown: Organic and Local Food {{!}} National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition|website=sustainableagriculture.net|date=16 May 2014|access-date=2016-04-19}}</ref> Direct-to-consumer sales include farmers' markets, [[Community-supported agriculture|community supported agriculture]] (CSA), on-farm stores, and roadside farm stands. Some organic farms also sell products direct to retailer, direct to restaurant and direct to institution.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/138324/err128_2_.pdf|title=Direct and Intermediated Marketing of Local Foods in the United States|last=Low|first=Sarah|date=November 2011|publisher=USDA|access-date=2016-04-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518003010/http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/138324/err128_2_.pdf|archive-date=18 May 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to the 2008 Organic Production Survey, approximately 7% of organic farm sales were direct-to-consumers, 10% went direct to retailers, and approximately 83% went into wholesale markets. In comparison, only 0.4% of the value of convention agricultural commodities were direct-to-consumers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=44506|title=The Role of Contracts in the Organic Supply Chain: 2004 and 2007 (EIB-69)|first1=Carolyn|last1=Dimitri|first2=Lydia|last2=Oberholtzer|first3=Michelle|last3=Wittenberger|website=[[Economic Research Service]]|date=December 2010}}</ref>

While not all products sold at farmer's markets are certified organic, this direct-to-consumer avenue has become increasingly popular in local food distribution and has grown substantially since 1994. In 2014, there were 8,284 farmer's markets in comparison to 3,706 in 2004 and 1,755 in 1994, most of which are found in populated areas such as the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/detail.aspx?chartId=48561&ref=collection&embed=True|title=Number of U.S. farmers' markets continues to rise|last=Vogel|first=Stephen|date=August 2014|publisher=USDA|access-date=2016-04-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426162736/http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/chart-gallery/detail.aspx?chartId=48561&ref=collection&embed=True|archive-date=26 April 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>