Mar 19, 2012

Produce farmers seek more support

The explosive growth in the local food market justifies some new looks in the next farm bill, a local specialty crop farmer said.

“We have seen the biggest demand and biggest increase in specialty crops — primarily organic, but not all organic — in the last 15 years. That’s a double-digit increase every year,” said Anne Patterson, who grows 30 to 60 different varieties of organic fruits and vegetables near Farmington. “The consumer has more opportunities to go to more markets and that has been because we have more incentive programs at the USDA level, and we’re grateful for that. The Gailsburg Register-Mail

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