Strong consumer demand for buying locally grown in the First State

DELAWARE – Despite inflation costs for the big box stores, local shopping is going strong in the First State.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture announced that farmers’ markets had almost 3.16 million in sales for 2021. This is the second-highest sales year for Delaware’s farmers’ markets. The Department said they gathered the sales numbers from 18 local markets, adding, this number proves the demand for buying locally grown food is strong.

“People got used to shopping there, they learned that what they were able to buy there was better quality maybe than they could get at the supermarkets and they enjoyed the interaction with the local farmers and they came back,” Kathy Jackson, Marketing Specialist for the Dept. of Agriculture, said.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture also explains in 2021 they had an extended growing season and returned to a more normal season, which was a big help.