King County has been collecting and publishing annual data about King County farmers markets for years, allowing market vendors, local food advocates, and farmers market managers to understand the state of the farmers market sector and make proactive changes in the system.
The COVID-19 pandemic that began in early 2020 brought normal life to a halt, including farmers markets. Not surprisingly, there was a nearly 50% decrease in the number of vendors as well as total sales at King County farmers markets from 2019 to 2020. This sudden shock rocked both the global and the local food economy, increasing the financial instability of producers and contributing to the closure of small food businesses.
However, the recently published 2022 King County Farmers Markets report shows a significant rebound from the pandemic.
King County farmers markets included 2,120 vendors – 850 of which were farm vendors – in 2019, declining to 1,236 during the pandemic. In 2022, these numbers have almost recovered, with 2,053 total vendors and 758 farm vendors. Yet it is clear to see that non-farm vendors have recovered much more quickly than farm businesses.
“This is an important point to dig into. The high-level data suggests that sales by farms are not increasing at the same rate as, say, a bakery or prepared food business. It’s not as simple as a side-by-side trajectory or comparison though, especially when looking at data that is summarized on a county level,” says Jennifer Antos, executive director at Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance.
Total sales at all markets more than doubled since their 2020 low and exceeded the 2019 previous high in 2022. A total of $34,379,913 was spent at King County farmers markets in 2022, nearly $20 million of which was spent at farm vendors. Despite having fewer farm vendors in 2022 than in 2019, farm vendors last year made nearly $1 million more in sales than in 2019.
“Farmers markets play a crucial role in our community food systems. We saw global supply chains break down and leave out certain people during the pandemic. Local chains are more resilient because they are more connected. The best way to strengthen your community food system is to promote the economic viability of small-scale producers – which is what farmers markets do,” says Antos.
Food access programs have also expanded significantly into farmers markets since 2020, making supporting a local food supply chain possible for many more King County residents. In 2019, a little more than $1 million of food assistance was utilized at King County markets between three programs: SNAP EBT, SNAP Market Match, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program). In 2022, over $1.8 million were redeemed through those programs.
Farmers markets are a crucial part of King County’s culture and local food economy. Their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic shows the resilience and vibrancy of King County producers, food businesses, and residents.
Antos continues, “People may not realize the role that farmers markets play in terms of community stewardship and placemaking, but COVID really highlighted this aspect of our work. Market managers, staff and volunteers are always thinking about how to support safety, social interactions, sales, and the success of the community around us.”
As the season at most markets has ended with the harvest, look forward to next year. Find a farmers market near you at wafarmersmarkets.org.
If you would like to read the full report, click here.