at all the markets. He said recent experience has shown there are plenty, including many younger farmers under the age of 30, an encouraging sign for the future of farming.

As noted above, community acceptance is important to the success of farmers markets. Instilling ownership and buy-in is also important with supermarkets. Fisher said joint ventures have been helpful, such as a Pathmark in Newark, New Jersey, that partnered with the nonprofit New Community Corporation. Weidman noted that the bigger chains have not participated much in the FFFI, for reasons explained by Drake and others, but smaller independents have. Those that pay attention to community needs find it pays off. He cited the example of the Brown Family Shoprite, which heeded community requests to offer halal meats, now a best-selling item.

McKinnon asked about farmers markets in more dispersed rural areas. Schumacher said markets have been growing in rural areas, as he has seen in his work in Alabama and Mississippi. Weidman said that rural counties have also accessed the FFFI program.