Our team of researchers conducted a national survey of over 5,000 households in the fall of 2020. The survey provides important insights into how the pandemic changed the way that U.S. households made food choices and if some of the changes may be sustained post pandemic for their household. This Food Consumer Insights series provides information about what we learned to help guide businesses along local and regional supply chains.
Focusing on collecting and disseminating easily digestible ideas, best practices, and readily adoptable approaches to COVID adaptation, these 1-2 page briefs are designed to be easily shared by LRFS stakeholders to support timely innovation.
Watch the latest webinar: March 15, 2021 – Online Platforms: Pivots and Planning for the Future
Latest Additions
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Case StudyUsing Budgets To Help Farmers Markets Adapt To COVID-19’S Disruptive Impacts
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Innovation Brief April 2021PreK & K-12 Schools as Access Points for Local Food
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Consumer Food InsightsCOVID-19 Food Channel Expenditure Shares: Trends Across Time and Consumer Perceptions
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Innovation Brief April 2021Alternative Farmers Market Models
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Innovation Brief March 2021State and Federal Policies that Support Food Security in the Age of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health and social distancing mandates caused unprecedented shifts and disruptions for Local and Regional Food Systems (LRFS). Impacts on farm enterprises, value chain stakeholders, market channels, and food system infrastructure are both vast and varied, and require rapid adaptation by all involved. The pandemic has also brought new and heightened attention to our food system, and LRFS may be positioned to significantly increase the scope and scale of their market reach as a result.
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) along with the cooperating research team led by the University of Kentucky seek to enrich existing efforts within LRFS communities of practice who provide essential support to our nation’s local food producers. During this moment of simultaneous disruption and rapid innovation, our project supports LRFS communities of practice by documenting and disseminating innovations and best practices developed on the ground and drawing on LRFS thought leaders to frame research on COVID-related shifts in LRFS markets with the aim of supporting long term resilience.
Upcoming Webinars
May 17, 2021
1-2:30pm EST
Next Steps to Support the Local Food System During Pandemic Recovery: USDA’s Perspective
Join us on the 3rd Monday of each month for a facilitated cross-sectoral discussion on topics including customer retention and engagement, emergency food, cooperative business models, state policies and consumer behavior.
May 17, 2021 – 1-2:30pm EST – Next Steps to Support the Local Food System During Pandemic Recovery: USDA’s Perspective
Social distancing mandates and economic disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic led to unprecedented changes in where, how, and what food U.S. consumers purchased and acquired.
A Fall 2020 national survey of 5,000 households and this project’s Consumer Food Insights series provide insights of how consumers are differently interacting with the food system.
This Webinar’s discussion will combine survey findings with perspectives from industry leaders to better inform businesses along local and regional supply chains about important drivers and suggest to partners and technical assistance providers where there may be new opportunities to support this sector.
Speakers: Dar Wolnik, Farmers Market Coalition and Jimmy Wright, Wright Food Solutions (National Grocers Association) and Andy Ollove, The Fresh Approach
Project Reps: Dawn Thilmany (CSU), Sarah Rocker (Penn State NERCRD), Hailey Edmondson (CSU), Mackenzie Gill (CSU), Jairus Rossi (UK)
(Webinars will be recorded and posted on our website)
Latest Resources
- Added: May 10, 2021
- Videos & Webinars
- csa, member retention
In this Ideas Lab Webinar, you will get to see a short video screening and facilitated discussion on CSA member retention. We'll use our collective learned experiences from the past year to share strategies to maintain long-time CSA membership…..
- Added: May 10, 2021
- Videos & Webinars
- csa, online marketing, promotion
In this webinar, Corinna Bench, Founder of MyDigitalFarmer.com and Tricia Phelps, CEO of Taste the Local Difference will guide you through best strategies to build an online presence, hook your audience, and help them sign up for your CSA…..
- Added: May 10, 2021
- Videos & Webinars
- csa, ecommerce, farmstore
This webinar will take a deep dive into some of the most popular software platforms for farm-specific sales, based on 2020 national farmer-survey findings. Our featured speaker is Claire Strader, Organic Vegetable Educator of Dane County Extension & FairShare….
- Added: May 10, 2021
- Videos & Webinars
- csa, Events, fundraising, Virtual
This webinar focuses on how CSA farmers and farmer support organizations are producing new & engaging virtual experiences and learning a lot in the process. Come learn as we discuss the most successful, challenging, and innovative aspects of virtual….
- Added: May 10, 2021
- Videos & Webinars
- csa, food access
This webinar explores the basic principles of food access and features CSA farmers and support organizations that have developed best practices to connect the CSA model to a broader, more inclusive audience. Speakers include Garrett Ziegler from Michigan State….
- Added: May 10, 2021
- Videos & Webinars
- csa
Join Corinna Bench of MyDigitalFarmer.com and Tessa DeMaster of Willowhaven Farm to learn best practices around how to build a strong early bird CSA sign-up campaign. Corinna will share her inspiring story and include recommendations on how to set….
- Added: May 4, 2021
- Other Formats, Reports (5+ pages)
- case studies, Case Study
The first objective of this brief is to establish a more transparent and better understanding of the budgets of farmers market organizations. This document includes case studies with budgetary data from the Boulder County Farmers Markets (BCFM) in Colorado….
Farm To Institution New England and National Farm To School Network
- Added: May 2, 2021
- Innovation Briefs
- innovation, innovation brief
Communities with existing farm to school initiatives and multi-agency collaboratives were able to quickly pivot to provide urgently needed food access while re-investing local, philanthropic, and federal dollars into a local food economy reeling from pandemic disruptions. It is….
- Added: April 23, 2021
- Innovation Briefs
- innovation, innovation brief
Farmers Markets were compelled to alter their models in a variety of ways at the onset of the pandemic. They conformed to social distancing guidelines and other public safety requirements which allowed them to remain open and continue serving….
- Added: March 12, 2021
- Innovation Briefs
- innovation briefs
State departments of agriculture are working with federal agencies, corporations, and nonprofits to purchase food surpluses from farmers to distribute at food banks. This brief explores the unique strategies and partnerships four state departments of agriculture have used to….
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