[20060103]RS21652_农贸市场：美国农业部的角色.pdf

1 USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), various reports, including Farmer DirectMarketing Bibliography 2001, March 2001; U.S. Farmers Markets 2000: A Study ofEmerging Trends, May 2002.2 Sources include information provided through the Northeast-Midwest Institute website athttp:/www.nemw.org/agriculture.htm, USDA materials, and interviews with government andprivate farm marketing experts. In January 1998, the National Commission on Small Farms, inA Time to Act, described the status and needs of U.S. small farmers. Several of its 146recommendations focused on ways to improve USDA support for direct marketing, includingfarmers markets. USDA says it has adopted a number of the recommendations. See the SmallFarms website at http:/www.usda.gov/oce/smallfarm/.Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS21652Updated January 3, 2006Farmers Markets: The USDA Rolenae redactedSpecialist in Agricultural PolicyResources, Science, and Industry DivisionSummaryCongress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have created a numberof programs aimed at promoting farmers markets. Policy issues include the extent towhi