Appalachian Grown Producer Survey Report Reveals Trends

Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Program’s Local Food Research Center surveyed Appalachian Grown producers about their experiences farming in 2024 and released a report of the results from 185 responses. The 27-page report addresses questions about farm sales, market outlets, land access, and the impact of Hurricane Helene. Although producers indicated that hurricane recovery is slow and will likely affect the 2025 growing season, they also highlighted some positive trends. A majority of producers reported both growth in market opportunities for local food and increased sales in 2024. Also, 74% of respondents expressed interest in buying or leasing more land, showing a substantial increase over the previous year’s survey results.