The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), in partnership with the Farmers Market Consortium1, hosted the National Farmers Market Summit November 7–9, 2007, in Baltimore, MD. The Summit assembled key stakeholders from the farmers market community to convene a national conversation on issues and challenges facing today’s farmers markets. The National Farmers Market Summit had three broad objectives:

Identify farmers market needs and existing gaps in assistance.

Prioritize future research and technical assistance initiatives.

Provide guidance to policymakers on how best to allocate available resources.