A recently released Alberta Agriculture study showed 90 percent of households said they had purchased local food in the past 12 months.
Nearly a third of Alberta households said they plan to buy more local food in the next year. The study looked at farmers’ markets, food grown, made or processed in Alberta, direct farm retail and farm activities.
Since 2004, the average spending per visit to a farmers’ market increased 30 percent to $45 from $35. Annual spending at farmers’ markets rose to $449 per household from $317.
Farmers’ markets in Alberta have an estimated $380 million in annual sales, up from $233 million in 2004.
Participation in farm activities was also up over the past five years.
Per trip spending changes for farm activities saw an increase to $174 from $124 and there was more spent on direct farm retail, $116 instead of $109.
