Farmers markets throughout Wyoming contributed more than $2.8 million to the state’s economy in 2013.

Data collected by the Wyoming Business Council’s Agribusiness Division and run through an economic impact model at the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture and Natural Resources found that direct sales of more than $2.1 million also generated secondary sales of more than $654,000.

According to a news release, these results were based on responses collected by the Business Council from farmers markets operating in Wyoming.

Donn Randall, crop and forage program manager at the Business Council. said “people are very interested in where their food comes from and it is paying off not just for our local growers, but the state’s economy as a whole.”

The study also found farmers markets in the state supported the equivalent of 25.4 annual full-time jobs with labor income totaling more than $650,000.  The average annual earnings per job were estimated to be nearly $25,591.  The 25.4 annual jobs generated by Wyoming’s farmers markets represent more than 52,800 hours of employment with a wage rate of nearly $12.33 per hour.

The Wyoming State Fair Farmers Market, sponsored by the Business Council, had 19 vendors this year that reported $6,678 in total sales.

The farmers market season runs roughly from June to October with some winter markets available.

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