Request for Extension of an Information Collection-Local Food Directories and Survey

Issuing agencies

Abstract

This notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget, for extension of a currently approved collection, Local Food Directories and Survey, from the Office of Management and Budget 0581- 0169. Under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, AMS is responsible for conducting research to enhance market access for small and medium sized farmers. The role of the Local and Regional Foods Division of AMS is to facilitate the fair and efficient marketing of U.S. agricultural products. This information is used to populate the USDA's National Local Food Directories that assists customers looking to buy fresh local foods for their families to wholesale food buyers.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 200 (Monday, October 19, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 200 (Monday, October 19, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66071-66072]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-21266]


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Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 200 / Monday, October 19, 2026 / 
Notices

[[Page 66071]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Agricultural Marketing Service

[Doc. No. AMS-TM-26-1618]


Request for Extension of an Information Collection--Local Food 
Directories and Survey

AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's 
(AMS) intention to request approval from the Office of Management and 
Budget, for extension of a currently approved collection, Local Food 
Directories and Survey, from the Office of Management and Budget 0581-
0169. Under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended, AMS is 
responsible for conducting research to enhance market access for small 
and medium sized farmers. The role of the Local and Regional Foods 
Division of AMS is to facilitate the fair and efficient marketing of 
U.S. agricultural products. This information is used to populate the 
USDA's National Local Food Directories that assists customers looking 
to buy fresh local foods for their families to wholesale food buyers.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by December 18, 2026 to 
be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments concerning 
this notice. Comments should be submitted online at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov/">http://www.regulations.gov/</a> or mailed to Americo Vega-Labiosa, Local and 
Regional Foods Division, Transportation and Marketing Program, 
Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Ave. SW, Room 1529 South Building, Ag Stop 0264, 
Washington, DC 20250-0264. All comments should be identified with the 
docket number (AMS-TM-26-1618), the date, and the page number of this 
issue of the Federal Register. All comments received will be posted 
without change, including any personal information provided, online at 
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Americo Vega-Labiosa, Local and 
Regional Foods Division, Transportation and Marketing Program, 
Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Ave. SW, Room 1529 South Building, Ag Stop 0264, 
Washington, DC 20250-0264; Tel. 202-384-8936. Comments should reference 
Docket No. AMS-TM-26-1618.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Local Food Directories.
    OMB Number: 0581-0169.
    Expiration Date of Approval: October 31, 2026.
    Type of Request: Extension of currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: Under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended 
(7 U.S.C. 1621 et seq.), AMS is responsible for conducting research to 
enhance market access for small and medium sized farmers. The role of 
the Local and Regional Foods Division (LFRD) of AMS is to facilitate 
distribution of U.S. agricultural products. The division identifies 
marketing opportunities, provides analysis to help take advantage of 
those opportunities and develops and evaluates strategies including 
methods to diversify farming operations of direct from farm-to-customer 
enterprises.
    The USDA Local Food Directories are managed and operated by the 
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). These directories serve a wide 
range of stakeholders. From customers looking to buy fresh local foods 
for their families to wholesale food buyers, you can quickly identify 
nearby suppliers of local food. By listing their business information 
in the directories, farmers, producers and distributors of local foods 
can take advantage of opportunities in both direct-to-consumer and 
wholesale markets.
    The definitions of farmers markets, on-farm markets, community-
supported agriculture (CSA), agritourism, and food hubs, as utilized by 
AMS for the purposes of the Local Food Directories are listed below.
    A farmers market is defined as two or more farm vendors selling 
agricultural products directly to customers at a common, recurrent 
physical location.
    An agritourism operation is a working farm, ranch, aquaculture and 
agroforestry. An agritourism directory is a list of working farms, 
ranches, aquaculture and agroforestry operations that provide education 
and recreation opportunities, active-involvement experiences (e.g., 
farming activities, processing), as well as retailing and hospitality 
(e.g., accommodations, dining) facilities and services for the 
enjoyment of visitors that generate supplemental income, create and 
grow farm product markets i.e., for local foods, and build 
understanding of agriculture. A working farm, ranch, aquaculture or 
agroforestry operation is defined as an area of land and buildings, or 
water (ponds, lakes, rivers, oceans), including within and around 
cities, that is currently being utilized to raise and grow domesticated 
animals, plants, trees, and freshwater and marine fish and shellfish, 
for food and beverages, including vegetables, fruits, herbs, meats, 
dairy products, oils, cereals, fish and shellfish, and products for 
direct sales to customers, and/or immediate consumption or enjoyment of 
customers, that are grown or processed there (e.g., Christmas trees, 
pinyon seeds, ginseng, wool, wine, beer, cheeses, nursery plants).
    An on-farm market is a single farm operation that sells 
agricultural and/or horticultural products directly to customers on its 
farm property or on property adjacent to its farm. Most products sold 
at the on-farm market are either grown on the proprietor's farm or are 
sourced from neighboring farms. An on-farm market may operate 
seasonally or year-round. On-farm markets are an important component of 
direct marketing, adding value by offering customers a visit to the 
farm and the opportunity to purchase products from the people who grew 
them.
    A CSA enterprise is defined as a farm or network/association of 
multiple farms that offer customers regular (usually weekly) deliveries 
of locally-grown farm products during one or more harvest season(s) on 
a subscription or membership basis. Customers have access to a selected 
share or range of farm products offered by a single farm or group of 
farmers based on partial or

[[Page 66072]]

total advance payment of a subscription or membership fee. The up-front 
working capital generated by selling shares reduces the financial risk 
to the farmer(s). Generally, farmers receive better prices for their 
crops and have reduced marketing costs. Consumers benefit by receiving 
a periodic (usually weekly) delivery of fresh locally-grown fruits, 
vegetables, meats, eggs and other produce. They also benefit from the 
ability to collectively support the sustainability of local farmers.
    A food hub is a business or organization that actively manages the 
aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source-identified food 
products to multiple buyers from multiple producers, primarily local 
and regional producers, to strengthen the ability of these producers to 
satisfy local and regional wholesale, retail, and institutional demand. 
This marketing channel also allows farm operators to capture a larger 
share of consumers' food dollar.
    This information is provided voluntarily by business owners and 
managers and will be used to continue building the USDA Local Food 
Directories describing the characteristics of local food operations and 
working farms.
    Topic areas in the entry form:

--Characteristics of local food business
--Contact information
--Types of products sold
--Location of the business
--Operation schedule
--Activities


    Authority: 
    <bullet> In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35).
    <bullet> The Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946, as amended (7 
U.S.C. 1621 et seq.).
    <bullet> 7 U.S.C. 1621 Congressional declaration of purpose; use of 
existing facilities; cooperation with States.
    <bullet> 7 U.S.C. 1622(a)-(b) 1622. Duties of Secretary relating to 
agricultural products.
    <bullet> 7 U.S.C. 1624 Cooperation with Government and State 
agencies, private research organizations, etc.; rules and regulations.
    <bullet> 7 U.S.C. 2279g Marketing services; cooperative agreements.
    <bullet> Grant Programs.
    <bullet> 7 U.S.C. 1627c Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP).
    <bullet> 7 U.S.C. 1621 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 5 minutes per entry.
    Respondents: Local food businesses listing their information on 
USDA National Local Food Directories.
    Estimated Number of Potential Respondents: 15,000.
    Estimated Total Potential Annual Responses: 500.
    Maximum Estimated Total Annual Burden on All Respondents: 1,250 
hours.
    Comments are invited on: (1) whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    All written comments should be identified with the docket number 
AMS-TM-26-1618. It is our intention to have all comments, whether 
submitted by mail or internet, available for viewing on the 
<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a> (<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>) website.
    AMS is committed to complying with the E-Government Act of 2002 to 
promote the use of the internet and other information technologies, to 
provide increased opportunities for citizen access to Government 
information and services, and for other purposes.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public 
record.

Melissa Bailey,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-21266 Filed 10-16-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-02-P


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