A one-time look covering the twelve months ending November 2025. Whether I publish a 2026 version depends on how useful this one turns out to be.
$57M to Farmers. 278 Markets. 23 Years.
A single-year snapshot — what the 2025 operating year looked like across the markets on LocallyGrown.net, and how that year fits into the longer arc of small, independent platforms supporting local food.
Platform Lifetime
23 Years of Supporting Local Food
The Big Picture
LocallyGrown has facilitated $57 million in lifetime sales across 869,158 completed orders, serving 55,379 customers from 4,866 growers across 278 markets. (Reliable metrics tracked since 2007; the concept launched in 2002.)
This isn't a venture-backed platform chasing hockey-stick growth. It's a sustainable tool I built as a farmer who ran a 60-grower market for 20 years. Every metric here points at real communities, real farms, and real food.
2025 Performance
People Keep Coming Back
The retention numbers tell the real story: when people find good food from trusted neighbors, they stay.
More than two-thirds of new customers become repeat buyers. They're not just trying local food—they're making it part of their lives.
Order monthly or more, spending nearly $2,000/year on average. These are the neighbors who've made local food a way of life.
Order 6-11 times per year, spending an average of $627. Seasonal favorites and special occasions.
Made 2-5 purchases, spending an average of $262. Testing the waters and coming back for more.
Customers Are Buying More Per Order
Average order value increased from $68.27 to $73.43
After July 2025 platform modernization: $63.30 → $68.35
Highest monthly average in the trailing 12 months
What this means: While overall order volume declined, customers who stayed are more engaged—buying more per order, discovering new products, supporting more growers. That's sustainable growth.
The 2025 Relaunch: Modern Tools, Better Results
In July 2025, I rebuilt the entire platform from scratch on modern technology — mobile-first, fast, and farmer-friendly. While total sales held steady (-2%), the quality of each transaction improved significantly.
Markets That Thrived Post-Relaunch
Growth compares average order value before and after the July 2025 relaunch. Each market manager gave permission to share their numbers here.
Real Growers, Real Growth
Some farmers found their stride in 2025 and took off. These aren't anomalies — they're what happens when good growers meet engaged customers on a platform that actually works. Each grower below shared their numbers with permission.
How Growers Cluster by Sales
The top 30 growers (earning $10K+) represent 53.3% of platform sales — a natural pattern of specialization. Some growers are weekend hobbyists selling a few dozen eggs. Others are full-time operations feeding hundreds of families.
Markets Leading the Way
In 2025, five of the top eight markets grew year-over-year. These aren't accidents — they're committed communities with engaged market managers who show up every week. Shared with each manager's permission.
What This Actually Means
Numbers on a page are just numbers. Here's what they represent in the real world:
Farmers Earning a Living
$57 million didn't go to shareholders or investors. It went directly to farmers' bank accounts, paying for seeds, equipment, land payments, and putting food on their own tables.
Communities Reconnecting
869,000 orders means 869,000 times someone chose to buy from their neighbor instead of a faceless supply chain. That's 869,000 conversations, connections, and relationships built.
Food System Resilience
Every market on LocallyGrown.net is a node in a more resilient food system. When global supply chains stumble, these local networks keep communities fed.
Sustainable Growth
No venture capital, no pressure to hit hockey-stick growth — just a platform built to last. Twenty-three years and counting, one market at a time, one farmer at a time.
Be Part of This Story
Whether you're a market manager, a grower, or a community organizer, there's a place for you in this movement. Let's build something that lasts.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-24