About the Food Domain: Producers

Producers
In the 19th century, most Americans were involved in growing their own food. As farming became increasingly mechanized throughout the 20th century, less land and manpower were needed to grow the same amount of food. Today, less than two percent of Americans are involved in producing food for the U.S. and various international countries.

Today's producers grow a vast array of foods that are either directly or indirectly eaten by consumers. Apples, strawberries, grapes, bananas, honey and plums are all examples of products that can be harvested and eaten directly. Other products such as meats, seafood, oils, milk, and grains usually need to be processed before people will consume them. For example, many people will not eat canola, however, they do use canola oil for cooking. People also generally prefer to eat wheat in bread or in cereal rather than eating it as kernels directly from the wheat plant.

When producers harvest their crops, the produce is usually sold to a commodity handler. Sometimes, producers will sell their items directly to food processors, wholesalers, retailers or consumers. Many companies buy food directly from the producers and process the food in their processing facilities. Wholesalers and retailers will usually purchase food that can be eaten without further processing and sell it to consumers. Some producers sell their products directly to consumers via farmers markets or allow consumers to harvest their own produce.

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