(AP) — In this Nov. 13, 2010, file photo, Ching Thao, of Mao's Farm, center, gives change to Richard Wolk, right, at the Vineyard Farmers Market in Fresno, Calif.
Pushed by the rising popularity of eating locally and healthily, the number of farmers markets climbed by 9.6 percent nationally over the past year, according to the USDA. There now are more than 7,800 markets in the U.S. after 18 years of steady increases, according to a report to be announced Friday. (AP Photo/Gary Kazanjian, File)