HEMPSTEAD COUNTY MARKET

Hempstead County, Arkansas Farmers Market — Buy & Sell Local Crops Near You

🌽 From Blevins to and Washington, Hempstead County gardeners, small farms and home cooks post their extra harvest here for people nearby. Fruit, vegetables, cottage foods, plants, seeds and farm gear are all welcome. It's free to post, there's no cut taken, and local farm food carries no sales tax.

Farming in Hempstead County by the Numbers

Hempstead County has 622 farms on 230,281 acres (about 370 acres each). Together they sold $369.5 million of farm products in 2022, led by poultry & eggs, cattle and hogs.

Orchards and vineyards here grow grapes, and local fields produce squash, tomatoes and watermelons. Beekeepers tend about 35 honey bee colonies.

10 farms in Hempstead County already sell straight to the public, about $12,000 a year in direct sales. Crop Market gives them, and every backyard grower, a free way to reach more neighbors.

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2022 Census of Agriculture.

Farm Life in Hempstead County

Out in the pastures and barnyards, Hempstead County counts 370,581 egg-laying hens, 64,180 head of cattle and 9,669 hogs. Fresh farm eggs are one of the easiest things to buy and sell locally.

About 1,082 people run or help run farms in Hempstead County, with an average age of 57. 38% of them are women. 151 are under 35 - the next generation of local growers. 6 farms earn money from agritourism - things like u-pick fields, pumpkin patches, farm stays and corn mazes.

Where Hempstead County stands out: it ranks #7 of 75 AR counties for total farm sales and #13 of 65 AR counties for egg-laying hens.