MONROE COUNTY MARKET

Monroe County, Tennessee Farmers Market — Buy & Sell Local Crops Near You

🌽 From Hiwassee College to and Vonore, Monroe County gardeners, small farms and home cooks post their extra harvest here for people nearby. Watch for local sweet corn when it comes into season in Tennessee. Posting an ad is free and sellers keep every dollar.

Farming in Monroe County by the Numbers

Monroe County has 740 farms on 97,164 acres (about 131 acres each). Together they sold $35 million of farm products in 2022, led by dairy (milk), cattle and corn.

Orchards and vineyards here grow apples, pears and sweet cherries, and local fields produce green beans, sweet corn, cucumbers and watermelons. Beekeepers tend about 509 honey bee colonies.

35 farms in Monroe County already sell straight to the public, about $315,000 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 Monroe County

Out in the pastures and barnyards, Monroe County counts 31,274 head of cattle, 2,432 egg-laying hens and 814 horses and ponies. Grass-fed beef sold by the quarter or half is a common way ranchers sell direct.

About 1,330 people run or help run farms in Monroe County, with an average age of 57. 35% of them are women. 122 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 Monroe County stands out: it ranks #9 of 92 TN counties for honey bee colonies.