NOTE: A version of this post first appeared on our local sister site, The Dirt on Green. 

2009 is in the books, but as we look forward to the tweens, one trend that will likely carry over from the '90s and the aughts is the increase in the buying and selling of local food. Back in October, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the number of farmers markets in the US increased by 13 percent -- one of the biggest increases in recent history. The USDA table above shows the number of farmers markets in the country over the past 15 years. 

"The back-to-the land movement has loads of people buying local food, choosing foods produced under more sustainable conditions and growing their own food. The number of small farms in America increased last year for the first time in a century. Seed companies cannot keep up with the demand. It will be fun to follow what happens with this trend."