More and more people across the country are embracing a movement that is bridging the gap between the farm and the table. On the heels of an increasing nationwide awareness regarding health and nutrition, consumers’ desire to reconnect with their food has taken hold.

For as long as we have had farms in this country, we have had farmers’ markets. Just like the early days of any industry, the product passed from the hands of the producer straight to those of the consumer.

As the population grew, so did the agriculture industry. Progress and innovation within the industry allowed our farmers to keep up with the rapid growth, providing the American people with the most abundant and affordable food supply in the world.

Unfortunately, along with growth and greater efficiency came a detachment from the farming process, and eventually from the farmers themselves. Suddenly, we were able to enjoy our favorite fruits and vegetables year-round, but no longer knew where they had been grown.

Recently however, farmers’ markets have been popping up all across America, right in the hearts of our most developed and industrialized cities. Families have begun to plan weekends around trips to the market and plan meals around what is available and in-season.

By bringing farms into the city, these markets are raising awareness about domestic agriculture among urban populations.

Farmers' markets in the United States have grown from 1,755 in 1994 to 4,385 in 2006 to 5,274 in 2009, representing an annual growth of more than 5 percent. Simply look at the “locally grown” section of any grocery store’s produce department to see how this trend is reaching food shoppers of all types.

However, in an age where a business deal can be made between two people halfway around the world, and a package can travel from Paris, Texas to Paris, France in less than a day, the term “locally grown” has taken on a whole new meaning.

“Farmers’ markets are great,” said Larry Combest, former chair of the House Agriculture Committee. “But a small farmers’ market in town can’t feed the whole city. Our idea of locally grown needs to expand.”

Combest suggests that Americans start thinking of all food and fiber grown in the United States as being locally grown.

Reconnecting with all U.S. farmers the same way we have with the men and women at our local farmers’ markets will be difficult but essential, he says.

We couldn’t agree more. Start reconnecting now by checking out the farmer profiles below.

Linda Raun—A group of Texas farmers traveled more than 2,000 miles to New York City to meet with urban reporters and talk about the importance of our rural communities. Among the group was Linda Raun, a rice farmer from the Gulf Coast of Texas whose very own rice was sitting right under her nose.

Barry Evans—Barry Evans is far from a rich corporate mogul, but gets called one nearly every day by the handful of zealots who seemingly want to return to the days of mule-drawn plows.

Beth Clanton—Eleven years ago, Clanton was a second grade school teacher in Seminole, Texas. Her husband was a peanut and cotton farmer, and together, they had two daughters.

Noel Shapiro—As a young boy, Noel and his family fled Poland over fears of an invasion from Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany. This came just one generation after the Shapiros left Russia when Vladimir Lenin took control.