SACRAMENTO - With its milder weather and year-round production of crops, California leads the nation in winter farmers' markets with 284, according to a USDA directory.

The figure is nearly double last year's total, the California Farm Bureau Federation noted. The increase comes as the National Farmers Market Directory has seen a 52 percent spike in winter listings nationwide.

New York is second with 156 winter farmers' markets and Florida is third with 105.

The USDA's directory of farmers' markets can be found at http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/ .