Describes trends in direct selling by farmers in Italy by region, product and place of sale. Proposes a model of variables that affect the probability of a farmer adopting direct sales: farmer (gender, age, off-farm income); farm (farm type, work units, standard gross margin) and location (region, altimetry, less favoured area). Tests whether being near an urban area is a factor, by looking at 699 farms in the Lazio region around Rome, and concludes it does make it more likely.