This multi-stamp issue is now confirmed, probably to be issued in August in Washington, D.C. (The June 26th Postal Bulletin confirms August 7th in Washington.)

From the USPS May 30th:

Fruits, vegetables, cheeses, flowers, and other fresh products invitingly displayed on tables or bins — farmers markets invite us to share America’s agricultural bounty.

Four se-tenant stamps depict a table laden with typical farmers-market fare. The stamp on the far left has among its products various fresh breads such as baguettes and rolls, cinnamon buns, cookies, artisan cheeses, and both brown and white eggs. The produce on the second stamp includes vegetables and fruits: apples, eggplants, watermelons, peppers, grapes, potatoes, broccoli, and gourds. Cut flowers adorn the next stamp, with bouquets of bright flowers next to a bucket of sunflowers and a collection of celosia. The final stamp on the far right features live plants, with various herbs, tomatoes, and flowers like marigolds and nasturtiums. Most items bear handwritten labels that identify the product and its price.

The artist chose and arranged the products so that each stamp has a large focal point; each stamp is complete in itself yet forms a cohesive whole with the entire stamp strip. The stamp art was created using acrylic paint.

Text on the back of the 20-stamp sheet describes the appeal of farmers markets.

Farmers markets are an old idea that’s new again. Markets were once the main way Americans shopped. As towns and cities grew in the 19th century, farms were pushed farther from the population hubs, and new distribution systems and permanent in-town shops increasingly became the middlemen between consumers and farmers. However, in 1976 Congress passed the Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act, and the number of markets has soared once more.

Farmers markets flourish in every U.S. state and territory. Some markets thrive in permanent locations that operate year round; others are open only once a week during the harvest season. There are markets that sell just produce and meats; others also offer seafood, breads, prepared foods, or dairy products. Markets might include locally sourced honey or artisan crafts like soaps and candles. Live plants or cut flowers brighten many markets, and some markets feature live music or children’s activities, voter-registration drives, or local master gardeners offering advice. There are almost as many different combinations of goods and activities as there are markets.

Considered by many to be the new town square, farmers markets offer, as they did in the past, a gathering place for diverse groups of neighbors to meet and mingle and to share news, recipes, and stories—in short, to create a new sense of community.

Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps with illustrations by Robin Moline.
The Farmers Markets stamps are being issued as Forever® stamps. These Forever stamps will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail® one-ounce rate

From the Postal Bulletin, July 10th:

On August 7, 2014, in Washington, DC, at The White House Farmers Market, the U.S. Postal Service will issue Farmers Markets (Forever First-Class Mail priced at 49-cents), in four designs, in a pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) pane of 20 stamps (Item 472500).

The stamps will go on sale nationwide August7, 2014.

The U.S. Postal Service celebrates the abundance and bounty of America’s farmers markets with four colorful se-tenant stamps depicting a table laden with products found at a typical farmers market. The stamp on the far left has, among its products, various baked goods, artisan cheeses, and eggs. The produce on the second stamp includes vegetables and fruits. Cut flowers adorn the third stamp. The stamp on the far right features live plants. Most items bear handwritten labels that identify the product and its price. Text on the back of the pane of 20 stamps describes the appeal of Farmers Markets. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps, which were illustrated by Robin Moline.

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmarkby mail. They maypurchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affixthe stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Farmers Markets
Special Events
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. Formore than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by October 6, 2014.

There are ten philatelic products for this stamp issue:

• 472506 Press Sheet w/Die cut, $49.00 (print quantity 1,000).
• 472508 Press Sheet w/o Die cut, $49.00 (print quantity 1,500).
• 472510 Digital Color Postmark Keepsake (Set of 4), $16.95.
• 472516 First-Day Cover (Set of 4), $3.72.
• 472521 Digital Color Postmark (Set of 4), $6.56.
• 472523 Notecards $13.95.
• 472524 Framed Art, $39.95.
• 472530 Ceremony Program, $6.95.
• 472531 Stamped Deck Card, $0.95.
• 472532 Stamped Deck Card w/Digital Color Postmark, $1.99.

Technical Specifications:

• Issue: Farmers Markets Stamps
• Item Number: 472500
• Denomination & Type of Issue: First-Class Mail Forever
• Format: Pane of 20 (4 designs)
• Series: N/A
• Issue Date & City: August 7, 2014, Washington, DC
• Designer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
• Art Director: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
• Typographer: Greg Breeding, Charlottesville, VA
• Artist: Robin Moline, Lakeland, MN
• Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
• Manufacturing Process: Offset
• Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
• Printed at: Williamsville, NY
• Press Type: Muller A76
• Stamps per Pane: 20
• Print Quantity: 100 million stamps
• Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tag
• Adhesive Type: Pressure-sensitive adhesive
• Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
• Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
• Stamp Orientation: Vertical
• Image Area (w x h): 0.77 x 1.11 in./19.56 x 28.07 mm
• Overall Size (w x h): 0.91 x 1.19 in./23.11 x 30.23 mm
• Full Pane Size (w x h): 4.75 x 8.25 in./120.65 x 209.55 mm
• Press Sheet Size (w x h): 23.75 x 8.25 in./603.25 x 209.55 mm
• Plate Size: 300 stamps per revolution
• Plate Numbers: “P” followed by 1111 (4) single digits
• Marginal Markings:
  Front: Plate number • Year of issue • Header (Farmers Markets)
  Back: © 2014 USPS • USPS logo • Plate position diagram • Barcode (472500) • Descriptive text • Promotional text

The unveiling at the first day ceremony:

Photo by Daniel Afzal, USPS.

L to R:

• Katherine C. Tobin, Ph.D., Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee Member
• Bernadine Prince, Co-Executive Director, FRESHFARM Markets
• Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture
• Patrick R. Donahoe, Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer
• Jim Crawford, Farmer, and Owner, New Morning Farm
• Ruth Y. Goldway, Chairman, U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission
• Robin Moline, Artist