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Category Archives: Metrics
Winter Reading for Market Managers
Mykalee McGowan November 10, 2022Summer is definitely over–despite the last few green tomatoes hanging around on my drooping backyard vines–and many markets are slowing down for the season, closing up shop entirely, or moving into smaller or warmer digs for winter. The darker months ahead are a great time for lots of things: drinking hot beverages, cross-country skiing, avoiding…
Using Data to Attract Market Shoppers
Ellie Wong August 18, 2022Last week, we announced the winners of the 2022 National Farmers Market Poster Contest. Now, we’d like to delve a little deeper into how our staff judged the poster submissions, using the metrics category as a case study. All the posters in this category aimed to present data in an accessible manner in order to…
Counting Farmers Market Visitors and Customers in 2022
Ellie Wong July 21, 2022Since a few markets and network leaders have reached out to me recently about how to count visitors, I thought I’d revisit the subject. Counting visitors can be tricky for many markets since they usually use open lots or parking areas with lots of entrances for shoppers to come in and have few (if any)…
What’s Up for 2022
Mykalee McGowan February 16, 2022Many of you have noticed and commented approvingly on the expansion of the FMC team in the last year. We now have 10 team members which will expand to 12 in 2022 — so keep an eye out for job announcements this spring. Also, anyone interested in providing curated, short-term contracted training to market leaders…
Metrics and Beyond
Ben Feldman December 10, 2020As 2020 comes to a close, farmers market operators across the country are reflecting on a year like no other, reviewing their results, and attempting to use the lessons to plan for 2021. While the future remains uncertain in many regards, the ability of markets to plan and prepare for the future is tied to…
Metrics 2020
Erica Anderson February 24, 2020As it’s early in the new year (and decade!), I want to reflect on what lies ahead in terms of data collection and Metrics. FMC’s 2020 priorities and direction for Metrics stem from us learning that direct work with Metrics users early in the process gets a much greater return in user satisfaction than continuing…
Maine Event
Darlene Wolnik January 28, 2020by Darlene Wolnik, Training and Technical Assistance Director I just got back from a wonderful week in Maine for the Maine Federation of Farmers Market (MFFM) Convention held during the Maine Ag Trades Show. I was able to attend courtesy of Maine’s Director of Agricultural Resource Development at the Department of Agriculture Conservation and…
Training and Technical Assistance 2020
Darlene Wolnik January 14, 2020In November of 2019, I accepted the brand-new position of Training and Technical Assistance Director at FMC, and in December, I began to build the T&TA team. With this evolution, FMC can offer sustained new training programs for market operators and more fully support existing training programs, seek and create additional desperately needed resources and…
Metrics/Evaluation 2.0, Part One
Darlene Wolnik August 27, 2019An update from FMC Senior Advisor Darlene Wolnik on the ongoing development of its Metrics product and on FMC’s work in providing overall evaluation and technical assistance to markets and networks. Background: FMC and evaluation Across the last decade, the increased use of data by market organizations to make decisions and to enlist new…
Metrics/Evaluation 2.0, Part Two
Darlene Wolnik August 26, 2019An update from FMC Senior Advisor Darlene Wolnik on the ongoing development of its Metrics product and on FMC’s work in providing overall evaluation and technical assistance to markets and networks. Part Two: Market Needs To illustrate the spectrum of different market needs in terms of evaluation, here is an outline of some market organizational…
