Metrics

In 2014, the Farmers Market Coalition, in partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, identified over 80 metrics through examining market reports and speaking with market practitioners and researchers. From this list, a total of 37 metrics were selected and refined for use in the AFRI-funded Indicators for Impact pilot project.

The metrics selected for use in the Indicators for Impact project are listed below. They are in draft form and will be updated regularly. The Farmers Market Coalition will continue to identify and refine metrics to add to this list over time and welcomes researchers and markets in assisting with that process.

The first bolded four common metrics were required to be collected at all nine markets during the pilot project.

  1. Estimated number of visitors
  2. Total market sales
  3. Average distance in miles traveled from farm to market
  4. Total agricultural acres owned, leased, or managed by market vendors
  5. Number of vendors who sold through the market at least once per year
  6. Sales tax revenue generated from market sales
  7. Dollars spent at neighboring businesses by market shoppers on market days
  8. Dollar amount of debit/credit sales
  9. Number of individuals employed by market businesses
  10. Total farm vendor sales
  11. Average spending per shopper per visit
  12. Percentage of farm vendors with <10 years farming experience
  13. Percent of shoppers who were first time visitors
  14. Number of SNAP transactions
  15. Total amount of SNAP benefits redeemed
  16. Total amount of WIC FMNP benefits redeemed
  17. Total amount of WIC/CVV benefits redeemed
  18. Number of SNAP/EBT customers participating in incentive campaign
  19. Number of SNAP/EBT customers using benefits on more than one market day
  20. Average number of SNAP-eligible goods available per market day
  21. Senior FMNP redeemed
  22. Number or percentage women-owned producer businesses selling at least once at the market
  23. Number of socially disadvantaged vendors
  24. Number of food products for sale unique to the region
  25. Number of farm vendors with organic certification selling at market
  26. Number of products sold as Certified Organic or certified by other third-party sustainability criteria
  27. Number of different fruits and vegetable crops available for sale
  28. Transportation methods used by market visitors
  29. Percentage of agricultural producers at market who are under 35 years old
  30. Number of volunteer hours contributed
  31. Percentage of shoppers from represented zip codes
  32. Pounds or retail value of food donated by vendors
  33. Number of food education activities hosted
  34. Average hours from harvest to point of sale
  35. Number and type of educational materials distributed through market monthly
  36. Two most frequently purchased fruits or vegetables
  37. Number of youth participating in market events

Coming Soon: Farmers Market Metrics Training Module 2: Metric Selection

How did we get to 37?  a presentation on how the Indicators for Impact project team determined the first round of metrics

AFRI vignettes: markets share their metric selection process (in development)