How Markets Can Help Farmer Vendors: Changes in Location
By: Dan Blaustein Rejto Posted On: August 12, 2015
To better understand the evolving needs of farmers markets and the farmers who sell at them, American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition teamed up with C2It Marketing to complete a national survey of farmers who sell at farmers markets. This is part of a series of posts on the results of this survey. Read the other posts here.
Direct-marketing farmers were asked, “What could be done to help you and your farmers market be more successful?
Location
A handful of respondents noted that a change in market location would be beneficial, providing better access to customers, water, restrooms, electricity, shade, recreational areas and other valued amenities.
One vendor recommended that markets, “Be located in an area where the community is already doing their weekly food shopping. I love aesthetics and cute and quaint, but it doesn’t translate to sales when the market is out of the way. We are doing this as a full-time business and not a hobby, and what business locates itself in an inconvenient location?”
Read more about the survey responses…
About the Survey:
The Direct Market Farmers: National Survey, conducted in March 2015, yielded an impressive response from over 1,500 farmers and ranchers across the United States, benchmarking this survey as one of the largest of its kind completed on record.
US-based farmers and ranchers invited to participate in the survey were selected based on their online presence (e.g. email, website, food/agriculture directory, etc.) and an indication of participation in the following activities:
- Farmers markets and/or CSAs
- Selling directly to consumers
- Local, regional and/or federal agriculture programs
- Educational studies
