Managing farmer and consumer expectations: A study of a North Carolina farmers market

Human Organization, Summer 2002 by Andreatta, Susan, Wickliffe, William II

The overall goal of this research was to better understand the cultural relationships between the food-selling habits of farmers and the food-buying habits of consumers at a farmers market located near three urban centers in North Carolina. The project focused on farmers' and consumers' expectations and was designed to identify how the success of the market can be improved. Such improvement should increase consumers' satisfaction with the market and also increase farmers' quality of life. This study shows that the farmers market itself plays an important role in structuring the relationships between farmers and consumers and in determining whether the experiences of selling and buying at the market are satisfying to them. The market is more than just a physical space for commercial transactions; rather, the market, and the policies and regulations that govern its operation, is an active contributor to the cultural dynamic within which those transactions take place. Our findings emphasize the importance of understanding the market as a context within which farmers and consumers make their marketing and buying decisions. Key words: farmers markets, agriculture, North Carolina

Social scientists have been examining ways to increase community support for local agriculture and local foods and to retard the loss of agricultural space and renew our connection with the local agro-food system. An important part of this process is increasing interest in direct marketing, where farmers sell their fresh-picked produce and value-added products directly to consumers (Byczynski 2000, 2001). Direct marketing activities include farmers markets, roadside stands, community supported agriculture (CSAs),1 and pick-your-own operations, as well as sales to chefs at restaurants and institutions. Often products at direct markets are sold only hours after being picked, a claim supermarkets cannot make (Gibson 1994). These forms of direct marketing build relationships through one-on-one interaction, from which emerge loyalty, trust, and reliability. Although other forms of direct marketing have developed recently, such as Web-based buying clubs and mail-order deliveries, these are not local and lack face-to-face interaction.

The simplest view of a direct marketing relationship is that consumers and farmers are motivated primarily by economic considerations, consumers seeking the lowestpriced foods and farmers seeking the highest return on their labor and investment. However, the economics of the situation are only a part of the story. Food choice and growing practices are heavily dependent on cultural as well as economic factors, and at some urban markets the influx of immigrants both as buyers and vendors adds to cultural diversity. In addition, growing interest among some consumers in caring for the earth and their bodies has led many to seek out organic farm produce.2

Of all the direct marketing approaches that link consumers with their agro-food system, the oldest is the farmers market, a location designated by a community or state where farmers convene to sell their products on a seasonal, weekly, or daily basis (forum, Rosenzeig, and Gibson 2001; Gibson 1994). Farmers markets are especially important to small farmers, who have difficulty finding a place in the industrial marketing system because of their limited production. The markets also help reduce insurance, advertising, and other marketing costs. The number of farmers markets has been increasing in recent years. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that 2,863 farmers markets operated in the United States in 2000, a 64 percent increase from 1994 (USDA 2001; Organic Gardening 2001). There is clearly support for farmers markets among both farmers and consumers, and strengthening their effectiveness would help small-scale farmers thrive in the face of competition from agribusinesses and other large producers. As in any commercial enterprise, the success of a market depends on how well the farmers' marketing strategies match consumers' preferences and expectations, and how well the opportunities provided by the market match the needs of the farmers.

The research reported here examines some of the cultural variables that contribute to understanding the dynamics of a farmers market from both farmers' and consumers' perspectives. Understanding these variables makes it possible to identify marketing strategies that appeal to those groups of consumers and farmers that can be reliably and consistently attracted to the opportunities available at a farmers market. Combining an understanding of the needs and interests of farmers with consumers' motivations is critical if farmers are to design appropriate planting and marketing strategies. For example, if most consumers at a farmers market are not primarily interested in inexpensive food, but in knowing more about how their food is grown, farmers would be better served by designing informative displays rather than by lowering their prices to compete with local supermarkets. Identifying such marketing strategies will allow farmers to connect with the consumers most likely to adapt their purchasing to the farmers' own patterns of production. This research was designed to determine both farmers' and consumers' expectations of farmers markets. What can we learn about these expectations that can assist in the planning of future markets and help assure their survival?