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

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

These farmers all saw farmers markets in general as good places to sell their product, both because they could get a better price than elsewhere and because they valued the interaction with consumers. Comments from the focus groups included: "The market is an opportunity to show off your product." "It is a market where you can sell most of your product." "There is a good product mix for sale; there is variety, choice of selection." "A customer can pick out the best quality and compare with other farmers' products." "Direct marketing provides better and higher prices." Farmers in the focus groups also enjoyed the interactions with consumers afforded by selling at the market as well as the opportunity for educating consumers, especially children, about farms, farming, and the food they sell. The farmers also saw the PTFM as a nice facility. They were not on a roadside, or in a field, but under a roof selling at a facility that had restrooms, electricity and running water. Water was helpful for those who needed to water plants or sprinkle on produce to keep it looking fresh.

Although the farmers spoke favorably about the market, they also noted a number of negative comments when responding to listing the negative aspects of selling at PTFM. For example, some farmers have stopped selling at the PTFM because they could not be guaranteed a place to sell on Saturday or because they could not get a space where the consumer traffic flow is good. Farmers commented that it was not worth their time to get up at 3:00 A.M. to be at the market before 5:00 A.M. to sell only $60 worth of produce. Overall, these farmers said they had to spend too much time at the market the during the week to hold on to a space for Saturday.

Several farmers contacted for this study had stopped selling at PTFM for a variety of reasons. For example, of the 102 who were asked to participate in a focus group, 22 (21.6%) no longer sold at PTFM, and of these, 12 (11.8%) had stopped because of dissatisfaction with the market.

In one-on-one interviews and in the focus groups farmers commented on their concern with the misrepresentation of the products sold at the market. There are vendors at the market who resell each other's products, or who buy in Virginia, South Carolina, or Georgia to resell at the PTFM. A further concern is what is sold. According to management, 51 percent of what is sold needs to be produced on-farm by the growers whose farms are being represented by the products, but they do not have to identify what is theirs and what was purchased.

Prospects and Problems for the Future

Development of the PTFM

How are we to view the future development of the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market on the basis of the data collected in this study, and what insights might we gather about the role of farmers markets generally in supporting a local agrofood system? As noted earlier, there are three stages of farmers market development (Lloyd, Nelson, and Tilley 1987). In the relatively volatile Stage One, which generally lasts the first couple of years, farmers believe the market is unstable and too risky to support with their time and product. Because of its newness, customers also have not found the market or at least do not depend on it as a regular source of their fresh fruits and vegetables. Consumers' lack of support at this time might not be unfounded if there is insufficient product. The PTFM has weathered this first stage, for there are part-time and full-time farmers, hobby farmers, and vegetable merchants selling regularly at the market. The market also has a strong consumer base, with a majority of visitors traveling significant distances to attend regularly (especially on Saturdays during the summer months) and spend substantial amounts of money.