Goals/Objectives:

The Goal that is related to your objectives: Increase consumer interest and engagement in
local farmers markets.

Process: Increase consumers interest and attendance at farmers markets by creating an easy
to use website for farmers market consumers to provide information about the farmers market.

Outcome Objectives: Increase consumers interest and attendance at farmers markets by

increasing awareness and access through an online informational website.

Write your process objective: To
encourage consumers to use locally grown
food, support local farmers, contribute to the
community through farmers markets, and
overall increase attendance and interest in
farmers markets over the course of two
years.
Write your outcome objective: Farmers market
consumers will have year round access to fresh
and local produce, have the opportunity to foster
producer-consumer relationships while supporting
local farmers, learn about the history of
underrepresented farmers as well as the land and
produce itself through free online resources.

Specific? yes Specific? yes

Measurable? yes Measurable? yes

Attainable? yes Attainable? yes

Relevant? yes Relevant? yes

Timebound? Is a yes Timebound? Is a timeframe specified? yes

timeframe specified?

Is there a direction of yes Is there a direction of change specified? yes

change specified?

Is an area of change yes Is an area of change specified? yes

specified?

Is a target population yes Is a target population specified? yes

specified?

Describe an action plan related to your specific process and outcome objectives:

A website will be made which will encompass all the aspects of our project for consumers to
have easily accessible/accurate information about our farmers markets and what we have to
offer. There will be logistical information about where the farmers market it, when it is
happening, what they are selling, prices, and SNAP/EBT/Double Bucks user information. It will
also include information about the farmers and vendors involved to foster producer-consumer
relationships, the land/community in which the produce is grown, history about
underrepresented farmers. Lastly, it will give the consumer options to contact these farmers and
vendors and explain how to get involved in the community with them! Consumer interest in
farmers markets has been on the rise so we want to tailor to their needs and wants for this to be
as successful as possible.

Project Description:

Subheading: The Found and Farmed Consumers Corner

The “Found and Farmed Consumer’s Corner” will be an online website/resource center solely
focused on providing farmers market consumers with all the information and services they are
looking for. The website will be created prior to the actual farmers market taking place as a way
to publicly market The “Found and Farmed” Project. The website will encompass all the aspects
of our project for consumers to have easily accessible information about our farmers markets and
what we have to offer. The study “Strategic management for community-based markets: From
consumers' perspectives and experiences” outlined some of the most important characteristics of
farmers markets that consumers desire. These include a warm and friendly atmosphere,
competent and helpful workers, and diverse/fresh products (Chen). It was also shown that a lack
of pricing, sizes, and nutrition information on the products themselves was something consumers
thought was lacking (Chen). Lastly, consumers were asking for better organization within the
farmers market as well as increased online resources (Chen). Based on this the Found and
Farmed Consumers Corner will fill the gaps and provide all information necessary and wanted
to consumers. To start simple, there will be logistical information about where the farmers
market will be taking place, when it is happening, what is being sold and at what cost, as well as
SNAP/EBT/Double Bucks incentive information. It will also include information about the
farmers and vendors involved to foster producer-consumer relationships, the land/community in
which the produce is grown, and history about underrepresented farmers. Lastly, it will give the
consumer options to contact these farmers and vendors and explain how to get involved in the
community with them! The goal of the “Consumer Corner” is to encourage consumers to overall
increase attendance and interest in farmers markets, cook locally grown food, and support local
farmers. Consumer interest in farmers markets has been on the rise so we want to tailor to their
needs and wants for this to be as successful as possible.
 Action Plan:

During the first year of the Found and Farmed Project, the Consumers Corner Website is
going to play a big role in encouraging consumer engagement with the farmers markets. To start
off, the website itself will be created during the months of September to December. There will be
many resources embedded into the website such as a contact center where consumers can
contact local farmers and vendors with any questions or concerns. In addition to all logistical
information about where it will take place, when, what will be sold, etc. During the months of
January to April the website will be used to reach out to individuals of the community to increase
awareness of the project itself. Following this from May to August the farmers market will be
taking place. During the farmers market season the website will play a role in providing real time
updates and information to the consumers, answering any questions, as well as helping
consumers get involved in the community. Lastly, the website will have a feedback option to
collect data over the course of the year about the successes and failures of the project.
Following the first year, from the months of September to December there will be an evaluation
of these successes and failures as well as making and changes to the website or project as a
whole based on these. From January to April of the second year outreaching to previous
consumers will take place often to keep their interest and engagement high leading into the
second farmers market season. During May to August, the second farmers market season will
take place and the website will once again give consumers constant updates, information, tips,
and opportunities to get involved throughout the season. During the final year from September
to December an analysis of the previous years successes and failures will be identified and any
changes will be made to be better for the third farmers market season. From January to
February an emphasis will be placed on the importance of consumer involvement in the farmers
market for the final season to hopefully continue it for another year. Then lastly, during May to
August the Farmers Market season will take place, the website will continue to provide relevant
and accurate information for the consumer and keep its main priority on catering to consumer
needs.

Year 1
S O N D J F M A M J J A

Create the online website including
farmer/vendor information, Logistics of
the farmers markets, Information about
services offered.
Create goals for the success of the
online website
Create final outreach before the
beginning of the season, include an
activity with an incentive to increase
engagement
The farmers market is taking place,
updates about current events throughout
the season, answering all questions
through the contact center on the
website

Year 2
S O N D J F M A M J J A

Evaluate the success of the
consumer outreach from the
website
Create a section outlining the
achievements from the last year
Second formal consumer outreach
before the farmers market season
The farmers market is taking place,
updates about current events throughout
the season, answering all questions
through the contact center on the
website, documenting any successes or
failures to evaluate later, make small
 Acknowledge and fix any issues that fixes where necessary and possible
may have arisen

Year 3
S O N D J F M A M J J A

Go over the failures and successes
identified from the past year, make
changes where necessary
Evaluate the overall success on reaching
and meeting the needs of our consumers
Announcement of the third year of the
found and farmed project, market the
farmers market through the website,
emphasize the importance of support
from the consumers for the final year
.
The farmers market is taking place,
continual updates about current
events/information about the
products or the farmers market
being uploaded, consumer
questions will be answered,
additional documentation of the
successes and failures of the
farmers market season kept from
consumer feedback for later
analysis.

Literature Review - Consumer Perspective of Farmers Markets

(Consumers Corner)

Farmer’s Markets have been increasing in popularity over the recent years but there
remains lack of research relating to farmers market consumer needs and desires. Understanding
the consumers you are serving is an integral part of running a successful farmers market. The
current research out there that investigated different consumer perspectives of different farmers
markets all concluded with similar results. Each research study consisted of one or more farmers
markets and a questionnaire requesting that the participants, farmer market consumers, answer
questions regarding individual demographic information, the farmers market overall experience,
any foreseen barriers, and their own motivations/beliefs. The overall goal was to gain a better
understanding of the consumer perspective. The results of the studies indicated that the overall
demographic of farmers market consumers consists of mostly married, middle aged, white
women (Chen 2021, Dodds 2014, Alonso 2011). The most important characteristics that
consumer’s desired/enjoyed at the farmers markets were identified as a warm and friendly
atmosphere, competent and helpful workers, healthier diet and lifestyle, environmental concerns,
and quality/availability of fresh produce (Chen 2021, Dodds 2014). It was found that 80% of
participants in the northeast would pay more for local produce, showing how the demand is
rising and understanding how to meet the needs of the consumer is becoming so much more
important (Schneider 2005). Participants using WIC, SNAP, FMNP program benefits were able
to buy more fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmers market than the grocery store (Headrick
2020). The biggest identified barriers/areas of improvement were the accessibility of the
location, hours/days of operation, and pricing of the products (Dodds 2014). In another study
consumers wanted to see more opportunities for producer/consumer relationships to foster, better
overall organization and outreach about the farmers market, reduced plastic bag use, and better
access for the disabled/elderly (Alonso 2011). Farmers markets have the opportunity to be ust be
a place of purchasing fresh and local produce, it is a place of social interaction for many
consumers. Many of the respondents commented that they enjoyed learning about, supporting,
and “connecting” to the community that many of them live in. It is also a great place to teach
consumers not only about the land itself but the benefits and opportunities that locally grown
produce can bring to a community to increase overall engagement and attendance at the farmers
market (Alonso 2011). One study requested feedback on how to improve farmers markets as a
whole. It was suggested that farmers market producers should emphasize the quality of their
products, show consumers how they are helping the community and local food system, and give
a surplus of opportunities for consumers to learn and engage with producers (Dodd 2014). There
are so many opportunities for farmers markets around the nation, understanding the consumer
perspective is one way to ensure their success.

References

Additional information FundingThis work was supported by the Johns Hopkins Center for a
Livable Future; United Stated Department of Agriculture Marketing Service., G. H.
(n.d.). Customers' views on the implementation of a farmers market incentive program:
Successes and opportunities for improvement. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved February 22,
2023, from
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19320248.2020.1842282?scroll=top&need
Access=true&role=tab

Alonso, A. D., & O’Neill, M. A. (2011). A comparative study of farmers’ markets visitors’ needs
and wants: the case of Alabama. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 35(3),
290–299. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00931.x

Chen, C.-J. R., Yu, T.-H. E., & Fu, R. J. C. (2021, May 13). Strategic management for
community-based markets: From consumers' perspectives and experiences. MDPI.
Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/10/5469

DODDS, R., HOLMES, M., ARUNSOPHA, V., CHIN, N., TRANG LE, MAUNG, S., &
SHUM, M. (2014). Consumer Choice and Farmers’ Markets. Journal of Agricultural and
Environmental Ethics, 27(3), 397–416.
https://eds-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.montclair.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=
f3678d49-7b37-474b-85fb-1f7916f2ff8e%40redis

Schneider, M. L., & Francis, C. A. (2005). Marketing locally produced foods: Consumer and
farmer opinions in Washington County, Nebraska. Renewable Agriculture and Food
Systems, 20(4), 252–260. http://www.jstor.org/stable/44490449