Abstract
To collect consumer demographics, utilization, satisfaction, and eating and physical activity behavior information from customers using two newly established farmers’ markets in low income urban communities in East and South Los Angeles. From April 1, 2007 through June 3, 2009, farmers’ market customers completed a short, anonymous survey. The data analysis included a descriptive analysis of key variables and examined the number of new and repeat customers over time to track the rate of farmers’ market use over time. Setting: The East Los Angeles Farmers’ Market and the Watts Healthy Farmers’ Market. Subjects: 415 farmers’ market customers from East Los Angeles and 1,374 from South Los Angeles. The demographic profile of farmers’ market consumers were primarily Latina women earning less than $22,000 per year with less than 12 years of education who reported some level of food insecurity. Most customers lived within 4 miles of the markets with repeat customers shopping twice a month or more. Overall, customers reported high satisfaction with the farmers’ markets in each community and the majority reported positive changes in physical activity and eating behaviors since using the market. Many consumers reported they wanted to see additional items sold at the market, including prepared foods, non-food items and other products not allowed to be sold at certified farmers’ markets.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bader, M. D., Ailshire, J. A., Morenoff, J. D., & House, J. S. (2010). Measurement of the local food environment: A comparison of existing data sources. American Journal of Epidemiolgy, 171(5), 609–617.
Bader, M. D., Purciel, M., Yousefzadeh, P., & Neckerman, K. M. (2010). Disparities in neighborhood food environments: Implications of measurement strategies. Economic Geography, 86(4), 409–430.
Baker, E. A., Schootman, M., Barnidge, E., & Kelly, C. (2006). The role of race and poverty in access to foods that enable individuals to adhere to dietary guidelines. Preventing Chronic Disease, 3(3), A76.
Basiotis, P., Carlson, S., Gerrior, S., Juan, W. Y., & Lino, M. (2002). The healthy eating index: 1999–2000. Department of agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
Bazzano, L. A., He, J., Ogden, L. G., Loria, C. M., Vupputuri, S., Myers, L., et al. (2002). Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: The first national health and nutrition examination survey epidemiologic follow up study. American Journal Clinical Nutrition, 76, 93–99.
Beaulac, J., Kristjansson, E., & Cummins, S. (2009). A systematic review of food deserts, 1966–2007. Preventing Chronic Disease, Public Health Research, Practice and Policy, 6(3), A105.
Brown, C. (2008). The impacts of local markets: A review of research on farmers markets and community supported agriculture (CSA). American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 90(90), 1296–1302.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Obesity trends. Trends by state 1985–2008. Retrieved April 19, 2011, from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html.
Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Annual update of the HHS poverty guidelines federal register.
Fisher, A. (1999). Hot peppers and parking lot peaches: Evaluating farmer’s markets in low income communities. Venice, CA: Community Food Security Coalition.
Flegal, K. M., Carroll, M. D., Ogden, C. L., & Curtin, L. R. (2010). Prevalence and trends in obesity among US adults, 1999–2008. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303(3), 235–241.
Institute of Medicine. (2009). Local government actions to prevent childhood obesity. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.
Joshipura, K. J., Hu, F. B., Manson, J. E., Stampfer, M. J., Rimm, E. B., Speizer, F. E., et al. (2001). The effect of fruit and vegetable intake on risk for coronary heart disease. Annals of Internal Medicine, 134, 1106–1114.
Key, T. J., Schatzkin, A., Willett, W. C., Allen, N. E., Spencer, E. A., & Travis, R. C. (2004). Diet, nutrition, and the prevention of cancer. Public Health Nutrition, 7, 187–200.
Khan, L., Sobush, K., Keener, D., Goodman, K., Lowry, A., Kakietek, J., & Zaro, S. (2009). Recommended community strategies and measurements to prevent obesity in the United States. MMWR.
Kipke, M. D., Iverson, E., Moore, D., Booker, C., Ruelas, V., Peters, A. L., et al. (2007). Food and park environments: Neighborhood-level risks for childhood obesity in East Los Angeles. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40(4), 325–333.
Kumanyika, S., & Grier, S. (2006). Targeting interventions for ethnic minority and low-income populations. The Future of Children, 16(1), 187–207.
Larsen, K., & Gilliland, J. (2008). Mapping the evolution of ‘food deserts’ in a Canadian city: Supermarket accessibility in London, Ontario, 1961–2005. International Journal of Health Geographics, 7, 16.
Larsen, K., & Gilliland, J. (2009). A farmers’ market in a food desert: Evaluating impacts on the price and availability of healthy food. Health Place, 15(4), 1158–1162.
Los Angeles Times. Southern Californai farmers’ markets. Retrieved 5/24/11, from http://projects.latimes.com/farmers-markets/.
Mead, M. N. (2008). The sprawl of food deserts. Environmental Health Perspect, 116(8), A335.
Morland, K., Wing, S., & Roux, A. D. (2002). The contextual effect of the local food environment on residents’ diets: The atherosclerosis risk in communities study. American Journal of Public Health, 92(11), 1761–1768.
National Research Center Inc. (2006). Community food project evaluation handbook and the community food project evaluation toolkit.
Office of Health Assessment and Epidemiology. (2007). LA health trends, diabetes on the rise. Los Angeles County, Department of Public Health.
Office of Health Assessment and Epidemiology. (2009). Key indicators of health. Los Angeles County, Department of Public Health.
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Curtin, L. R., Lamb, M. M., & Flegal, K. M. (2010). Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents, 2007–2008. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303(3), 242–249.
Smoyer-Tomic, K. E., Spence, J. C., & Amrhein, C. (2006). Food deserts in the prairies? Supermarket accessibility and neighborhood need in Edmonton, Canada. Professional Geographer, 58(3), 307–326.
Story, M., Kaphingst, K. M., Robinson-O’Brien, R., & Glanz, K. (2008). Creating healthy food and eating environments: Policy and environmental approaches. Annual Review of Public Health, 23, 253–272.
Surgeon General. (2010). Surgeon general’s vision for a healthy and fit nation 2010. Retrieved 4/28/11, from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/obesityvision/obesityvision2010.pdf.
US Bureau of Census. (2000). Census, 2000.
US Department if Agriculture A. M. S. A. (2007). Farmers market growth: 1994–2006. From http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarket/FarmersMarketGrowth.htm.
United States Department of Agriculture. Farmers markets and local food marketing. Retrieved 4/19/11, from http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/FarmersMarkets.
White, M. (2007). Food access and obesity. Obesity Review, 8(suppl 1), 99–107.
Wolf, A. M., & Colditz, G. A. (1998). Current estimates of the economic cost of obesity in the United States. Obesity Research, 6(2), 97–106.
Zepeda, L. (2009). Which little piggy goes to the market? Characteristics of US farmers’ market shoppers. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 33, 250–257.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ruelas, V., Iverson, E., Kiekel, P. et al. The Role of Farmers’ Markets in Two Low Income, Urban Communities. J Community Health 37, 554–562 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-011-9479-y
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-011-9479-y