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Farmer perspectives on farmers markets in low-income urban areas: a case study in three Michigan cities

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Abstract

Farmers markets in low-income, urban areas (LIUA) struggle to establish and sustain themselves. Accordingly, farmer recruitment and retention remain a challenge. This paper examines the perspectives of farmers who have been recruited to participate in farmers markets located in LIUA. Taking an ethnographic approach, we seek to understand why farmers join, stay, and/or leave newly-developed farmers market in LIUA. In-depth interviews revealed different motivations for joining new LIUA markets and that these motivations were closely tied to farmers’ reasons for farming. We identified four categories of motivations: farming as (1) a primary livelihood strategy; (2) a new business opportunity; (3) recreation; (4) a social mission. Retention differed across these motivational categories. Farmers who joined LIUA farmers markets to support their livelihoods were the most likely to drop out of these markets. Farmers who used the farmers market to explore a new business opportunity were less likely to drop out and those who farmed for recreation or for a social mission were most loyal and did not drop out. The results indicate that understanding the motivations of farmers may be crucial to retaining farmers at LIUA farmers markets. They also indicate that farmers who are most suited to LIUA farmers markets may be currently overlooked by market managers who regularly target full-time livelihood vendors. These findings have implications for creating more stable farmers markets in LIUA.

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Abbreviations

LIUA:

Low-income, urban areas

SNAP:

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

USDA:

United States Department of Agriculture

PPS:

Project for Public Spaces

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Acknowledgements

This research was partially funded by a North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Graduate Student Grant (Grant No. GNC08-097). We would also like to thank the farmers we interviewed for their time and openness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University, 446 W. Circle Dr., Room 409, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Dru Montri

  2. Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University, 480 Wilson Rd, Room 131, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Kimberly Chung

  3. Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, 1066 Bogue St., Room A238, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA

    Bridget Behe

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Montri, D., Chung, K. & Behe, B. Farmer perspectives on farmers markets in low-income urban areas: a case study in three Michigan cities. Agric Hum Values 38, 1–14 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-020-10144-3

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