80% Have Visited a Farmers Market, Study Finds

Farmers markets put growers and shoppers face to face, and most Americans have attended at least one. Reports from the University of Wisconsin show 80% of people have been to a farmers market, and some attendees return more than once.

At a market stand, a vendor selling farm-fresh vegetables can talk with shoppers about the seeds used, whether plants were sprayed, how produce is stored, and what is available by season. The answers give shoppers a clear picture of how the food was grown. A vendor can also describe the challenges faced while a crop was in bloom.

Shoppers ask those questions because a market stall carries no anonymous packaging. People who want fresh produce meet the people who grew it. Repeated visits give a vendor time to learn what each shopper buys and prefers.

Growing for a market starts with the season. A grower looks at soil, climate, customer demand, and harvest windows before choosing what to plant. Succession planting can keep a stand supplied, meaning a grower knows what to sow after each harvest. Rimol Greenhouses works with growers who want to extend a growing season and protect crops.

Produce should be harvested before market day so it reaches shoppers at its best. Before leaving for the market, a vendor washes, sorts, and bundles the goods, then loads coolers, signage, tents, and tables.

Vendors keep shoppers coming back in several ways. Greeting customers by name, remembering what they buy, setting aside favorite items, offering loyalty cards, and sharing recipes all play a part. Fair and transparent pricing does too. These steps make a shopper feel valued, and consistent use of them brings the same person to the same stand week after week.

The University of Wisconsin reports that some market attendees return more than once. A vendor who sees the same shoppers week after week learns what they want and can set those items aside.

A grower who plans planting around the season, harvests at peak, and keeps a stand stocked can count on seeing shoppers at the next market day.