A comparative study of farmers' markets visitors' needs and wants: the case of Alabama
A comparative study of farmers' markets visitors' needs and wants: the case of Alabama
复制标题
DOI：
10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00931.x
复制
发表时间：
2011-05
影响因子：
9.9
通讯作者：
A. Alonso;M. O'Neill
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
A. Alonso;M. O'Neill
许多研究都提到了农贸市场对食品生产者和游客的重要性。对于生产者来说，获得更高回报和/或将其部分产品作为增值产品销售的能力可能是强有力的激励，而对消费者来说，好处包括获得更新鲜、往往更美味的食物，或者只是作为一种社交活动来参观。然而，相对较少的研究是从游客的角度，即从他们的农贸市场体验来探索游客的需求和愿望。本研究探讨了这一维度，比较了游客在两个不同农贸市场的看法，一个是最近在农村地区开发的（自2009年以来），另一个是在大学城（城市地区）建立的（自2004年以来）。共有356名农贸市场游客参与了这项研究。受访者来自两个不同农贸市场的评论在他们的需求和愿望方面非常一致。首先，游客想要更多的产品种类，一个延长的季节，即不仅仅局限于夏季，和更多的供应商。超过一半的受访者经常去农贸市场，这表明他们对当地生产的食品有需求和兴趣。鉴于这种强烈的兴趣，在研究的地点进行有益的生产者-消费者互动的潜力似乎是巨大的。此外，农民和其他食品生产者有一个理想的机会来增加消费者的兴趣，“转化”他们的食物，并在这个过程中实现重要的利益。总体的研究结果还表明，在一个有着悠久农业传统的州（阿拉巴马州）建立其他农贸市场是有机会的。
Many studies refer to the importance of farmers' markets for both food producers and for visitors. For producers, the ability to obtain higher returns and/or market part of their produce as value-added products can be strong incentives, while for consumers benefits include having access to fresher, often tastier foods or simply visiting as a social activity. Relatively few studies, however, explore visitors' needs and wants with regards to their farmers' market experience, that is, from visitors' perspective. The present study explores this dimension, comparing visitors' views in two different farmers' markets, one recently developed (since 2009) in a rural area vs. one already established (since 2004) in a university town (urban area). A total of 356 farmers' market visitors participated in the study. Respondents' comments from the two different farmers' markets are very much in agreement in the context of their needs and wants. Primarily, visitors want more product variety, an extended season, that is, not only limited to the summer season, and more vendors. The fact that more than half of the respondents regularly visit farmers' markets demonstrates their need and interest in locally produced foods. Given such strong interest, the potential for beneficial producer–consumer interactions in the sites studied appears to be enormous. Furthermore, farmers and other food producers have an ideal opportunity to increase the interest of consumers, ‘convert’ them to their foods and realise important benefits in the process. The overall findings also suggest opportunities for the establishment of other farmers' markets in a state (Alabama) with a long agricultural tradition.