Manager and vendor perceptions of farmers’ markets’ impacts on communities: evidence from Michigan

Abstract

PurposeThe purposes of this paper are to: (1) characterize farmers’ market manager and vendor perceptions of the economic, social and environmental impact markets have on their local communities; and (2) how those impacts are tracked and communicated to market actors and the local community.Design/methodology/approachTwenty-nine semistructured interviews were conducted with market managers and vendors across four farmers’ markets within Michigan. The interviews were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis.FindingsManagers and vendors report economic and social and environmental benefits associated with the presence of a farmers' market, consistent with the existing literature. Metrics are tracked to estimate market impact, particularly economic and social benefits. Market managers reported uncertainty about how best to use data internally, and there are gaps in communicating market impacts with vendors. Most data are used for external reporting, to statewide organizations or for grant evaluation. Respondents reported data fatigue and unwillingness among vendors to share personal business information due to concerns about privacy relative to the perceived benefits of sharing data.Practical implicationsAdditional resources are needed for markets, specifically market managers, to better utilize the data they collect for internal versus external purposes.Originality/valueMetric collection and reporting are a nascent development among markets. Understanding how market actors are utilizing these tools will provide guidance to improve future efforts at impact measurement.