Marketing Locally Produced Organic Foods in Three Metropolitan Arkansas Farmers' Markets: Consumer Opinions and Food Safety Concerns

Consumers embrace local food systems as an alternative to the global corporate model, and nearly 75% of consumers in the United States purchase organic foods occasionally. To assess consumers' knowledge of locally grown organic foods, surveys were administered at three metropolitan farmers' markets in Little Rock, Hot Springs, and Texarkana, Arkansas. Consumers with Bachelor's, Associate's, or technical degrees accounted for almost half of the people surveyed. Seventy-one percent believed organic foods were safer than conventional foods. Three times as many consumers were concerned about harmful bacteria in conventional foods than in organic. The number one reason for purchasing was to support local farmers.