Experiences and perspectives of farmers from Upstate New York farmers' markets

Despite the growing popularity of farmers' markets (FMs) across the United States, the experiences and perspectives of farmers who sell at markets have received very little research attention. This study describes the views of 18 farmers from Upstate New York on the importance of FMs as part of their lifestyle and livelihood, the challenges they face selling at markets, and their conceptions of ideal FMs. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, farmers expressed economic and social motivations for selling at FMs; social benefits from interacting with customers; and the challenges they faced as small-scale farmers and sellers, including extra-market competition, uncooperative and problematic market vendors, rising farm input costs, and changing consumer trends. Farmers also discussed personal values associated with selling at FMs, such as pride in raising and marketing one's own products, wording together with other farmer-vendors, and providing customers with honest information. Visions of ideal FMs were varied among farmers, but there was general agreement that FMs should provide a diversity of products to attract customers and educational opportunities for the public to learn more about FMs and local produce. The interdependence of FM farmers was a major emergent theme across interviews. Findings suggested that market experiences of FM farmers, including economic success, are not only contingent on personal effort, but can also be affected by the work of fellow vendors. Future research may look to further explore how FM farmers and other vendors interact as cooperative and competitive social and economic units. At the community level, FM leadership should continue to focus on the experiences and perspectives of farmers and other market vendors, in addition to identifying ways for enhancing cooperative FM enterprises.