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http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10460-015-9675-y&domain=pdf
Web End = Agric Hum Values (2016) 33:861875 DOI 10.1007/s10460-015-9675-y
http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10460-015-9675-y&domain=pdf
Web End = Buying in: the inuence of interactions at farmers markets
Rachel A. Carson1 Zoe Hamel2 Kelly Giarrocco3 Rebecca Baylor4
Leah Greden Mathews5
Accepted: 12 December 2015 / Published online: 22 December 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015
Abstract Many consumers are motivated to attend Farmers Markets (FMs) because of the opportunity to purchase fresh and local products. The subsequent interactions at FMs provide an important pathway for the direct exchange of information. While previous research suggests that people value local food and the FM shopping experience and that purchasing directly from producers can lead to transformative learning, little is known about exactly how the shopping experience at FMs can inuence consumer purchasing behavior. This study examines the extent of and mechanism for such inuencing. Using data from surveys, observations, and interviews gathered at six FMs, we analyze the interactions between consumers and vendors, including the motivations and values of both parties. We explore the question, How do farmers markets facilitate change in
consumer purchasing behavior? We propose that the dynamic of change in consumer purchasing behavior at FMs takes root in the exchange of information between consumers and vendors during interactions. Our results suggest that there are three specic characteristics shared by FM consumers and vendors that lead to these meaningful interactions at FMs: symmetry of motivations to attend FMs, shared values, and mutual dependence on interactions. Then, when a consumer learns new information from a FM vendor during an interaction, the consumer is more likely to make a change in their immediate purchase. Information about the products for sale and the modes of production of those items can especially impact consumers immediate purchases at FMs. We found that FM interactions can also impact long-term purchasing behavior, such as purchasing more organic or locally produced foods. Our results suggest that FM interactions may have signicant implications for consumer health, local economies, and the environment.
Keywords Farmers markets Interaction Local food
Behavior change
AbbreviationFM(s) Farmers markets
& Leah Greden Mathews [email protected]
Rachel A. Carson [email protected]
Zoe Hamel [email protected]
Kelly Giarrocco [email protected]
Rebecca Baylor [email protected]
1 530 Walnut Ave SW, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA
2 Chemin de la linerie, 08200 SEDAN, FRANCE
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