The authors would like to thank the following people for their help on the ..... Table 5: Southern Nevada Farmers' Market Attendance . .... At each market, a small percentage of respondents said they came from .... Have you ever attended a farmers' market? .... A little over 60% of respondents at the Sparks Hometowne and.
Technical Report UCED 2008/09-24
Who is Shopping at Nevada’s Farmers’ Markets and Why?
By Kynda Curtis, Margaret Cowee, and Holly Gatzke
UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO
Who is Shopping at Nevada’s Farmers’ Markets and Why?
Kynda R. Curtis Assistant Professor and State Specialist Department of Resource Economics University of Nevada Cooperative Extension University of Nevada, Reno
Margaret W. Cowee Research Analyst Department of Resource Economics University of Nevada, Reno
Holly Gatzke Extension Educator, Lincoln County University of Nevada Cooperative Extension University of Nevada, Reno
April 2009
The authors would like to thank the following people for their help on the project: Carol Bishop, Robert Morris, Ann Louhela, Jason Entsminger, Marcela Velcherean, Xi Wang, Michael Price, the Nevada farmers’ market managers, and the survey crew in Las Vegas.
The University of Nevada, Reno is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation in any program or activity it operates. The University of Nevada employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.
This publication, Who is Shopping at Nevada’s Farmers’ Markets and Why?, was published by the University Center for Economic Development in the Department of Resource Economics at the University of Nevada, Reno. Funds for this publication were provided by the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, the United States Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration under University Centers Program contract #07-66-05878-02, and by the NRI-Agricultural Prosperity for Small & Medium-Sized Farms Program. This publication's statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and/or data represent solely the findings and views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Nevada, Reno, or any reference sources used or quoted by this study. Reference to research projects, programs, books, magazines, or newspaper articles does not imply an endorsement or recommendation by the authors unless otherwise stated. Correspondence regarding this document should be sent to:
Thomas R. Harris, Director University Center for Economic Development University of Nevada, Reno Department of Resource Economics Mail Stop 204 Reno, Nevada 89557-0105
UCED University of Nevada, Reno Nevada Cooperative Extension Department of Resource Economics
Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Section I: Market Statistics and Demographics ............................................................................................ 2 Section II: Farmers’ Market Attendance and Attributes ............................................................................. 12 Section III: Purchasing and Consumption Habits, Personal Attributes ....................................................... 23 Section IV: Individual Market Assessment and Recommendations ........................................................... 32 Bruce Trent ............................................................................................................................................. 32 Garden Park ............................................................................................................................................ 33 Henderson ............................................................................................................................................... 35 Springs Preserve ...................................................................................................................................... 37 Fallon ....................................................................................................................................................... 39 Gardnerville ............................................................................................................................................. 41 Minden .................................................................................................................................................... 43 Somersett ................................................................................................................................................ 45 Sparks Hometowne ................................................................................................................................. 46 Sparks Methodist .................................................................................................................................... 48 West Street ............................................................................................................................................. 50 Whole Foods ........................................................................................................................................... 52 Section V: Marketing Recommendations ................................................................................................... 54 Programming .......................................................................................................................................... 54 Advertising .............................................................................................................................................. 56
List of Tables Table 1: Southern Nevada Market Statistics ................................................................................................. 5 Table 2: Southern Nevada Demographics .................................................................................................... 6 Table 3: Northern Nevada Market Statistics ............................................................................................... 10 Table 4: Northern Nevada Demographics .................................................................................................. 11 Table 5: Southern Nevada Farmers’ Market Attendance ........................................................................... 15 Table 6: Southern Nevada Farmers’ Market Attributes ............................................................................. 16 Table 7: Nothern Nevada Farmers’ Market Attendance ............................................................................ 21 Table 8: Nothern Nevada Farmers’ Market Attributes ............................................................................... 22 Table 9: Southern Nevada Purchasing and Consumption Habits ............................................................... 25 Table 10: Southern Nevada Personal Attributes ........................................................................................ 26 Table 11: Nothern Nevada Purchasing and Consumption Habits ............................................................... 30 Table 12: Northern Nevada Personal Attributes ........................................................................................ 31
Introduction During the summer and early fall of 2008, a survey of customers at farmers’ markets across Nevada was conducted by researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. A total of 674 survey responses were collected, with 385 collected from markets in Southern Nevada and 289 collected from markets in Northern Nevada. The goal of the project was to provide farmers’ market managers and vendors with pertinent information about their customers, including demographic information, the distance customers travel to reach the market and the distance they travel to reach their primary grocery outlet, average customer spending at markets, and preferences for market, vendor, and produce attributes. This publication summarizes the relevant results of the survey with a comparison of results from Northern and Southern Nevada markets as well as an in‐depth analysis of each market with specific recommendations. This publication is divided into five sections. Section I discusses market statistics and demographic information. This includes information about whether respondents shop at farmers’ markets other than the one at which they were surveyed, how much they spend at markets and how much they spend per week on groceries, how far they travel to reach the market and how far they travel to reach their primary grocery outlet, and demographic information such as age, annual income, household composition, education, employment, and ethnicity. Section II focuses on farmers’ market attributes, such as respondents’ primary motive for attending the market, the transportation method they used to reach the market, the number of visits respondents made to the market during that season, and how they heard about the market. This section also discusses whether or not respondents had a favorite vendor, the attributes that make that vendor their favorite, and the aspects of farmers’ markets that most appeal to respondents. Finally, Section II analyzes several produce attributes (such as freshness, taste, and price) that respondents were asked to rate in terms of their impact on respondents’ purchasing decisions. Section III analyzes purchasing and consumption habits, such as the type of store respondents use as their primary grocery outlet and how frequently they shop there, meals consumed at home, and interest in joining a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. Section III also discusses personal attributes, including programs and activities in which respondents participate, such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, home gardening, recycling, 4H and Future Farmers of America (FFA). Additionally, respondents were given a list of personal statements and were asked to rate their level of agreement with the statement, such as “I am concerned about the safety of my food” and “Supporting local farmers is important to me.” Section III presents average respondent agreement levels for these statements. Section IV provides an individual market assessment for each market. This section reviews the results for each market, including an in‐depth analysis of respondent demographics at each market and recommendations for market managers based on survey results. Section V presents general marketing recommendations for all farmers’ market managers in Nevada.
1
Section I: Market Statistics and Demographics The market statistics and demographics section analyzes the results of questions that were designed to gain a better understanding of the customers who attend farmers’ markets, including how frequently they visit farmers’ markets, how much they spend at markets, how far they travel to reach markets, and demographic information such as age, household income, education and employment, and household composition. The purpose of this section is to acquaint market managers with their typical customers. There were 385 responses collected in Southern Nevada, including 106 at Bruce Trent, 55 at Garden Park, 88 at Henderson, and 133 at Springs Preserve. There were 289 collected in Northern Nevada, including 17 at Fallon, 27 at Gardnerville, 14 at Minden, 34 at Somersett, 12 at Sparks Hometowne, 59 at Sparks Methodist, 53 at West Street, and 59 at Whole Foods. Southern Nevada Results for Southern Nevada for this section are in Table 1 and Table 2. Primary Shopper Respondents were asked whether or not they are their household’s primary grocery shopper. This question was asked in order to assess the respondent’s basic level of understanding concerning his or her household’s grocery consumption, as well as to determine whether individuals who are not their household’s primary shopper attend farmers’ markets, perhaps indicating that they attend for reasons other than to simply purchase food. Attendance at Farmers’ Markets Respondents were asked whether they had attended a farmers’ market prior to the market they were surveyed at, and also whether they attend other markets. In all cases, the majority of respondents had attended a market before, with 89.8 to 93.4% indicating that they had. The percentages of respondents who attended other markets were significantly lower, however, with just 46.4% of respondents at the Henderson market indicating that they attended other markets on the low end and 62.9% of respondents at the Springs Preserve market indicating that they attend other markets at the high end. On average, this indicates that approximately half of the attendants of these markets attend more than one market on a regular basis, the implication of which may be that customers are attending markets for more than one purpose, such as activities aside from shopping, or that they may attend multiple markets in order to obtain all the products they want. Starting Location Respondents were asked to describe from where they began their travel to the farmers’ market. For all of the markets in Southern Nevada, the majority of respondents began their travel at home, with 69.6% to 82.7% of respondents saying they came from home. At the Henderson and Springs Preserve markets, most of the remaining respondents traveled to the market from work, but at Bruce Trent and Garden Park, a notable percentage of respondents traveled to the market from either their school or from their 2
child’s school or daycare. At each market, a small percentage of respondents said they came from another location, including a doctor’s office, the library, the gym, or their hotel. Distance Traveled Respondents were asked to estimate the distance they traveled to get to the farmers’ market. This was done to provide an idea of how far customers are willing to travel to attend a farmers’ market, as well as to provide a comparison between the distance customers travel to the farmers’ market and the distance they travel to their primary grocery outlet (also presented in this table). At the Garden Park market, respondents traveled an average of 4.0 miles to attend the market, while respondents at Bruce Trent and Henderson traveled an average of 5.0 miles. Attendants of the Springs Preserve market traveled much further, an average of 12.0 miles. The difference may be due to the nature of the Springs Preserve market, in that respondents may have traveled to the location for additional recreation aside from attending the market. Respondents were also asked how far they travel to reach their primary grocery outlet. On average, respondents traveled between 3.6 and 4.1 miles to reach their primary grocery outlet, and in all cases the average distance traveled to reach the farmers’ market was further than the distance traveled to reach the grocery store. Spending Respondents were asked to estimate how much they spend per visit to a farmers’ market, as well as the average amount their household spends per week on groceries. Farmers’ market spending ranged from $20.10 per visit for Henderson to $24.30 per visit for Springs Preserve, while weekly grocery spending ranged from $120.80 at Springs Preserve to $178.20 at Garden Park. Farmers’ market spending represents 20% of weekly grocery spending for Springs Preserve, 18% of weekly grocery spending for Bruce Trent, 16% of weekly grocery spending for Henderson, and 13% of weekly grocery spending for Garden Park. These numbers are important to consider, as farmers’ market shoppers who attend a weekly market consistently throughout the season may spend a significant portion of their household’s grocery budget on local food products. Demographics Demographic questions were asked to provide a clear picture of the farmers’ market attendants. Knowing this information can help market managers to tailor activities and promotional materials to the target audience. Age Respondents were asked to give their age in years and to indicate whether or not they had household members in three age group categories: age 17 and younger (children), age 18 to 60 (adults), and age 60 and older (seniors). While the average age of respondents was fairly consistent over all the Southern Nevada markets, the composition of households presented more variation. The average age of respondents ranged from 41.3 years at Garden Park to 45.2 years at Henderson, meaning that the 3
average shopper at these markets is in his or her early‐to‐mid 40s. The Garden Park attendants had household compositions that were, on average, a bit younger relative to other markets. Over 60% of Garden Park attendants had children in their household, compared to just over 50% of Bruce Trent respondents and less than 40% of Henderson and Springs Preserve respondents. Henderson had the greatest proportion of households with senior members, with just over 30% of households containing at least one member over the age of 60, compared to 25% for Springs Preserve and less than 20% each for Bruce Trent and Garden Park. This may be due to Henderson having a larger population of retirees attending the market, while younger families may be attending the market at Garden Park. Gender and Marital Status Respondents were asked to provide their gender, which was also mostly consistent across markets, with 65% of Bruce Trent respondents identifying themselves as female to 73% of respondents at Garden Park. There was more variation with marital status across markets, with 61% of respondents at Henderson saying they were married, 66% of respondents at Bruce Trent, 71% of respondents at Springs Preserve, and 84% of respondents at Garden Park. When taken into consideration with the information provided about household ages, the gender and marital status information implies that attendants to the Garden Park market may be more two‐parent families, while attendants at Henderson may be older married retirees. The fact that more than half of the respondents at each market were female is consistent with current market research, which finds that a greater percentage of females than males conduct grocery shopping in the United States. Income, Education, and Employment Respondents were asked to estimate their household’s annual income. Respondents at Springs Preserve posted the lowest average amount of $81,943, while respondents at Garden Park posted the highest average amount of $138,730. Garden Park also boasted the greatest proportion of respondents having a graduate degree or higher, with 42% of respondents selecting this as their highest level of completed education, compared to 29% for Bruce Trent, 21% for Springs Preserve, and 16% for Henderson. Springs Preserve and Bruce Trent had the greatest proportion of full‐time or part‐time employed respondents at 71% and 68%, respectively, while Garden Park had the greatest proportion of homemakers, Henderson had the greatest proportion of both retirees and students, while Garden Park and Springs Preserve had slightly more unemployed respondents than Henderson and Bruce Trent. At all markets, the majority of respondents identified themselves as Caucasian, with 62%‐80% listing themselves as such.
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Table 1: Southern Nevada Market Statistics
Question/Market Sample size Are you the primary food purchaser for your household? Yes
Bruce Trent 106
Have you ever attended a farmers' market? Yes Home Where did you begin your travel to this Work farmers' market? School/Child's school Other How many miles did you travel to this farmers' market? Average in miles Do you attend other farmers' markets? Yes On average, how much do you spend per visit to the farmers' market? Average in dollars On average, what is your weekly household grocery bill? Average in dollars How many miles do you travel to your primary grocery location? Average in miles
5
Garden Park Henderson 55 88
Springs Preserve 133
Southern Nevada Averages 385
84.9%
90.9%
81.8%
86.50%
85.8%
93.4% 73.0% 15.0% 10.0% 2.0%
90.9% 69.6% 12.5% 12.5% 5.4%
89.8% 82.7% 9.9% 3.7% 3.7%
91.0% 81.5% 16.5% 0.0% 2.4%
91.4% 77.3% 13.8% 4.4% 4.4%
5.0 53.6%
4.0 58.5%
5.0 46.4%
12 62.9%
7.6 55.9%
$22.90
$22.80
$20.10
$24.30
$22.70
$130.60
$178.20
$124.90
$120.80
$132.90
3.8
3.6
3.9
4.1
3.9
Table 2: Southern Nevada Demographics
Question/Market
Bruce Trent 50.6% 88.5% 16.5% 42.5 65.1% 66.0%
17 & under Do you have household members in Age 18‐60 the following age groups? Age 60+ Average in years What is your current age? What is your gender? Female What is your marital status? Married What was your 2007 annual household income before taxes? Average in dollars High school or some college What is your highest completed level 2‐ or 4‐year degree of education? Graduate degree or higher Full‐ or part‐time employed Homemaker Which of the following best describes Retired your employment status? Student Unemployed African‐American Asian Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Caucasian What is your ethnic background? Middle Eastern Native American Hispanic Other/Prefer not to answer
$87,000 $138,730 36.9% 27.3% 34.0% 27.2% 29.1% 41.8% 68.0% 52.7% 15.5% 30.9% 12.6% 7.3% 2.9% 3.6% 1.0% 5.5% 10.5% 1.8% 6.7% 5.5% 1.9% 1.8% 61.9% 80.0% 1.0% 0.0% 1.9% 1.8% 7.6% 1.8% 8.6% 7.3%
6
Southern Garden Springs Nevada Park Henderson Preserve Averages 64.3% 35.3% 38.9% 43.4% 87.5% 76.5% 84.2% 80.8% 14.3% 30.6% 25.4% 21.6% 41.3 45.2 44.6 43.4 72.7% 70.9% 67.5% 68.9% 83.6% 61.2% 70.5% 69.0% $92,059 40.7% 41.9% 16.3% 47.0% 12.9% 25.9% 25.9% 2.4% 8.1% 5.8% 4.7% 68.6% 0.0% 1.2% 8.1% 3.5%
$81,943 33.3% 45.2% 21.4% 71.4% 7.1% 13.5% 3.2% 4.8% 3.9% 3.9% 0.8% 74.8% 0.0% 0.8% 4.7% 11.0%
$92,976 35.1% 38.6% 25.4% 62.1% 14.4% 15.2% 3.0% 5.4% 6.4% 5.4% 2.1% 70.5% 0.3% 1.3% 5.9% 8.0%
Northern Nevada Results for Northern Nevada for this section are in Table 3 and Table 4. Primary Shopper When asked if they are the primary grocery shopper for their household, an average of 84% of respondents over all Northern Nevada markets replied that they were, with positive responses from 82% of respondents at Gardnerville to 100% of respondents at Minden. Respondents at the Somersett market were substantially lower than at the other markets with only 68%, but this figure still shows that the majority of respondents were their household’s primary shopper. Attendance at Farmers’ Markets At least 90% of respondents at all markets had attended a previous farmers’ market, ranging from 92% of respondents at Sparks Hometowne market to 100% of respondents at Minden and Somersett. There was more variation in responses when respondents were asked whether they attend other farmers’ markets. Only 41% of respondents at the Fallon market said they attend other markets, though this is likely due to Fallon’s remote location. A little over 60% of respondents at the Sparks Hometowne and Sparks Methodist markets attend other markets, while just over 70% of respondents at Minden and Gardnerville said they attend other markets, 83% of Whole Foods attendants said they go to other markets, and 89% of respondents at West Street said they attend other markets. Starting Location At all markets, the majority of respondents came to the market from their home, with over 90% of respondents from Fallon, Gardnerville, Sparks Methodist, West Street, and Whole Foods coming from that location. Twelve percent of respondents at the West Street market said they came from work, while 18% of respondents at Sparks Hometowne and 21% of respondents at Minden said they came from work. Unlike the markets in Southern Nevada, none of the respondents in Northern Nevada said they came from school or their child’s school, although 4% of respondents at West Street said they came from their hotel and 2% each said they came from the movie theatre and church, 7% of respondents at Minden said they came from town, and 3% of respondents at Somersett said they came from another location but did not specify this location. Distance Traveled The distance respondents traveled from their starting location to reach the market ranged from 3.0 miles at the West Street market to 10.0 miles for the Minden market, while the distance respondents typically travel to reach their primary grocery outlet ranged from 4.0 miles at West Street to 13.8 miles in Minden. The Sparks Hometown, Sparks Methodist, and Whole Foods markets were, on average, the only markets where respondents indicated that they traveled a greater distance to reach the market than they travel to reach their primary grocery outlet, while respondents at all the other markets traveled a greater distance to reach their grocery outlet. This was not the case for the Southern Nevada markets, where respondents from all markets indicated that they traveled further to reach the market 7
than their grocery outlet. This difference is likely due to a greater number of grocery outlets in Southern Nevada relative to the more rural Northern Nevada, or in cases such as the Reno/Sparks area, it may be due to respondents having more than one farmers’ market in a relatively close distance to their home or office. Spending Average farmers’ market spending ranged from $18.90 per visit for Gardnerville to $27.20 for Somersett, while average grocery spending ranged from $110.70 per week for Minden to $153.40 for Fallon. Farmers’ market spending represented 15% of grocery spending for Whole Foods, 16% for Gardnerville, 17% for Fallon, 18% for Sparks Hometown, 19% for Minden, 20% for Somersett, and 21% for both Sparks Methodist and West Street. Demographics Demographic questions were asked to provide a clear picture of the farmers’ market attendants. As mentioned in the description for Southern Nevada, this information can help market managers to tailor activities and promotional materials to the target audience. Age The average age of respondents was in a fairly tight range over all markets, from 47 years for Sparks Hometowne and Whole Foods to 54 years for Fallon and Gardnerville. There was more variation in the composition of household members. Fifteen percent of respondents at Sparks Methodist had children in the household, compared to 21‐23% of respondents at Minden, West Street, and Somersett, and between 30‐35% of respondents at Gardnerville, Sparks Hometowne, Whole Foods and Fallon. At Fallon, Gardnerville, Sparks Hometowne, Sparks Methodist, and Whole Foods, at least 40% of respondents had a senior household member. Gender and Marital Status Over all markets, the majority of respondents were women, with 63% of Somersett respondents describing themselves as female and 100% of respondents at the Minden market as female. Marital status varied some over all markets, with Whole Foods, Sparks Hometowne, West Street, and Sparks Methodist on the lower end with 48‐55% of respondents reporting themselves as married, while 64% of Minden respondents, 65% of Fallon respondents, 70% of Somersett respondents, and 82% of Gardnerville respondents reporting themselves as married. Income, Education, and Employment Annual household income varied quite a bit across markets, with income falling in three ranges. Respondents at the Sparks Methodist market reported the lowest average income at $57,293, while Fallon, Minden, Sparks Hometowne, and West Street respondents had average income between $60,000 and $70,000. Respondents at Whole Foods and Gardnerville had average income of $80,250
8
and $84,143, respectively, while respondents at Somersett reported an average household income of $122,909. The Gardnerville and West Street market boasted the greatest proportion of respondents with a graduate degree or higher, with 37% of respondents claiming this level of education, followed by the Somersett market with 35%, and Whole Foods with 29%. Fallon and Sparks Hometowne market had the greatest proportion of respondents with high school or some college, at 77% and 75%, respectively. The West Street market had the greatest proportion of respondents working full‐ or part‐time, with 67%, while Minden had 64% full‐ or part‐time employed respondents. Gardnerville had the greatest proportion of retired respondents at 41%, with Sparks Methodist close behind at 39% and Somersett at 37%. Fallon had the greatest proportion of unemployed respondents at 12%, and Minden and Gardnerville had the greatest proportion of homemakers at 14% and 15%, respectively
9
Table 3: Northern Nevada Market Statistics
Question/Market Sample size
West Street
Whole Foods
Northern Nevada Averages
Fallon
Gardnerville
Minden
17
27
14
34
12
59
53
59
289
Are you the primary food purchaser for your household?
Yes
94.1%
81.5%
100.0%
67.6%
83.3%
84.7%
84.9%
88.1%
84.4%
Have you ever attended a farmers' market?
Yes
94.1%
96.3%
100.0%
100.0%
91.7%
96.6%
96.2%
98.3%
96.5%
Home
94.1%
92.6%
71.4%
88.2%
81.8%
98.3%
80.0%
98.2%
90.7%
Where did you begin your travel to this Work farmers' market? School/Child's school
5.9%
7.4%
21.4%
8.8%
18.2%
1.7%
12.0%
1.8%
6.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
7.1%
2.9%
0.0%
0.0%
8.0%
0.0%
2.5%
7.0
5.0
10.0
5.0
7.0
7.0
3.0
8.0
6.0
41.2%
74.1%
71.4%
76.5%
63.6%
62.7%
88.5%
82.8%
73.5%
On average, how much do you spend per visit to the farmers' market? Average in dollars
$26.30
$18.90
$20.70
$27.20
$22.20
$24.30
$23.80
$20.10
$22.90
On average, what is your weekly household grocery bill?
Average in dollars
$153.40
$118.80
$110.70
$135.50
$120.50
$116.20
$113.40
$130.80
$123.30
How many miles do you travel to your primary grocery location?
Average in miles
7.5
8.3
13.8
5.5
5.2
5.8
4.0
5.2
5.9
Other How many miles did you travel to this farmers' market?
Average in miles
Do you attend other farmers' markets?
Yes
10
Sparks Sparks Somersett Hometowne Methodist
Table 4: Northern Nevada Demographics
Market/Question
Fallon
17 & under Do you have household members in Age 18‐60 the following age groups? Age 60+ What is your current age?
Average in years
Gardnerville
Somersett
West Street
Whole Foods
Northern Nevada Averages
35.4%
29.6%
21.4%
23.3%
33.3%
14.5%
21.1%
35.1%
23.9%
70.7%
66.6%
85.6%
63.4%
66.7%
70.9%
84.6%
68.4%
68.9%
47.0%
40.7%
21.4%
36.7%
41.7%
41.8%
21.2%
40.4%
34.6%
53.5
53.9
48.0
50.2
46.8
53.0
45.8
47.3
50.0
What is your gender?
Female
64.70%
77.80%
100.00%
63.30%
66.70%
85.50%
68.60%
75.40%
74.90%
What is your marital status?
Married
64.70%
81.50%
64.30%
70.00%
50.00%
54.50%
52.00%
48.20%
56.40%
What was your 2007 annual household income before taxes?
Average in dollars
High school or some college What is your highest completed level 2‐ or 4‐year degree of education? Graduate degree or higher
$84,143
$64,000
$122,909
$62,500
$57,293
$69,718
$80,250
$108,998
76.5%
22.2%
35.7%
20.6%
75.0%
53.7%
35.3%
26.8%
38.6%
11.8%
40.7%
50.0%
44.8%
16.7%
33.4%
27.4%
44.6%
35.3%
5.9%
37.0%
14.3%
34.5%
8.3%
13.0%
37.3%
28.6%
25.7% 55.2%
35.3%
37.0%
64.2%
56.6%
58.3%
46.3%
67.3%
59.0%
Homemaker
11.8%
14.8%
14.3%
3.3%
8.3%
7.4%
1.9%
3.6%
6.2%
35.3%
40.7%
21.4%
36.7%
16.7%
38.9%
17.3%
25.0%
29.2%
Unemployed
5.9%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
8.3%
3.7%
11.5%
10.7%
5.8%
11.8%
7.4%
0.0%
3.3%
8.3%
3.7%
1.9%
1.8%
3.6%
African‐American
0.0%
0.0%
18.8%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2.0%
1.8%
1.8%
Asian
0.0%
3.6%
6.3%
0.0%
0.0%
1.9%
2.0%
0.0%
1.4%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander What is your ethnic background?
$62,187
Full‐ or part‐time employed Which of the following best describes Retired your employment status? Student
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
3.3%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.4%
88.2%
89.3%
56.3%
93.3%
91.7%
87.0%
86.3%
87.5%
87.0%
Middle Eastern
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1.8%
0.4%
Native American
0.0%
3.6%
6.3%
0.0%
0.0%
5.6%
0.0%
0.0%
1.8%
Hispanic
5.9%
0.0%
0.0%
3.3%
8.3%
0.0%
3.9%
1.8%
2.2%
Other/Prefer not to answer
5.9%
3.6%
12.5%
0.0%
0.0%
5.6%
5.9%
7.1%
5.1%
Caucasian
11
Minden
Sparks Sparks Hometowne Methodist
Section II: Farmers’ Market Attendance and Attributes The farmers’ market attendance and attributes section asked questions designed to gain more information as to why respondents attend farmers’ markets. This included questions that asked respondents why they attended the market, what appeals to them most about farmers’ markets, how they arrived at the market, how they heard about the market, and what they look for when selecting fruit and vegetable products for purchase. This information should help market managers determine their best options for advertising, the types of programs and activities their customers enjoy, what they expect from vendors, and the things they consider prior to making a farmers’ market purchase. Southern Nevada The results of this section for Southern Nevada are in Table 5 and Table 6. Motive Respondents were asked to choose their primary motive for attending the farmers’ market from a list of possible reasons. In all cases, purchasing produce was the most chosen response, with 38% of respondents from Bruce Trent to 63% of respondents at Springs Preserve. At Bruce Trent, purchasing ready‐to‐eat food from vendors was the second most popular response with 20%, followed by social interaction at 17% and events and activities at 12%. This was also the case for Garden Park, where 14% of respondents said ready‐to‐eat food was their primary motivation for attending the market, 13% said social interaction, and 7% chose events and activities. Purchasing arts and crafts was the second most popular motivation at Henderson, with 11% of responses, followed by social interaction and ready‐to‐ eat foods at 9%. At Springs Preserve, events and activities were only slightly more popular than social interaction and ready‐to‐eat foods. Transit Respondents were asked to describe the method of transportation they took to arrive at the market. Traveling by car was the most popular method, with 81%‐99% of respondents arriving this way. In Henderson, 17% of respondents walked to the market, while 9% of respondents at Garden Park walked to the market. Visits To gain an understanding of how frequently respondents attend farmers’ markets, they were asked how many times they had attended a farmers’ market that season. At Bruce Trent, 50% of respondents had made between one and three previous visits that season, 29% made four to seven visits, and 21% made eight or more visits. At Garden Park, 64% of respondents had made between one and three visits that season, 19% had made four to seven visits, and 17% made eight or more visits. At Henderson, 60% of respondents had made between one and three visits to a market, 25% made four to seven visits, and 14% made eight or more visits to the market that season. At Springs Preserve, 80% of respondents had
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made between one and three visits to a market that season, 14% made between four and seven visits, and 6% made eight or more visits. Advertisement Respondents were asked to describe how they had heard about the market. For all markets, the most common response was for the respondent to have heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth. At Bruce Trent, 41% of respondents heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth, while 26% and 25% of respondents said they had heard about the market by simply dropping by and through a roadside sign, respectively. At Garden Park, 34% of respondents heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth while 32% dropped by and 22% read about it on a roadside sign. At Henderson, 33% heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth, 22% dropped by, 20% read about it on a roadside sign, 12% read about it in the newspaper, and 9% read about it on the internet or received an email about it. At Springs Preserve, 36% of respondents heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth, 18% read about it on the Internet or received an email about it, 13% dropped by, 10% read about it on a roadside sign, and 9% read about it in the newspaper. Farmers’ Market Attributes Respondents were asked to rate 11 farmers’ market attributes on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 indicated that the attribute was not important and 5 indicated that it was extremely important. At Bruce Trent, convenient location was given the highest average rating of 4.34, followed by product variety and free parking at 4.25, hours of operation at 4.15, number of vendors at 3.86, farmers’ market certification at 3.32, and child and family activities at 3.04. At Garden Park, product variety was given the highest rating of 4.12, followed by convenient location at 4.00, free parking at 3.85, hours of operation at 3.81, and number of vendors at 3.78, food and beverage vendors at 3.40, and farmers’ market certification at 3.28. At Henderson, convenient location was rated highest at 4.23, followed by product variety at 4.12, hours of operation at 4.05, free parking at 4.02, and number of vendors at 3.74. At Springs Preserve, product variety was given the highest rating at 4.43, followed by free parking at 4.31, number of vendors at 4.28, hours of operation at 4.17, and convenient location at 4.15. Vendor Attributes Respondents were asked whether or not they have a favorite vendor at their farmers’ market. Responses were mixed. At Bruce Trent, 53% of respondents said they do have a favorite vendor, compared to 39% of respondents at Garden Park and 34% at Henderson. Only 15% of respondents at Springs Preserve said they have a favorite vendor. Respondents who said they had a favorite vendor were asked to describe why that vendor was their favorite. At Bruce Trent, 32% of respondents said their vendor was their favorite because of their friendliness and approachability, while 30% cited the vendor’s product offering, and 14% cited free samples. Discounts, product information, and quality and taste of products were also given more than one mention each. At Garden Park, 33% of respondents said their vendor was their favorite because of the vendor’s product offering, 22% mentioned friendliness and approachability, 17% mentioned free 13
samples, and 11% each cited product quality and taste and the vendor providing other services outside the market. At Henderson, 38% of respondents said that friendliness and approachability are the attributes they appreciate most from their favorite vendor, 35% said product offering, 9% mentioned free samples, and 7% cited other reasons but did not clarify. At Springs Preserve, 31% of respondents said that friendliness and approachability were what made their vendor their favorite, while another 31% mentioned discounts, 16% mentioned free samples, and 9% said their favorite vendor has product information available. Fruit and Vegetable Attributes Respondents were given a list of fruit and vegetable attributes and were asked to rate them on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 indicating that the attribute is not important and 5 indicating that it is extremely important. At Bruce Trent, taste was given the highest rating of 4.66, followed by freshness at 4.61, quality at 4.59, value at 4.31, and appearance at 4.17. Specialty items, locally grown, organic, and having information about the grower or farmer received the lowest ratings. At Garden Park, taste was also given the highest rating of 4.57, followed by freshness and quality at 4.44 each, value at 4.15, and appearance at 4.04. Specialty items, locally grown, variety, and knowing the grower or farmer were given the lowest ratings. At Henderson, freshness and taste were rated the highest at 4.56 each, followed by quality at 4.47, value at 4.33, appearance at 4.32, and variety at 4.06. Specialty items, knowing the grower or farmer, locally grown, and organic were given the lowest ratings. At Springs Preserve, taste was given the highest rating at 4.65, closely followed by freshness at 4.64 and quality at 4.63, value at 4.33, appearance at 4.26, variety at 4.14, and price at 4.04. Specialty items, knowing the grower or farmer, and locally grown were given the lowest rating.
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Table 5: Southern Nevada Farmers’ Market Attendance
Question/Market Purchase produce Purchase packaged foods Purchase arts/crafts What is your primary motive for Social interaction attending this farmers' market? Events/activities Concerts/music Purchase ready‐to‐eat food Car Bicycle What method of transit did you use Walking to travel to this farmers' market? Bus Taxi Train 1 visit How many times in the past four 2‐3 visits months have you attended a 4‐7 visits farmers' market? 8‐12 visits More than 12 visits Word‐of‐mouth Radio advertisement TV advertisement Drop by How did you hear about this farmers' market? Roadside sign Flyer/poster Newspaper Internet/e‐mail
Bruce Trent Garden Park 38.2% 50.6% 2.4% 4.7% 4.8% 5.9% 17.0% 12.9% 11.5% 7.1% 6.1% 4.7% 20.0% 14.1% 99.0% 90.6% 0.0% 0.0% 1.0% 9.4% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 17.3% 17.3% 32.7% 46.2% 28.6% 19.2% 9.2% 9.6% 12.2% 7.7% 40.7% 33.9% 1.8% 0.0% 0.0% 1.7% 25.7% 32.2% 24.8% 22.0% 0.9% 3.4% 3.5% 1.7% 2.7% 5.1%
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Southern Springs Nevada Henderson Preserve Averages 55.5% 63.0% 51.7% 4.2% 4.0% 3.7% 10.9% 5.2% 6.8% 9.2% 7.5% 11.6% 5.9% 8.1% 8.5% 5.0% 4.6% 5.1% 9.2% 7.5% 12.7% 81.0% 96.8% 92.8% 1.2% 0.0% 0.3% 16.7% 2.4% 6.4% 1.2% 0.8% 0.6% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 25.3% 41.0% 27.3% 34.9% 39.3% 37.5% 25.3% 13.9% 21.4% 4.8% 4.9% 6.8% 9.6% 0.8% 7.0% 32.6% 36.0% 36.3% 1.2% 5.1% 2.5% 1.2% 2.2% 1.3% 22.1% 12.5% 21.3% 19.8% 10.3% 18.3% 2.3% 6.6% 3.6% 11.6% 8.8% 6.9% 9.3% 18.4% 9.9%
Table 6: Southern Nevada Farmers’ Market Attributes
Question/Market Do you have a favorite vendor?
Why is this vendor your favorite?
How important are the following farmers' market attributes? (average rating on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1=not important and 5=extremely important)
When making fruit and vegetable purchases, how important are the following product features? (average rating on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1=not important and 5=extremely important)
Have a favorite vendor Free samples Product offering Friendliness/approachability Discounts Product information available Provides other services outside market Freshness of products Quality/taste Local products Organic products Other Concerts/Music Free parking Hours of operation Convenient location Number of vendors Child/Family activities Cultural events Educational events Certified farmers' market Product variety Food and beverage vendors Variety Quality Value Appearance Locally grown (NV) Specialty items Price Organic Freshness Taste Know grower/farmer
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Bruce Trent Garden Park Henderson 52.5% 39.2% 34.1% 14.4% 17.4% 8.6% 29.8% 32.6% 34.5% 31.7% 21.7% 37.9% 6.7% 2.2% 5.2% 4.8% 2.2% 5.2% 2.9% 2.9% 3.8% 0.0% 0.0% 2.9% 2.84 4.25 4.15 4.34 3.86 3.04 2.79 2.58 3.32 4.25 3.85 3.93 4.59 4.31 4.17 3.43 3.18 3.92 3.43 4.61 4.66 3.45
10.9% 0.0% 10.9% 2.2% 0.0% 0.0% 2.00 3.85 3.81 4.00 3.78 2.92 2.27 2.38 3.28 4.12 3.40 3.87 4.44 4.15 4.04 3.41 2.75 3.76 3.68 4.44 4.57 3.52
1.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 6.9% 2.62 4.02 4.05 4.23 3.74 2.55 2.75 2.74 3.32 4.12 3.22 4.06 4.47 4.33 4.32 3.56 2.99 4.11 3.74 4.56 4.56 3.38
Southern Springs Nevada Preserve Averages 14.9% 33.4% 16.4% 14.1% 30.9% 31.6% 30.9% 30.4% 3.6% 4.9% 9.1% 5.3% 5.5% 0.0% 1.8% 0.0% 0.0% 1.8% 2.27 4.31 4.17 4.15 4.28 2.51 2.69 2.75 3.68 4.43 3.53 4.14 4.63 4.33 4.26 3.76 3.17 4.02 3.62 4.64 4.65 3.52
4.6% 1.9% 1.9% 1.9% 0.0% 4.6% 2.47 4.16 4.08 4.20 3.97 2.73 2.67 2.65 3.44 4.27 3.53 4.02 4.55 4.30 4.22 3.57 3.07 3.97 3.60 4.59 4.62 3.47
Northern Nevada The results for this section for Northern Nevada are in Tables 7 and Table 8. Motive Respondents were asked to describe their primary motive for attending the farmers’ market. At all markets, purchasing produce was the most popular response, garnering an average of 69% of responses, ranging from 54% at West Street and 59% at Fallon to 86% at Sparks Methodist and Minden and 87% at Gardnerville. Social interaction took an average of 11% of responses, from 3% at Sparks Methodist and 5% at Whole Foods to 24% at Fallon and 32% at Somersett. Other responses varied by market, notably 18% of respondents at Fallon came to the market for concerts and music and 15% of attendants at West Street came for events and activities. Responses to other motives were minimal, including a maximum of 4% each of respondents at Whole Foods coming to the market to purchase packaged foods and to purchase arts and crafts. This indicates that respondents in Northern Nevada were not as interested in purchasing foods that were pre‐prepared, favoring fresh produce instead. The popularity of arts and crafts is likely to be highly dependent on the number and variety of arts and crafts available at a particular market. Transit Driving was definitely preferred to other modes of transport with an average of 86% of respondents in Northern Nevada driving to the market. While only 54% of respondents at West Street drove to the market, at least 81% of respondents at all the other markets drove, with 98% of respondents at Sparks Methodist and 100% of respondents at Whole Foods saying they arrived at the market by car. Walking was the next most popular form of transportation, with an average of 8% of responses over all markets, ranging from 0% at several markets (Sparks Hometowne, Sparks Methodist, and Whole Foods) to 19% at Fallon and 20% at West Street. Six percent of all respondents in Northern Nevada rode a bicycle to the market, with 24% of respondents at West Street saying they biked to the market. Nine percent of respondents at Sparks Hometowne market arrived by bus, which is worth noting as the market features a special no‐cost bus line originating in Reno. Of course the method of transportation respondents were able to take is dependent upon the location of the market and from where the respondent was starting his or her travel. Visits Over all markets, an average of 24% of respondents made just one visit to a market during the season, ranging from 11% of respondents at Gardnerville to 43% at Minden. An average of 43% of respondents made two or three visits, ranging from 36% at Minden and 37% at Gardnerville and Sparks Methodist to 73% at Sparks Hometowne. An average of 22% of respondents made four to seven visits to markets during the season, ranging from 9% at Sparks Hometowne to 33% at Gardnerville. An average of 12% of respondents made eight or more visits to a market that season, from 0% at Fallon, Minden, and Sparks Hometowne, to 29% at Somersett.
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Advertisement Word‐of‐mouth seems to be the most effective advertising tool in Northern Nevada, with an average of 35% of respondents at all markets saying they heard about the market they were attending through word‐of‐mouth. An average of 18% each of respondents said they had seen a roadside sign advertising the market, another 18% read about it in the newspaper, and 14% dropped by the market after seeing it. Six percent of respondents heard about the market online, and 5% saw a flyer or poster. The fact that 32% of respondents over all markets either saw a roadside sign or dropped by indicates that these respondents did not plan ahead to attend the market. Only an average of 2% of respondents heard a radio ad for the market, and only 1% had seen a television ad, on average. Farmers’ Market Attributes Respondents were asked to rate 11 farmers’ market attributes on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 indicated that the attribute was not important and 5 indicated that it was extremely important. At Fallon, number of vendors was given the highest average rating of 4.35, followed by product variety at 3.94, convenient location at 3.88, hours of operation at 3.29, and free parking at 3.24. Receiving the lowest ratings were cultural events at 2.59, child and family activities at 2.65, and educational events at 2.35. At Gardnerville, product variety was given the highest average rating of 4.33, followed by convenient location at 4.15, number of vendors at 4.00, free parking and hours of operation at 3.89 each, and whether it is a certified farmers’ market at 3.60. Given the lowest average ratings were concerts and music and cultural events at 1.62 each, and child and family activities at 1.44. At Minden, free parking was given the highest average rating of 4.36, followed by product variety at 4.21, number of vendors at 4.14, convenient location at 4.07, and hours of operation and food and beverage vendors at 3.79. Receiving the lowest average ratings were cultural events at 2.77, child and family activities at 2.62, and educational events at 2.46. At Somersett, product variety received the highest average rating of 4.41, followed by convenient location at 4.12, free parking at 4.06, number of vendors at 4.00, and whether it is a certified farmers’ market at 3.94. The attributes receiving the lowest average ratings were cultural events at 2.79, educational events at 2.41, and child and family activities at 2.03. At Sparks Hometowne, product variety received the highest average rating of 4.36, followed by free parking and convenient location at 4.25 each, number of vendors at 4.00, hours of operation at 3.92, and food and beverage vendors at 3.91. Receiving the lowest average ratings were cultural events at 2.83, child and family activities at 2.58, and educational events at 2.50. At Sparks Methodist, product variety received the highest average rating of 4.28, followed by convenient location at 4.27, free parking at 4.21, hours of operation at 3.94, and number of vendors at 3.80. The attributes with the lowest average ratings were cultural and educational events at 2.04 each, child and family activities at 1.86, and concerts and music at 1.82.
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At West Street, product variety had the highest average rating of 4.33, followed by convenient location at 4.21, hours of operation at 3.82, number of vendors at 3.65, and food and beverage vendors at 3.49. Receiving the lowest average ratings were concerts and music at 2.66, educational events at 2.50, and child and family activities at 1.78. At Whole Foods, product variety received the highest average rating of 4.16, followed by free parking at 4.10, convenient location at 4.07, hours of operation at 3.89, and number of vendors at 3.74. Receiving the lowest average ratings were cultural events at 2.19, concerts and music at 2.05, and child and family activities at 1.68. Vendor Attributes On average, only 28% of respondents at Northern Nevada markets had a favorite vendor, ranging from a low of 9% of respondents at Sparks Hometowne to a high of 48% at Gardnerville. Over all markets, product offering was cited as the reason that vendor was a favorite, with an average of 36% of responses, ranging from 28% at Gardnerville and West Street (although none of the respondents at Sparks Hometowne listed this as a reason) to 60% at Minden. Friendliness and approachability was the second most popular answer with an average of 33% of responses, ranging from 19% at Somersett to 100% at Sparks Hometowne. Fruit and Vegetable Attributes At Fallon, the fruit and vegetable attribute given the highest average rating was freshness at 4.53, followed by taste and quality at 4.41 each, and variety, value, and appearance at 4.12 each. The attributes receiving the lowest ratings were having information about the grower or farmer at 3.35, whether the product is organic at 3.24, and specialty items at 2.65. At Gardnerville, taste was given the highest average rating of 4.74, followed by freshness at 4.70, quality at 4.63, value at 4.42, and appearance at 4.24. The attributes receiving the lowest average ratings were whether the product is organic at 3.73, having information about the grower or farmer at 3.70, and specialty items at 2.88. At Minden, quality received the highest average rating of 4.50, followed by taste at 4.43, freshness at 4.36, appearance at 4.07, and value at 4.00. The attributes receiving the lowest rating were having information about the grower or farmer at 3.29, whether the product is organic at 3.14, and specialty items at 2.77. At Somersett, freshness received the highest average rating of 4.76, followed by taste at 4.71, quality at 4.68, value at 4.29, and appearance at 4.24. The attributes receiving the lowest ratings at Somersett were whether the product is organic at 3.65, having information about the grower or farmer at 3.26, and specialty items at 2.71. At Sparks Hometowne, freshness was given the highest average rating of 4.83, followed by quality and taste at 4.75 each, value at 4.50, and appearance at 4.42. Attributes receiving the lowest average
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ratings were having information about the grower or farmer at 3.25, whether the product is locally grown at 2.92, and specialty items at 2.58. At Sparks Methodist, freshness received the highest average rating of 4.62, followed by quality at 4.61, taste at 4.57, value at 4.20, and appearance at 4.09. Receiving the lowest average ratings were whether the product is organic at 3.45, having information about the grower or farmer at 3.43, and specialty items at 2.84. At West Street, taste was given the highest average rating of 4.58, followed by freshness at 4.54, quality at 4.50, value at 4.12, and appearance at 3.92. Receiving the lowest average ratings were whether the product is locally grown at 3.69, having information about the grower or farmer at 3.48, and specialty items at 2.88. At Whole Foods, quality received the highest average rating of 4.65, followed by taste at 4.63, freshness at 4.57, value at 4.10, and appearance at 3.98. The attributes receiving the lowest average ratings were price at 3.64, having information about the grower or farmer at 3.41, and specialty items at 2.83.
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Table 7: Nothern Nevada Farmers’ Market Attendance
Question/Market Purchase produce Purchase packaged foods Purchase arts/crafts What is your primary motive for Social interaction attending this farmers' market? Events/activities Concerts/music Purchase ready‐to‐eat food Car Bicycle What method of transit did you use Walking to travel to this farmers' market? Bus Taxi Train 1 visit How many times in the past four 2‐3 visits 4‐7 visits months have you attended a 8‐12 visits farmers' market? More than 12 visits Word‐of‐mouth Radio advertisement TV advertisement Drop by How did you hear about this farmers' market? Roadside sign Flyer/poster Newspaper Internet/e‐mail
Sparks Fallon Gardnerville Minden Somersett Hometowne 58.8% 86.7% 85.7% 64.7% 66.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 32.4% 16.7% 23.5% 10.0% 7.1% 0.0% 0.0% 7.1% 0.0% 8.3% 17.6% 0.0% 0.0% 2.9% 8.3% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 88.2% 90.9% 81.2% 88.9% 85.7% 0.0% 3.7% 0.0% 2.9% 0.0% 18.8% 7.4% 14.3% 8.8% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 9.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 23.5% 11.1% 42.9% 20.6% 18.2% 64.7% 37.0% 35.7% 50.0% 72.7% 26.5% 9.1% 11.8% 33.3% 21.4% 0.0% 14.8% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.7% 0.0% 29.0% 0.0% 47.1% 25.9% 28.6% 32.4% 63.6% 2.9% 9.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 5.9% 14.8% 7.1% 0.0% 18.2% 29.4% 25.9% 57.1% 8.8% 0.0% 14.7% 0.0% 5.9% 0.0% 0.0% 11.8% 33.3% 7.1% 14.7% 9.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 26.5% 0.0%
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Sparks Methodist 85.5% 1.6% 0.0% 3.2% 4.8% 0.0% 4.8% 98.3% 1.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 25.4% 37.3% 23.7% 10.2% 3.4% 36.8% 0.0% 3.5% 5.3% 35.1% 3.5% 14.0% 1.8%
West Street 53.8% 0.0% 3.1% 10.8% 15.4% 9.2% 7.7% 53.7% 24.1% 20.4% 1.9% 0.0% 0.0% 19.6% 47.1% 15.7% 11.8% 5.9% 36.7% 5.0% 1.7% 18.3% 5.0% 3.3% 20.0% 10.0%
Northern Whole Nevada Foods Averages 67.9% 69.1% 3.8% 1.2% 3.8% 2.4% 5.1% 10.6% 7.7% 7.3% 3.8% 4.5% 7.7% 4.8% 100.0% 85.9% 0.0% 5.6% 0.0% 7.7% 0.0% 0.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 25.9% 23.8% 39.7% 42.9% 20.7% 22.0% 8.6% 7.8% 5.2% 3.5% 26.7% 34.7% 0.0% 2.0% 1.7% 1.4% 25.0% 13.9% 13.3% 18.4% 10.0% 5.4% 23.3% 18.4% 0.0% 5.8%
Table 8: Nothern Nevada Farmers’ Market Attributes
Question/Market Do you have a favorite vendor?
Why is this vendor your favorite?
How important are the following farmers' market attributes? (average rating on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1=not important and 5=extremely important)
When making fruit and vegetable purchases, how important are the following product features?
Have a favorite vendor Free samples Product offering Friendliness/approachability Discounts Product information available Provides other services outside market Freshness of products Quality/taste Local products Organic products Other Concerts/Music Free parking Hours of operation Convenient location Number of vendors Child/Family activities Cultural events Educational events Certified farmers' market Product variety Food and beverage vendors Variety Quality Value Appearance Locally grown (NV) Specialty items Price Organic Freshness Taste Know grower/farmer
Fallon 29.4% 9.1% 36.4% 27.3% 9.1% 9.1%
Gardnerville 48.1% 13.8% 27.6% 34.5% 6.9% 6.9%
Minden 28.6% 0.0% 60.0% 40.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Somersett 33.3% 14.3% 47.6% 19.0% 0.0% 4.8%
Sparks Hometowne 9.1% 0.0% 0.0% 100.0% 0.0% 0.0%
0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 9.1% 0.0% 0.0% 3.00 3.24 3.29 3.88 4.35 2.65 2.59 2.35 3.12 3.94 3.29 4.12 4.41 4.12 4.12 3.94 2.65 3.94 3.24 4.53 4.41 3.35
0.0% 0.0% 3.4% 3.4% 3.4% 0.0% 1.62 3.89 3.89 4.15 4.00 1.44 1.62 1.76 3.60 4.33 2.44 4.15 4.63 4.42 4.24 4.04 2.88 4.15 3.73 4.70 4.74 3.70
0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.15 4.36 3.79 4.07 4.14 2.62 2.77 2.46 3.43 4.21 3.79 3.79 4.50 4.00 4.07 3.86 2.77 3.50 3.14 4.36 4.43 3.29
4.8% 0.0% 0.0% 4.8% 0.0% 0.0% 3.00 4.06 3.91 4.12 4.00 2.03 2.79 2.41 3.94 4.41 3.82 4.15 4.68 4.29 4.24 3.76 2.71 3.82 3.65 4.76 4.71 3.26
0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 2.92 4.25 3.92 4.25 4.00 2.58 2.83 2.50 3.17 4.36 3.91 4.00 4.75 4.50 4.42 2.92 2.58 4.25 3.33 4.83 4.75 3.25
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Sparks Methodist 35.6% 12.2% 46.3% 29.3% 4.9% 2.4%
West Street 27.5% 10.3% 27.6% 34.5% 3.4% 3.4%
Whole Foods 13.8% 10.0% 30.0% 30.0% 0.0% 10.0%
Northern Nevada Averages 28.1% 11.9% 35.8% 33.3% 3.8% 5.0%
0.0% 0.0% 2.4% 0.0% 2.4% 0.0% 1.82 4.21 3.94 4.27 3.80 1.86 2.04 2.04 3.34 4.28 2.78 3.85 4.61 4.20 4.09 3.78 2.84 3.96 3.45 4.62 4.57 3.43
3.4% 0.0% 0.0% 3.4% 3.4% 10.3% 2.66 3.44 3.82 4.21 3.65 1.78 2.88 2.50 3.43 4.33 3.49 3.73 4.50 4.12 3.92 3.69 2.88 3.71 3.71 4.54 4.58 3.48
10.0% 0.0% 0.0% 5.0% 5.0% 0.0% 2.05 4.10 3.89 4.07 3.74 1.68 2.19 2.49 3.49 4.16 2.75 3.84 4.65 4.10 3.98 3.81 2.83 3.64 3.77 4.57 4.63 3.41
2.5% 0.0% 1.9% 2.5% 2.5% 0.6% 2.33 3.92 3.84 4.15 3.86 1.90 2.40 2.30 3.44 4.26 3.11 3.90 4.59 4.18 4.06 3.76 2.79 3.82 3.56 4.60 4.60 3.42
Section III: Purchasing and Consumption Habits, Personal Attributes The purchasing and consumption habits section of the report was designed to help market managers understand where customers purchase their food products in addition to their farmers’ market shopping, how often they purchase food products, how often they eat meals away from home, and whether or not they are interested in joining a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. The personal attributes section addresses the programs with which respondents are involved, such as Women, Infants, Children (WIC) and food stamps, and the participation rate in activities such as recycling and composting and community activities such as youth groups. This information can assist market managers in determining programming based on customers’ interests, and may provide information as to where to advertise the market. Finally, the personal attributes section discusses the average agreement levels to a list of personal statements respondents were given, including “Physical activity is an important part of my routine,” and “I buy products with low environmental impact.” The responses to these statements will provide even more information to market managers about the personal motivations their customers may have for choosing to attend farmers’ markets. Southern Nevada The results of this section for Southern Nevada are in Table 9 and Table 10. Grocery Outlets Respondents were asked to define the type of grocery outlet they typically use. The results were similar across all Southern Nevada markets, with the greatest proportion of respondents saying they shop at standard grocery stores, followed by specialty stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, multi‐ purpose stores such as Wal‐Mart or Target, bulk stores such as Costco, and discount stores such as Winco. Respondents were also asked how many times they had been to their primary grocery location in the past month. In all cases the greatest percentage of respondents said they had been to the store between four and seven times, which is an average of at least one grocery visit per week, with responses ranging from 42% of respondents at Henderson to 60% of respondents at Garden Park. There were also a large proportion of respondents who said they visited their grocery outlet two to three times in the past month, ranging from 20% at Garden Park to 35% at Bruce Trent, although a substantial percentage also said they had been to the store eight or more times, including 14% of respondents at Henderson. Meals Away From Home Respondents were asked how many meals they eat at home each week, to gain an understanding of the number of meals they eat out or away from home. In all cases, lunch was the meal eaten away from home most frequently. This is possibly a result of people working away from home and eating lunch while they are at work. Over all markets, respondents ate an average of 5.3 breakfasts at home, 3.9 lunches, and 5.3 dinners. 23
Community Supported Agriculture Respondents were asked whether or not they would be interested in joining a CSA. The responses varied, 22% of respondents at Henderson saying they would be interested compared to 25% at Bruce Trent, 42% at Garden Park, and 44% at Springs Preserve. Additionally, 15% of respondents at Garden Park, 19% at Bruce Trent, 21% at Springs Preserve, and 24% at Henderson said they might be interested but would need further information to make a decision. Programs and Activities Respondents were presented with a list of programs and activities and were asked whether or not they participate in them. For programs, respondents were asked whether they participate in WIC, food stamps, or the senior nutrition program. Most respondents said they do not participate in these programs, although 7% of respondents at Henderson said they participate in the food stamps program. Recycling was the activity that the greatest number of respondents participated in across all markets, with at least 61% of respondents claiming to recycle. Home gardening, Earth Day, food canning and preservation, composting, and youth groups were also popular. The Master Gardener program and CSAs were the least‐popular activities. Personal Attributes Respondents were given a list of personal statements and were asked to rate them on a scale of one to five, with one indicating that they strongly disagree with the statement and five indicating that they strongly agree with the statement. Over all Southern Nevada markets, the statement with the highest average rating was “I am concerned about the safety of my food” at 4.52, followed by “I am concerned about my health/diet” at 4.40, “I am concerned about the origin of my food” at 4.19, “Agricultural open space is important to me” at 4.07 and “Supporting local farmers is important to me” at 4.05. The statements with the lowest average ratings were “I have little time to prepare meals” at 3.16, “I eat out frequently” at 2.92, and “I am a vegetarian or vegan” at 1.62. Individual market data did not differ much from the overall results for Southern Nevada. In all cases, “I am concerned about the safety of my food” was given the highest average rating, followed by “I am concerned with my health/diet.” Similarly, “I am a vegetarian or vegan” was given the lowest rating, while “I eat out frequently” and “I have little time to prepare meals” were given the second and third lowest average ratings for all markets.
24
Table 9: Southern Nevada Purchasing and Consumption Habits
Question/Market Grocery store Bulk store Which outlet do you primarily use Multi‐purpose store for grocery purchases? Specialty store Discount store 1 visit How many times in the past month 2‐3 visits have you purchased groceries at 4‐7 visits your primary grocery location? 8‐12 visits More than 12 visits On average, how many meals per Breakfast week do you consume at home? Lunch Dinner (out of 7 possible) Yes Would you consider subscribing to a No local CSA program? Need more info
Bruce Trent Garden Park 43.7% 44.4% 13.5% 9.5% 14.3% 12.7% 26.2% 33.3% 2.4% 0.0% 2.9% 3.6% 35.0% 20.0% 43.7% 60.0% 16.5% 7.3% 1.9% 9.7% 5.2 5.8 3.7 4.2 5.5 5.1 25.3% 41.5% 55.6% 43.4% 19.2% 15.1%
25
Southern Springs Nevada Henderson Preserve Averages 40.2% 39.9% 41.7% 14.0% 12.4% 12.7% 21.5% 16.3% 16.5% 30.7% 27.9% 22.4% 1.9% 0.7% 1.1% 1.2% 2.3% 2.4% 33.7% 30.3% 30.9% 49.2% 47.6% 41.9% 9.3% 9.8% 11.2% 14.0% 8.3% 8.0% 4.9 5.4 5.3 4.2 3.8 3.9 5.2 5.3 5.3 21.7% 44.4% 33.5% 54.2% 34.9% 46.3% 20.6% 20.2% 24.1%
Table 10: Southern Nevada Personal Attributes
Question/Market WIC Do you participate in the following Food stamps programs? Senior Nutrition Composting Home gardening Recycling Food canning/preservation In which of the following activities Home beer/wine making do you participate or have you 4H or FFA participated? Master gardener program Youth groups CSA program Earth Day I am concerned about the safety of my food I have little time to prepare meals I am concerned about my health/diet Please specify if you agree or I buy products with low environmental impact disagree with each of the following I eat out frequently statements (average rating on a Physical activity is an important part of my routine scale of 1 to 5, where 1=strongly Eating out is an event in my family disagree and 5=strongly agree) Supporting local farmers is important to me Agricultural open space is important to me I am concerned about the origin of my food I am a vegetarian or vegan
26
Bruce Trent 1.9% 1.9% 0.9% 11.3% 36.8% 61.3% 21.7% 8.5% 5.7% 2.8% 17.0% 2.8% 20.8% 4.50 3.12 4.35 3.42 2.95 3.86 3.47 4.02 3.96 4.18 1.74
Springs Garden Park Henderson Preserve 1.8% 0.0% 0.8% 1.8% 6.9% 1.5% 1.8% 2.3% 1.5% 19.6% 20.7% 25.8% 37.5% 46.0% 53.0% 69.6% 60.9% 72.7% 16.1% 18.4% 22.7% 5.4% 4.6% 9.8% 12.5% 3.4% 4.5% 0.0% 2.3% 3.8% 12.5% 14.9% 9.1% 1.8% 0.0% 1.5% 26.8% 18.4% 26.5% 4.67 4.36 4.58 2.93 3.23 3.26 4.47 4.29 4.49 3.81 3.39 3.50 2.69 2.98 2.95 4.21 3.90 4.05 3.51 3.27 3.44 4.07 3.80 4.23 4.06 3.99 4.23 4.27 3.96 4.32 1.72 1.69 1.43
Southern Nevada Averages 0.5% 2.9% 1.6% 19.7% 44.6% 66.4% 20.5% 7.6% 5.8% 2.6% 13.1% 1.6% 23.1% 4.52 3.16 4.40 3.50 2.92 3.99 3.42 4.05 4.07 4.19 1.62
Northern Nevada The results for this section for Northern Nevada are in Table 11 and Table 12. Grocery Outlets Over all Northern Nevada markets, standard grocery stores were cited most often as the respondent’s primary grocery outlet, with 50% of respondents saying they primary use standard grocery store for their grocery purchases. Individually, 100% of respondents at Minden said they use a standard grocery store, compared to 75% of respondents at Somersett, 61% at Gardnerville, and 56% at Fallon. On the low end, only 32% of respondents at Whole Foods and 30% of respondents at Sparks Hometowne shopped primarily at a standard grocery store. Multi‐purpose stores such as Wal‐Mart and Target were the next most‐common response to this question, with an average of 18% of respondents over all markets using one of these stores as their primary grocery outlet. Forty percent of respondents at Sparks Hometowne used a multi‐purpose store, as did 31% of respondents at Fallon. Specialty stores were the next most popular grocery outlet, with an average of 15% of respondents over all markets. Nearly a third of respondents at West Street (27%) and a quarter of respondents at Whole Foods (25%) shopped primarily at a specialty store, while this outlet was not used much for respondents at Somersett (6%), or Fallon and Minden (0% each). Discount stores were the primary grocery outlet for 10% of respondents over all markets, and 8% of respondents at all markets used a bulk store as their primary outlet. On average, nearly half of respondents in Northern Nevada (47%) said they visited their primary grocery outlet between four and seven times in the previous month, meaning that these respondents visit the grocery store at least once a week, while 22% of respondents visited their primary outlet eight or more times, meaning they attend the store at least twice per week. The remaining 31% of respondents visited their grocery outlet three or less times, meaning they visit their primary grocery outlet less frequently than once per week. Nearly a quarter of respondents at Fallon (24%) said they visit their primary outlet more than 12 times per month (an average of three or more visits each week), and 14% of respondents at Minden had made just one visit in the previous month. Meals Away From Home Over all Northern Nevada markets, respondents ate an average of 5.7 breakfasts at home, 4.2 lunches, and 5.4 dinners. As with the results for Southern Nevada, the lower number for lunches is likely a product of people working away from home and eating lunch at work. For all markets, respondents ate an average of at least one meal per week away from home. CSA Respondents were asked whether or not they would consider subscribing to a CSA program. At Fallon, Gardnerville, Minden, Somersett, Sparks Hometown, and Sparks Methodist, approximately 50% of respondents said they would not be interested in joining a CSA. At West Street and Whole Foods, only about 30% of respondents were certain they would be not be interested in a CSA. Sparks Hometowne 27
had the lowest proportion of respondents who said they would be interested in a CSA, with just 8%, although 42% of respondents said they might be interested but would need more information to be certain. Between 41% and 44% of respondents at Gardnerville, Whole Foods, and West Street said they would be interested in joining a CSA. Programs and Activities At most Northern Nevada markets, respondents said they did not participate in WIC or the food stamps program, although 2% of respondents at Sparks Methodist and Whole Foods said they participate in WIC and food stamps. More respondents said they participate in the senior nutrition program, ranging from 2% at West Street to 9% at Sparks Methodist, although no respondents at Gardnerville or Sparks Hometowne said they participate in this program. At Fallon, the activity most participated in was home gardening, 65% of respondents claiming to do this activity, followed by recycling with 53% participation, and food canning and preservation at 41%. At Gardnerville, recycling was most participated in, with 74% of respondents, followed by home gardening with 67% of respondents, and composting and food canning and preservation, with 30% of respondents each. Recycling was the most popular activity at Minden, with 43% of respondents participating, followed by home gardening and food canning and preservation with 29% of respondents each. Eighty‐ five percent of respondents at Somersett said they recycle, followed by home gardening with 50%, Earth Day with 21%, and food canning and preservation at 18%. Sixty‐seven percent of respondents at Sparks Hometowne said they recycle, followed by 50% who home garden, and 42% of respondents who participate in Earth Day. Seventy‐three percent of respondents at Sparks Methodist said they recycle, followed by home gardening at 55%, composting at 30%, food canning and preservation at 23%, Earth Day at 20%, and youth groups at 18%. At West Street, 77% of respondents recycle, followed by home gardening with 64%, Earth Day with 47%, composting with 42%, and food canning and preservation with 36%. At Whole Foods, recycling was the most popular activity with 85% of respondents participating, followed by home gardening with 69%, composting and Earth Day with 45% each, and food canning and preservation at 38%. Personal Attributes Over all Northern Nevada markets, “I am concerned with my health/diet” received the highest average rating, followed by “I am concerned about the safety of my food,” “I am concerned about the origin of my food,” Supporting local farmers is important to me,” and “Agricultural open space is important to me.” The personal attributes receiving the lowest average ratings over all of Northern Nevada were “I have little time to prepare meals,” “I eat out frequently,” and “I am a vegetarian or vegan.” At Fallon, Somersett, West Street, and Whole Foods, “I am concerned with my health/diet” was also given the highest average rating. This was also the case at Gardnerville, however, “I am concerned about the safety of my food” and “Agricultural open space is important to me” received the same rating. “Agricultural open space is important to me” also received the highest rating at Minden, while “I am concerned about the origin of my food” was given the highest average rating at Sparks Hometowne, and “I am concerned about the safety of my food” was rated highest at Sparks Methodist. 28
At all markets, “I am a vegetarian or vegan” was given the lowest average rating, although all average scores for this statement were over one, indicating that at least some people at each market did consider themselves a vegetarian or vegan. For Fallon, Gardnerville, Somersett, Sparks Hometowne, West Street, and Whole Foods, “I eat out frequently” and “I have little time to prepare meals” were given the second‐ and third‐lowest ratings, following the average for all markets. For Minden, “I buy products with low environmental impact” was also in the bottom three, and at Sparks Methodist “I eat out frequently” was rated slightly higher than “I have little time to prepare meals.”
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Table 11: Nothern Nevada Purchasing and Consumption Habits
Question/Market Grocery store Bulk store Which outlet do you primarily use Multi‐purpose store for grocery purchases? Specialty store Discount store 1 visit How many times in the past month 2‐3 visits have you purchased groceries at 4‐7 visits your primary grocery location? 8‐12 visits More than 12 visits On average, how many meals per Breakfast week do you consume at home? Lunch Dinner (out of 7 possible) Yes Would you consider subscribing to a No local CSA program? Need more info
Fallon 56.2% 6.2% 31.2% 0.0% 6.2% 0.0% 29.4% 29.4% 17.6% 23.5% 6.2 4.7 6.0 35.3% 52.9% 11.8%
Gardnerville Minden 60.6% 100.0% 15.2% 0.0% 12.1% 0.0% 12.1% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 14.3% 29.6% 7.1% 48.1% 64.3% 14.8% 7.1% 7.4% 7.1% 5.9 4.8 4.9 4.3 5.7 5.7 40.7% 28.6% 48.1% 50.0% 11.1% 21.4%
30
Somersett 75.0% 8.3% 11.1% 5.6% 0.0% 8.8% 29.4% 47.1% 11.8% 2.9% 5.5 3.6 5.1 25.0% 53.1% 21.9%
Sparks Sparks West Whole Hometowne Methodist Street Foods 30.0% 36.9% 47.3% 31.7% 0.0% 10.8% 3.6% 8.3% 40.0% 23.1% 12.7% 16.7% 12.3% 27.3% 25.0% 10.0% 20.0% 16.9% 9.1% 18.3% 0.0% 3.6% 3.8% 3.4% 25.0% 35.7% 19.2% 24.1% 33.3% 42.9% 50.0% 55.2% 41.7% 16.1% 21.2% 13.8% 0.0% 1.8% 5.8% 3.4% 5.0 5.4 5.9 6.0 3.5 4.5 4.1 3.9 5.4 5.6 5.1 5.4 8.3% 28.8% 44.4% 43.8% 50.0% 53.8% 31.5% 34.4% 41.7% 17.3% 24.1% 21.9%
Northern Nevada Averages 49.7% 7.6% 17.5% 15.2% 9.9% 4.2% 26.9% 47.0% 16.6% 5.3% 5.7 4.2 5.4 35.4% 43.9% 20.7%
Table 12: Northern Nevada Personal Attributes
Question/Market
Fallon WIC
0.0%
Do you participate in the following Food stamps programs? Senior Nutrition
0.0%
0.0%
Somersett 0.0%
0.0%
1.8%
0.0%
1.7%
0.7%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1.8%
0.0%
1.7%
0.7%
5.9%
0.0%
7.1%
2.9%
0.0%
8.9%
1.9%
5.2%
4.2%
Composting
17.6%
29.6%
14.3%
11.8%
16.7%
30.4%
41.5% 44.8%
30.7%
Home gardening
64.7%
66.7%
28.6%
50.0%
50.0%
55.4%
64.2% 69.0%
60.1%
Recycling
52.9%
74.1%
42.9%
85.3%
66.7%
73.2%
77.4% 84.5%
74.9%
Food canning/preservation
41.2%
29.6%
28.6%
17.6%
16.7%
23.2%
35.8% 37.9%
29.0%
5.9%
7.4%
0.0%
8.8%
16.7%
3.6%
17.0%
6.9%
8.5%
5.9%
11.1%
7.1%
2.9%
8.3%
7.1%
7.5%
24.1%
11.0%
In which of the following activities Home beer/wine making do you participate or have you 4H or FFA participated? Master gardener program Youth groups
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
8.3%
10.7%
5.7%
8.6%
5.7%
5.9%
18.5%
7.1%
14.7%
8.3%
17.9%
18.9% 25.9%
19.4%
CSA program
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
2.9%
0.0%
1.8%
9.4%
10.3%
4.6%
Earth Day
11.8%
18.5%
7.1%
20.6%
41.7%
19.6%
47.2% 44.8%
30.4%
I am concerned about the safety of my food
4.35
4.67
4.29
4.62
4.50
4.65
4.42
4.55
4.54
I have little time to prepare meals
2.88
2.63
3.21
3.16
3.00
2.78
3.15
3.11
3.01
I am concerned about my health/diet
4.53
4.67
4.07
4.66
4.50
4.61
4.44
4.67
4.56
I buy products with low environmental impact
3.35
3.81
3.14
3.38
3.67
3.71
3.77
3.67
3.60
Please specify if you agree or disagree with each of the following I eat out frequently statements (average rating on a Physical activity is an important part of my routine scale of 1 to 5, where 1=strongly Eating out is an event in my family disagree and 5=strongly agree) Supporting local farmers is important to me Agricultural open space is important to me
2.06
2.56
3.21
2.94
2.58
2.79
2.67
2.55
2.67
3.82
4.30
3.93
4.28
4.33
3.98
4.25
4.26
4.16
3.41
3.52
3.79
3.42
3.25
3.24
3.19
3.35
3.33
4.41
4.59
4.21
4.12
4.17
4.37
4.29
4.29
4.31
4.47
4.67
4.36
3.90
4.00
4.48
4.15
4.33
4.30
I am concerned about the origin of my food
4.29
4.59
4.21
4.13
4.58
4.41
4.31
4.40
4.35
I am a vegetarian or vegan
1.18
1.74
1.23
1.84
1.17
1.86
1.76
1.72
1.67
31
Gardnerville Minden
Northern Sparks Sparks West Whole Nevada Hometowne Methodist Street Foods Averages
Section IV: Individual Market Assessment and Recommendations Bruce Trent The average survey respondent at Bruce Trent Farmers’ Market was a married female approximately 43 years old with children in the household. The average survey respondent has annual household income of $87,000, education ranging from some college to a two‐ or four‐year degree and is full‐ or part‐time employed. The Bruce Trent market boasted more of an ethnic mix than most of the other markets, with each category of ethnic background represented. The average respondent at Bruce Trent spends $22.90 per visit to the market, representing 18% of the respondent’s weekly household grocery spending of $130.60 and travels an average of 5.0 miles to reach the market, 32% further than the 3.8 miles the average respondent travels to their primary grocery outlet. Forty‐four percent of respondents at Bruce Trent use a traditional grocery store as their primary shopping outlet, with another 26% shopping at specialty stores. Nearly 80% of respondents at Bruce Trent visit their primary shopping outlet between two and seven times per month, and 19% make eight or more monthly visits. Although 56% of respondents were certain they didn’t want to join a CSA, 25% said they were definitely interested in joining, and the remaining 19% felt they needed more information before making a decision. Nearly all of the respondents at the Bruce Trent market arrived at the market by car and over 60% of respondents had made between two and seven visits to the market that season, with over 20% of respondents making eight or more trips to the market, indicating that 80% of respondents were regular visitors to the market. Forty‐one percent of respondents heard about the market through word‐of‐ mouth, 26% said they just dropped by the market, and 25% said they heard about the market from a roadside sign. The fact that 99% of respondents drove to the market and 25% heard about the market from a roadside sign may serve as an indication that this is an appropriate advertising mechanism for this market. While only 4% and 3% of respondents heard about the market through the newspaper and the Internet/email, respectively, these figures are still greater than the proportion of respondents who heard about the market through radio and television ads and by flyers/posters. None of the respondents heard about the market through a television ad. Thirty‐eight percent of respondents at Bruce Trent said their primary purpose for attending the market was to purchase produce. Although this is a large portion of respondents, it is much lower than the percentage of respondents at the other Southern Nevada markets who gave this response. Another 20% said they attended the market for ready‐to‐eat foods from vendors, 17% came for social interaction, and 12% came for events and activities. Three of the top‐rated farmers’ market attributes at Bruce Trent were location, hours of operation, and convenient parking, all of which were given average ratings above four, meaning that on average, respondents rated these attributes as “important” or “extremely important.” Although 12% of respondents said they came to the market for events and activities, child/family activities, concerts/music, and cultural and educational events were given the lowest average ratings. This may be an indication that many respondents did attend the market primarily to make purchases or for social interaction. 32
Over half of respondents at Bruce Trent said they have a favorite vendor, with 32% saying the vendor was their favorite because of their friendliness and approachability, 30% the product offering, and 14% free samples. This shows that customers at Bruce Trent are just as or more concerned with the vendor as they are with the vendor’s products, and is something the vendors should consider when dealing with customers. On the topic of fruit and vegetable attributes, Bruce Trent survey respondents were most concerned with the taste of these products, followed by freshness, quality, value, appearance, variety, price, having information about the grower/farmer, whether the product is locally grown, whether the product is organic, and whether the product is a specialty item. It is important to note that price was the seventh‐ highest rated attribute, indicating that price is not the main concern, whereas value was rated fourth. This shows that respondents are more concerned with receiving a fresh, tasty, high‐quality product for the price they are paying, rather than being concerned with the price alone. A small percentage of respondents at Bruce Trent were involved with WIC, food stamps, and senior nutrition. Although the percentage of participants was quite low, market managers may consider incorporating these programs into the market if they are not already. The activities most participated in were recycling, home gardening, food canning and preservation, Earth Day, and youth groups. The market manager may consider using these activities as a way to advertise the market or draw people to the market. For example, a market theme of recycling with recycling education or a theme on home gardening with tips for how to preserve the things that can be grown in the area may encourage additional people to attend the market. Such themes or activities might be best advertised through word‐of‐mouth advertising at markets leading up to the events, as well as through roadside signs and possibly radio ads. Encouraging market participants to sign up for an email mailing list would give the market manager an additional opportunity to reach the public. As with other markets, respondents at Bruce Trent said they are concerned with the safety of their food, their health/diet, and the origin of their food. Additionally, respondents said that supporting local farmers is important. These factors all indicate that consumers may be attending the farmers’ market specifically for food that is regionally‐sourced and thus perceived as safer, in addition to providing support for local growers. These consumers may respond positively to market advertising that emphasizes the opportunity to support local growers and to become better acquainted with local food sources. Garden Park The average respondent at Garden Park Farmers’ Market was a married female approximately 41 years old with children in the household. The average survey respondent had annual household income of $138,730, a college education or higher, and works full‐ or part‐time, although this market had a greater proportion of respondents who were homemakers than the other Southern Nevada markets. This market was also the most ethnically homogenous of the Southern Nevada markets, with 80% of respondents Caucasian.
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The average Garden Park respondent spent $22.80 per market visit, representing 13% of the household’s weekly grocery spending of $178.20. Although household income and grocery spending were higher for Garden Park than for the other Southern Nevada markets, average market spending was about the same as the average for all markets. This shows that respondents spend proportionally less of their income and grocery spending at the farmers’ market than respondents did at other markets. Respondents traveled an average of 4.0 miles to reach the Garden Park market, 11% further than the 3.6 miles they travel to their primary grocery outlet. Forty‐four percent of respondents used a standard grocery store as their primary grocery outlet, while another 33% use a specialty store. This was the highest percentage of specialty store shopping of the Southern Nevada markets. If a specialty store such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s is located in the vicinity of the Garden Park market, the market manager may consider contacting the store about doing some sort of advertising for the market in or around the store, or holding a satellite market in the store’s parking lot several times throughout the season. Sixty percent of Garden Park respondents visited their primary grocery location four to seven times in the previous month, with another 20% making two to three visits. Seventeen percent of respondents made eight or more visits to their primary grocery location. Forty‐three percent of respondents said they were not interested in joining a CSA, while 42% said they were interested, and another 15% said they would need more information to be sure. While 91% of respondents at Garden Park said they had arrived at the market by car, the other 9% said they had walked to the market. Forty‐six percent of respondents at Garden Park said they had visited the market two to three times that season, while 19% said they had visited between four and seven times, and 18% said they had visited more than eight times. This indicates that 84% of respondents at Garden Park are regular visitors. Thirty‐four percent of respondents had heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth, 33% had just dropped by, and 22% were attracted to the market by a roadside sign. As with Bruce Trent, the high proportion of respondents who drove to the market and the degree of exposure to a roadside sign indicate that this is a good method of advertisement for the market. Sixty‐four percent of respondents found out about the market through either a roadside sign or by dropping by, which might mean that these respondents decided to attend the market at the last minute. The market manager should strive to ensure that the market is easily accessible to customers coming in at the last minute. Five percent of respondents heard about the market online, 3% saw a poster or flyer, and 2% each saw a television ad or read about it in the newspaper. No respondents heard about the market on the radio. Fifty‐one percent of respondents at Garden Park said their primary purpose for attending the market was to purchase produce, while 14% said they were attending to purchase ready‐to‐eat foods from vendors, and 13% said they came for social interaction. The remaining results were split between the other categories. When asked to describe the importance of farmers’ market attributes, product variety was given the highest average rating, although this was followed by convenient location, free parking, and hours of operation. The attributes with the lowest average rating were education and cultural events and concerts and music. Thirty‐nine percent of Garden Park survey respondents said they have a favorite vendor, and 33% of these respondents said that their favorite vendor is their favorite because of the product offering, while 34
22% attribute it to friendliness and approachability, and 17% said it was because of free samples. Eleven percent each cited the vendor providing other services outside the market and the quality and taste of products. When rating fruit and vegetable attributes, taste was rated highest on average, followed by quality and freshness, value, appearance, variety, price, whether the product is organic, having information about the grower or farmer, whether the product is locally grown, and specialty items. This is very similar to the ranking the attributes received at Bruce Trent. Again, it is important to note that price was ranked after taste, quality, freshness, value, appearance, and variety. Two percent each of respondents at Garden Park said they participate in WIC, food stamps, and senior nutrition. Although these figures are small, the market manager may want to consider incorporating these programs into the market structure if they are not already incorporated. Seventy percent of respondents said they participate in recycling, 38% said they participate in home gardening, 27% participate in Earth Day, 20% compost, 16% participate in food canning and preservation, and 13% each said they participate in 4H or FFA and youth groups. This information could be very useful for the market manager in terms of determining event and activity programming. Respondents were active in recycling, Earth Day, and composting, indicating an interest in environmental issues. Respondents were also active in home gardening and food canning and preservation. When determining event and activity programming for the season, the market manager may consider a program that highlights the sustainable benefits of eating locally‐sourced foods, or a program that shows how local foods purchased at the market can be composted and used for home gardening to fertilize produce that can then be canned or preserved. The higher percentage of respondents who participate in 4H, FFA, and youth groups indicates that appealing to the family‐friendly nature of the market might also be effective, particularly since the average respondent at Garden Park was a younger married woman with children. Additionally, programs could be held to appeal to young people interested in agriculture. In terms of personal attributes, respondents at Garden Park indicated that they are concerned with food safety, their health and diet, physical activity, the origin of their foods, and protecting both local farmers and agricultural open spaces. This paints a picture of a health‐conscious consumer who is likely purchasing local products for both health reasons and to support the local economy. Advertising the market as a way to support local growers and become more knowledgeable about the nutritional and health aspects of local foods may be a way to attract additional business. The market manager may consider using these themes in advertising the market. Henderson The average respondent at the Henderson farmers’ market was a married female (although Henderson boasted the lowest percentage of married respondents) approximately 45 years old. Henderson had the lowest percentage of children and people age 18‐60 in the household of the Southern Nevada markets, the highest percentage of people over the age of 60, and the highest percentage of retired respondents, so the makeup of the average household at the Henderson market is likely to be a bit older than at other 35
markets. The average survey respondent had annual income of $92,059. The statistics for education trended more towards high school or some college than at the other Southern Nevada markets and Henderson had the lowest percentage of respondents with a graduate degree or higher, although a solid 42% had either a two‐ or four‐year degree. Forty‐seven percent of respondents were employed part‐ or full‐time, also the lowest percentage of the Southern Nevada markets; however, Henderson had the greatest percentage of both retired persons and students, at 26% each, which likely accounts for some of these differences. The market at Henderson was more ethnically diverse than Garden Park, but less than Bruce Trent. The average respondent at the Henderson market spent $20.10 per visit to the market, representing 16% of the average weekly household grocery spending of $124.90. Respondents traveled an average of 5.0 miles to reach the market, 28% further than the average of 3.9 miles traveled to reach the primary grocery location. Forty percent of respondents at Henderson said their primary grocery outlet is a standard grocery store, with 22% saying they shop at a multi‐purpose store, another 22% saying they shop at a specialty store, and 14% at a bulk store. Forty‐two percent of respondents said they made four to seven trips to their grocery outlet in the previous month, 34% said they made two to three visits, and 23% said they made eight or more visits, with a full 14% of respondents claiming to have made more than 12 visits. Only 22% of respondents at Henderson were interested in joining a CSA, although 24% said they would need more information. The other 54% of respondents were not interested in joining a CSA. Eighty‐one percent of respondents at Henderson reached the market by car, 17% walked, 1% rode a bicycle and 1% took a bus. Sixty percent of respondents had made between two and seven visits to the market over the course of the season, while 25% had made just one, and 15% had made eight or more visits. Thirty‐three percent of respondents heard about the Henderson market through word‐of‐mouth, 22% had just dropped by, 20% had seen a roadside sign, 12% read about it in the newspaper, and 9% heard about the market online. This indicates that newspaper ads were more effective for the Henderson market than the other Southern Nevada markets and may be a useful marketing strategy for the market. Online advertising may also be effective for this market. Flyers and posters and radio and television ads reached fewer respondents than the other methods. Fifty‐six percent of respondents at Henderson said purchasing produce was their primary motive for attending the market, followed by 11% who came to purchase arts and crafts, 9% who came for social interaction, and 9% who came to purchase ready‐to‐eat food from vendors. This was the greatest percentage of respondents who wanted arts and crafts at the Southern Nevada markets, and the lowest percentage of respondents who came for social interaction. The less popular responses were relatively evenly‐represented. Convenient location, product variety, hours of operation, and free parking were the most highly‐rated farmers’ market attributes, while cultural and educational events, concerts and music, and child and family events were rated the lowest. Thirty‐four percent of respondents said they had a favorite vendor, and 38% said their favorite vendor is their favorite because of their friendliness and approachability, while 35% cited the product offering, representing the bulk of responses. As with other markets, this shows the importance of the vendor 36
over the importance of the product. Developing a relationship between vendors and customers can be a way to achieve greater attendance and greater sales. Respondents rated both freshness and taste as the most important attributes when purchasing fruits and vegetables, followed by quality, value, appearance, price, variety, whether the product is organic, whether the product is locally grown, having information about the grower or farmer, and specialty items. Both quality attributes (freshness, taste, quality, appearance) and value were given higher ratings than price, indicating that customers may consider these attributes before they consider the price of a fruit or vegetable product. It may be helpful for vendors to promote these aspects of their products, and to emphasize them if a customer has difficulty with the asking price. No respondents at Henderson said they participate in WIC, but 2% said they participate in the senior nutrition program and 7% said they participate in food stamps. Sixty‐one percent of respondents said they participate in recycling, 46% participate in home gardening, 21% compost, 18% participate in food canning and preservation and 18% participate in Earth Day, and 15% participate in youth groups. As with other markets, the degree of respondents’ participation in environmentally‐friendly activities such as recycling, composting, and Earth Day can be used as a marketing tool to encourage people to attend the market. Hosting events that are focused on environmental issues may be a way to earn more attendance. Similarly, a program designed to target customers who participate in growing their own food and preserving their food might also be popular. The high participation rate in youth groups could be considered when developing programming (i.e. sponsoring youth‐based events or activities at the market), and/or as a method of reaching more potential customers in terms of advertising the market in community areas where youth groups are held. When rating the personal statements, respondents at Henderson were most concerned with food safety, their health/diet, the origin of their food, physical activity, agricultural open space, and supporting local farmers. As with other markets, these factors indicate that respondents are health‐ conscious, concerned with food safety, and would like to support local agriculture, and as with other markets, emphasizing the market as a way for consumers to support local growers, obtain fresh foods, and make direct contact with local food producers might be appealing to market attendants. Springs Preserve The average respondent at Springs Preserve was a married female approximately 45 years old. Thirty‐ nine percent of respondents at Springs Preserve had children in the household, 25% had at least one household member over 60 years old, and 84% had household members between 18 and 60. Although the age of the average respondent is similar to that of the other Southern Nevada markets, it is likely that Springs Preserve respondents actually have an older household than at markets such as Bruce Trent and Garden Park. The average respondent has an annual household income of $81,943, is likely to have at least some college education, and works part or full time. The market at Springs Preserve was not as ethnically diverse as some of the other markets, with 74% Caucasian and 11% who preferred not to answer the question.
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The average respondent at the Springs Preserve market spent $24.30 per visit to the market, representing 20% of average household grocery spending of $120.80 per week. This represents both the greatest absolute amount of spending, and the greatest percentage of grocery spending. Respondents to Springs Preserve traveled an average of 12.0 miles to reach the market, 193% further than the average 4.1 miles traveled to reach the primary grocery outlet. Forty percent of Springs Preserve respondents use a standard grocery store as their primary grocery outlet and 31% use a specialty store. Forty‐nine percent of respondents had made four to seven visits to their primary grocery outlet in the previous month, 30% had made two or three visits, and 18% had made eight or more visits. These figures are very similar to those of Garden Park and the recommendations are the same: If a specialty store such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s is located in the vicinity of the Springs Preserve market, the market manager may consider contacting the store about doing some sort of advertising for the market in or around the store, or holding a satellite market in the store’s parking lot several times throughout the season. Only 35% of respondents at Springs Preserve were unwilling to join a CSA, the lowest percentage of the Southern Nevada markets by a wide margin. Forty‐four percent said they would be interested in joining a CSA, and 21% said they would need more information. Ninety‐seven percent of respondents at Springs Preserve arrived at the market by car, 2% walked, and 1% took the bus. Eighty percent of respondents had made between one and three visits to the market that season, 14% had made four to seven visits, and only 6% had made eight or more visits. This might be due to the less central location of the Springs Preserve market. Thirty‐six percent of respondents heard about the market by word‐of‐mouth, 18% heard about it online, 13% just dropped by, 10% saw a roadside sign, 9% read about it in the newspaper, 7% saw a flyer or poster, 5% head a radio ad, and 2% saw a television ad. All advertising mediums were well‐represented, indicating that the market’s advertising strategy has been effective in reaching potential customers, although television and radio ads appear to be the least effective. The percentage of respondents who heard about the market online is much greater than at the other Southern Nevada markets. Looking ahead at the activities respondents participate in, 73% said they recycle, which is more than at the other markets. The market manager may consider continuing to use the strategy of paperless advertising online as a method to both reach customers and show them the market’s commitment to reducing paper waste. Sixty‐three percent of respondents at Springs Preserve said their primary motive for attending the market was to purchase produce, a larger percentage than at any of the other Southern Nevada markets. Eight percent each said they came for events and activities, social interaction, and to purchase ready‐to‐eat food from vendors. Packaged foods, concerts and music, and arts and crafts were the least popular motives for attending the market, but still earned between 4% and 5% of responses. When asked to rate market attributes, product variety was given the highest average rating, followed by free parking, number of vendors, hours of operation, and convenient location. Rated lowest were education and cultural events, child and family activities, and concerts and music. Only 15% of respondents at Springs Preserve said they had a favorite vendor, by far the lowest percentage of all the Southern Nevada markets. Thirty‐one percent of respondents cited product offering as the reason for a favorite vendor, and another 31% cited friendliness and approachability, while 16% said free samples, and 9% said that they appreciated having product information available. It 38
is possible that the lower percentage of respondents with a favorite vendor might be related to the relatively lower number of respondents who made multiple visits to the market. Respondents at Springs Preserve rated taste as the most important fruit and vegetable attribute, followed by freshness, quality, value, appearance, variety, price, whether the product is locally grown, whether the product is organic, having information about the grower or farmer, and specialty items. Two percent of respondents at Springs Preserve said they are involved in food stamps and senior nutrition, and 1% said they are involved with WIC. Seventy‐three percent of respondents said they participate in recycling, 53% have a home garden, 27% participate in Earth Day, 26% compost, 23% participate in food canning and preservation, 10% participate in home beer or wine making, and 9% participate in youth groups. As with other markets, it is recommended that the market manager use this information to develop programming for market attendants based on these interests, and possibly use them as a method of reaching potential customers. Respondents at Springs Preserve said they were most concerned with food safety, their health/diet, the origin of their food, physical activity, agricultural open space, and supporting local farmers. As with other markets, these factors indicate that respondents are health‐conscious, concerned with food safety, and would like to support local agriculture. Advertising the market as a way to support local growers and as a way to become better acquainted with the food people are putting in their bodies may be a way to attract additional business. As mentioned previously, the respondents at Springs Preserve were slightly more involved in eco‐friendly activities such as recycling, composting, and Earth Day. The market manager may consider making this market as environmentally‐friendly as possible to appeal to this demographic. Additionally, Springs Preserve had the lowest percentage of respondents with a favorite vendor, although respondents were interested in supporting local agriculture and gave personally knowing the grower or farmer of fruits and vegetables at 3.59, indicating that on average, respondents found this attribute to be important. The market manager may consider holding a “meet the farmer” event one week, in an effort to develop relationships between customers and farmers, which could be beneficial to both. Fallon The average respondent at the Fallon market was a married female approximately 54 years old. Only 35% of respondents at the market had children in the household, while 47% had at least one household member over the age of 60. This is not surprising given the average age of respondents. The average household income for Fallon was $62,187, and the average respondent had either high school or some college as their highest completed level of education. Thirty‐five percent of respondents were employed part‐ or full‐time, while another 35% were retired. Twelve percent of respondents were unemployed, the highest percentage of all markets in Nevada. Respondents at the market were not ethnically diverse, with 88% Caucasian, 6% Hispanic, and 6% unwilling to respond to the question.
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The average respondent at the Fallon market spent $26.30 per visit to the market, representing 17% of average household grocery spending of $153.40 per week. Respondents traveled an average of 7.0 miles to reach the market, 7% less than the distance they traveled to reach their primary grocery outlet. Fifty‐six percent of respondents at Fallon used a standard grocery store as their primary outlet, while 31% used a multi‐purpose store. Fifty‐eight percent of respondents had made between two and seven visits to their primary grocery outlet in the past month, while the other 42% made eight or more visits, with a full 24% of respondents saying they had made more than 12 visits. Thirty‐five percent of respondents at Fallon said they were interested in joining a CSA, while 53% said they were not interested and 12% said they would need more information. Eighty‐one percent of respondents at Fallon traveled to the market by car, while the remaining 19% walked. Seventy‐seven percent of respondents had made between two and seven visits to the market during the season, while the other 24% had made just one visit (note that this sums to greater than 100% due to rounding error). No respondents said they had made in excess of seven visits to the market that season. Forty‐seven percent of respondents had heard about the Fallon market through word‐of‐ mouth, while 29% had seen a roadside sign, and 12% read about it in the newspaper. Although 6% each dropped by the market and heard about it through a flyer or poster, no respondents had heard about the market through radio, television, or online advertisements. Fifty‐nine percent of respondents said the primary motive for the visit to the market was to purchase produce, 24% cited social interaction, and the remaining 18% said they came to the market for concerts and music. When asked to rate farmers’ market attributes, respondents gave the number of vendors at the market the highest average rating, followed by product variety, convenient location, food and beverage vendors, and free parking. Attributes given the lowest average ratings were cultural events, child and family activities, and concerts and music (concerts and music were cited as a primary motive for 18% of respondents, but were given a lower average rating overall, indicating that perhaps the respondents who had other primary motives did not care as much about concerts and music). Twenty‐nine percent of respondents said they had a favorite vendor. Thirty‐six percent of these respondents said their favorite was their favorite because of product offering, 27% cited friendliness and approachability, and 9% each cited free samples, discounts, the availability of product information, and having local products. This was the greatest percentage of respondents citing local products as a primary reason for preferring their favorite vendor out of all markets in Nevada. Looking ahead, respondents at Fallon also posted the second‐highest average rating for the “locally grown” produce attribute. It is likely that the rural location and heavily agriculture‐based economy of Fallon affected respondents’ perception of locally produced food products. Respondents were also more concerned with supporting local farmers and maintaining agricultural open space. It is recommended that the market manager emphasize the local aspect of the market to assure customers that their support of the market is direct support for local growers and the local economy. In terms of rating fruit and vegetable attributes, respondents gave the highest average rating to freshness, followed by taste and quality, variety, value, and appearance, whether the product was locally grown and price, having information about the grocery or farmer, whether the product is organic, 40
and specialty items. Again, it should be noted that not only did the locally grown attribute receive a higher absolute rating relative to most of the other markets (with the exception of Gardnerville), Fallon is one of only two markets where locally grown was not rated below price (Minden being the other market). This highlights the importance of locally grown products to customers at Fallon, and indicates that customers will likely be willing to pay more for a local product than a nonlocal product. It also highlights the importance of vendors taking steps to ensure that customers know their products are local. None of the respondents at Fallon participated in WIC or food stamps, though 6% said they participate in the senior nutrition program. Sixty‐five percent of respondents said they participate in home gardening, 53% said they recycle, 41% said they participate in food canning and preservation, 18% said they compost, and 12% said they participate in Earth Day. This was one of the higher participation rates in home gardening, and the highest participation rate in food canning and preservation over all markets in Nevada. The market manager may consider hosting a program on the topic of canning and preservation with an emphasis on using items both from the farmers’ market and from the home garden. As respondents were also concerned with food safety, special care could be taken to address the issue of how to minimize the health risks associated with improperly canning and preserving foods at home. Respondents were most concerned with their health and diet, agricultural open space, supporting local agriculture, food safety, the origin of food, and physical activity. Taking account of the local aspect once more, it is also suggested that vendors and the market manager emphasize that their locally‐produced foods meet national food safety standards, and may take a step further to inform customers that their food products have the additional assurance of direct traceability to the farm from which they came. Gardnerville The average respondent at the Gardnerville market was a married female approximately 54 years old. Thirty percent of respondents said they had children in the household, and 41% said they had a household member age 60 or older. The average household income was $84,143, and the average respondent had at least a two‐year college degree. Forty‐one percent of respondents were retired, which would explain why there was a much greater percentage of households with a member over age 60 than households with a member under 18. Combined with the older average age (the highest average age of respondents in all of Nevada) and high rate of married respondents (82%, the second highest in Nevada and by far the highest for Northern Nevada), this is an indication that customers at the Gardnerville market are likely older retired couples. Thirty‐seven percent of respondents were employed part‐ or full‐time, and 15% were homemakers. The Gardnerville market was not ethnically diverse, with 89% of respondents reporting themselves as Caucasian. The average respondent spent $18.90 per visit to the Gardnerville market, representing 16% of average household grocery spending of $118.80 per week. Respondents traveled an average of 5.0 miles to reach the market, 40% less than the 8.3 miles traveled on average to reach the primary grocery outlet. Sixty‐one percent of respondents at Gardnerville used a standard grocery store as their primary grocery 41
outlet, 15% shopped a bulk store, 12% shopped at a multi‐purpose store, and 12% shopped at a specialty store. Seventy‐eight percent of respondents had made between two and seven visits to their primary grocery location in the previous month, while 23% had made eight or more visits. No respondents had made just one trip to their primary grocery outlet. Forty‐one percent of respondents were interested in joining a CSA, 48% were not, and 11% needed more information. Eighty‐nine percent of respondents reached the Gardnerville market by car, 7% walked, and 4% rode a bicycle. Eleven percent of respondents had made just one visit to the market that season, while 70% made between two and seven, and 19% made eight or more visits to the market. Thirty‐three percent of respondents had read about the market in the newspaper, 26% had heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth and another 26% saw a roadside sign, and 15% dropped by. No respondents had seen or heard a television or radio ad, and no respondents had seen a poster or flyer. Gardnerville was one of the few markets where word‐of‐mouth was not the most effective advertising method, and is the only market where newspaper advertisement had reached such a large percentage of respondents. If the customers at Gardnerville are indeed on average a bit older than at other markets, it might make sense that they are still heavily reliant on an information source that is less popular among younger generations. Although none of the respondents said they heard about the market online, it is recommended that the market manager consider online ads in the future, as more newspapers are increasing their online exposure. Eighty‐seven percent of respondents said their primary motive for attending the market was to purchase produce, 10% said they came for social interaction, and 3% said they came to purchase arts and crafts. When asked to rate farmers’ market attributes, product variety received the highest average rating, followed by convenient location, number of vendors, and free parking and hours of operation. The attributes receiving the lowest ratings were concerts and music, cultural events, and child and family activities. The high percentage of respondents whose primary motive was to purchase produce (87% is only slightly higher than the percentage at Minden and Sparks Methodist, but is still the greatest percentage of all markets in Nevada), coupled with product variety and number of vendors receiving high ratings indicates that customers at Gardnerville are likely more concerned with purchasing food products than with attending the market for social or entertainment purposes. Forty‐eight percent of respondents said they had a favorite vendor, the highest percentage of the Northern Nevada markets. Thirty‐five percent of these respondents cited friendliness and approachability for making their favorite their favorite, 28% said product offering, 14% said free samples, 7% said discounts and 7% said the availability of product information, and 3% each cited taste and quality, local products, and organic products. Taste was given the highest average rating of fruit and vegetable attributes, followed by freshness, quality, value, appearance, price, whether the product was locally grown, whether the product is organic, having information about the grower or farmer, and specialty items. No respondents at Gardnerville participated in WIC, food stamps, or senior nutrition. Seventy‐four percent of respondents said they recycle, 67% home garden, 30% participate in composting and food 42
canning and preservation, 19% each participate in youth groups and Earth Day, and 11% participate in 4H or FFA. This was one of the higher percentages of respondents who home garden and was about average for percentage of respondents who participate in food canning and preservation. The market manager may consider hosting events at the market aimed at home gardeners, such as education about which garden plants grown best in the climate and soils around Gardnerville and which best complement one another, pest control methods, and fertilization techniques. There was a high percentage of respondents involved in youth groups and one of the highest percentages of respondents involved with 4H or FFA (the highest in Northern Nevada and second only to Garden Park in Southern Nevada). It is recommended that the market manager consider tailoring events to young people, particularly young people who are interested in agriculture. This might include hosting a judging event for produce grown or livestock raised by 4H or FFA members, or a judging event for baked goods or craft items prepared by young people. Creating a state fair‐like atmosphere might be an additional way to encourage more people to attend the market to participate in such events. Respondents were most concerned with food safety, their health and diet, and agricultural open space, followed by supporting local farmers and the origin of their food, and physical activity. As with Fallon, it is likely that the high ratings for agricultural open space and supporting local farmers are a result of the rural nature of the area. While respondents were more concerned with quality attributes of produce than with locally grown, the locally grown aspect did receive an average rating of just over 4 points, indicating that on average, respondents felt it was very important. It is recommended that the market manager consider emphasizing the local aspect of the market well. Minden The average respondent at the Minden market was a married female approximately 48 years old. Twenty‐one percent of respondents said they had children in the house and 21% said they had someone over the age of 60 in their house, with 86% saying their household members were between 18 and 60. This suggests that the average household at the Minden market is composed of adults under age 60. Average household income was $64,000 and the average respondent had at least some college. Sixty‐ four percent of respondents said they were part‐ or full‐time employed, 21% said they were retired, and 14% said they were homemakers. This was one of the higher percentages of respondents employed part‐ or full‐time, indicating that the majority of respondents were employed outside the home. The Minden market was more ethnically diverse than some other Northern Nevada markets, with only 56% of respondents describing themselves as Caucasian, although 13% did not specify their ethnicity, more than at any other Northern Nevada market. The average respondent at the Minden market spent $20.70 per visit to the market, representing 19% of average household grocery spending of $110.70 per week. Respondents traveled an average of 10.0 miles to reach the Minden market, 23% less than the average of 13.8 miles traveled to reach the respondent’s primary grocery outlet. One hundred percent of respondents at Minden said their primary grocery outlet was a standard grocery store. Seventy‐one percent of respondents said they had made between two and seven visits to their primary grocery outlet in the past month and 14% said they had
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made eight or more visits. Twenty‐nine percent of respondents said they would be interested in joining a CSA, 50% said they would not be interested, and 21% said they would need more information. Eighty‐six percent of respondents at the Minden market arrived there by car, while the other 14% walked. Fifty‐seven percent of respondents had made between two and seven visits to the market during the season, while the other 43% had made just one visit. Fifty‐seven percent heard about the market through a roadside sign, 29% heard about it through word‐of‐mouth, 7% read about it in the newspaper and 7% dropped by. The majority of respondents traveled to the market in a car, and more than half heard about the market through a roadside sign, indicating that this was an effective means of advertising the market, although it might also be an indication that respondents were not planning on attending the market before they saw the roadside sign. Minden was the only market aside from Gardnerville where word‐of‐mouth was not the most common means of hearing about the market. Although newspapers only took 7% of the responses, it is recommended that newspaper advertising be increased as this method reached some respondents, and that the market manager consider online advertising. Eighty‐six percent of respondents said their primary motive for attending the market was to purchase produce, while 7% each said they went to the market for social interaction and events and activities. Free parking was rated highest on average of the farmers’ market attributes, followed by product variety, number of vendors, convenient location, hours of operation, and food and beverage vendors. The attributes receiving the lowest average ratings were cultural events, child and family activities, and education events. Free parking being rated higher than any other market attribute might also be an indication that many respondents attended the market at the last minute on their way somewhere else. Twenty‐nine percent of respondents said they had a favorite vendor. Sixty percent said this vendor was their favorite because of their product offering, while the other 40% cited the vendor’s friendliness and approachability. For fruit and vegetable attributes, quality was given the highest rating, followed by taste, freshness, appearance, value, whether the product was locally grown, variety, price, having information about the grower or farmer, and whether the product is organic. No respondents at the Minden market participated in WIC or food stamps, but 7% said they participate in senior nutrition. Forty‐three percent of respondents said they recycle, 29% each said they participate in home gardening and food canning and preservation, 14% said they participate in composting, and 7% each said they participate in 4H or FFA, youth groups, and Earth Day. Respondents were most concerned with protecting agricultural open space, food safety, supporting local farmers, the origin of food, their health and diet, and physical activity. Considering respondents were most concerned with the preservation of agricultural open space, the market manager might consider including a marketing campaign that focuses on emphasizing the local benefits of eating local foods, including increasing the chances that agricultural spaces are kept in agriculture. 44
Somersett The average respondent at the Somersett market was a married female approximately 50 years old. Twenty‐three percent of respondents at Somersett said they had children in their household, 37% said they had at least one person over age 60 in their household, and 63% had adults in the household between 18 and 60. Based on this information, average age, and the percentage of respondents who were retired (37%), it is likely that the average household at the Somersett market was composed of adults whose older children have already left the house and are either retired or approaching retirement. Average annual household income was $122,909, much higher than average income at the other markets. The Somersett market boasted the greatest percentage of respondents with a graduate degree or higher, 35%, of all the Northern Nevada markets. Forty‐five percent of respondents had a two‐ or four‐year degree, meaning 80% of respondents at this market had at least a college degree. The market was not ethnically diverse, with 93% of respondents describing themselves as Caucasian. The average respondent spent $27.20 per visit to the Somersett market, representing 20% of average household grocery spending of $135.50 per week. This was the greatest average amount of market spending out of all markets in Nevada. Respondents traveled an average of 5.0 miles to reach the Somersett market, 9% less than the 5.5 miles they traveled on average to reach their primary grocery outlet. Seventy‐five percent of respondents at Somersett said they use a standard grocery store as their primary grocery outlet, 11% used a multi‐purpose store, 8% used a bulk store, and 6% shopped at specialty stores. Seventy‐six percent of respondents had made between two and seven visits to their primary grocery outlet in the past month, 15% had made eight or more visits, and 9% had made just one visit. Twenty‐five percent of respondents at Somersett said they would be interested in joining a CSA, 53% said they would not be interested, and the remaining 22% said they would need more information before making a decision. Eighty‐eight percent of respondents at Somersett arrived at the market by car, 9% walked, and 3% rode a bicycle. Twenty‐one percent of respondents had made just one visit to the Somersett market that season, 50% had made two to three visits, 27% had made between four and seven visits, and 29% had made more than 12 visits to the market. Thirty‐two percent of respondents heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth, 27% heard about it online, 15% each read about it in the newspaper or saw a flyer or poster advertising the market, 9% saw a roadside sign, and 3% heard a radio ad. No respondents saw a television ad or were just dropping by. The fact that few respondents saw a roadside sign and no respondents were dropping by indicates that customers at the Somersett market likely plan in advance to attend the market. Somersett had the greatest percentage of respondents who heard about the market online by a wide margin over the entire state (Springs Preserve had the second‐ highest percentage with 18%). It is recommended that the market manager capitalize on this by continuing online advertisement and considering asking customer to sign up for weekly e‐newsletters. Not only would a weekly newsletter be an outlet to inform customers about product availability and events and programs happening at the market, it is also possible that customers will forward newsletters to other interested parties. This is a very inexpensive way of reaching customers.
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Sixty‐five percent of respondents at Somersett said their primary motive for attending the market was to purchase produce, 32% said they came for social interaction, and 3% said they came for concerts and music. No respondents said they came for packaged foods, arts and crafts, events and activities, or ready‐to‐eat food. When asked to rate farmers’ market attributes, product variety received the highest average rating, followed by convenient location, free parking, number of vendors, whether it is a certified farmers’ market, and hours of operation. Attributes receiving the lowest rating were concerts and music and cultural and educational events. The high percentage of people who attended for social reasons (much greater than at any other market in Nevada) coupled with the low number of people who attended last minute may be an indication that additional events of interest may be worthwhile at this market, even though such events were rated lower than other attributes. Thirty‐three percent of respondents at Somersett said they have a favorite vendor. When asked to explain why this vendor was their favorite, 48% of respondents said it was due to the product offering, 19% cited friendliness and approachability, 14% cited free samples, and 5% each listed the availability of product information, the vendor providing services outside the market, and the availability of local products. When asked to rate fruit and vegetable attributes, freshness was given the highest average rating, followed by taste, quality, value, appearance, variety, price, whether the product was locally grown, whether the product is organic, having information about the grower or farmer, and specialty items. None of the respondents at Somersett said they participate in WIC or food stamps, but 3% said they participate in senior nutrition. Eighty‐five percent of respondents said they participate in recycling, 50% said they home garden, 21% participate in Earth Day, 18% participate in food canning and preservation, 15% said they participate in youth groups, 12% said they compost, 9% participate in home beer or wine making, and 3% each participate in 4H or FFA and a CSA program. This was the highest percentage of respondents who participate in recycling, narrowly beating out Whole Foods in that respect. If the market manager does implement an e‐newsletter, it is recommended that this newsletter advertise itself as generating no paper waste, as customers are likely environmentally conscious. The personal statements that received the highest average ratings addressed health and diet, food safety, physical activity, the origin of food, supporting local farmers, and agricultural open space. The statements receiving the lowest average agreements addressed eating out frequently and being a vegetarian or vegan. Sparks Hometowne The average respondent at Sparks Hometowne market was a female approximately 47 years old. Fifty percent of respondents said they were married, indicating that the other half of respondents were either single, divorced, or otherwise unmarried. One third of respondents (33%) said they had children in the household and 42% said they had a person over age 60 in their household, while 67% said they had a person aged 18‐60 in the household. Average household income was $62,500, and the average respondent had either high school or some college as their highest level of completed education. Twenty‐five percent of respondents had a college degree or higher. Fifty‐eight percent of respondents 46
were employed part‐ or full‐time, 17% were retired, and 8% each described themselves as homemakers, students, or unemployed. The market was not ethnically diverse, with 92% of respondents describing themselves as Caucasian. The average respondent at Sparks Hometowne market spent $22.20 per visit to the market, representing 18% of average household grocery spending of $120.50 per week. Respondents traveled an average of 7.0 miles to reach the market, 35% further than the average 5.2 miles they traveled to reach their primary grocery outlet. Forty percent of respondents said they use a multi‐purpose store as their primary grocery outlet, 30% said they use a standard grocery store, 20% said they shop at a discount store, and 10% said they primarily shop at a specialty store. This was the greatest percentage of respondents using a multi‐purpose store as their primary grocery outlet of all the markets in Nevada. Fifty‐eight percent of respondents had made between two and seven visits to their primary grocery outlet in the previous month, while the remaining 42% had made eight to 12 visits. Only 8% of respondents at Sparks Hometowne said they would be interested in joining a CSA, the lowest by far of all the markets in Nevada. Fifty percent said they were not interested, and 42% said they would need additional information to make a decision. If there are vendors at the Sparks Hometowne market who participate in CSAs and would like to have market attendants join, it is recommended that they work to educate customers about the benefits of CSAs, as so few respondents were interested in joining a CSA and so many said they would need more information. It is possible that many respondents simply didn’t know what a CSA is or how it works. Ninety‐one percent of respondents arrived at Sparks Hometowne market by car, while the other 9% took the bus. This was the highest percentage of respondents who arrived at a market by bus over all markets in the state, which is likely a result of either the special bus line the market operates, the Farmers’ Market Express, which shuttles people from downtown Reno directly to Sparks, or the fact that the market is located near the Sparks Transfer Station. However, considering 91% of respondents still drove, and free parking was the second‐highest rated market attribute, it is possible that many market attendants are unaware of the Farmers’ Market Express. It is recommended that the market manager consider advertising the bus line more heavily at the market itself, particularly in parking areas so it can be easily seen by drivers. This advertisement should emphasize the convenience and simplicity of the bus line, as convenient location was also one of the top‐ranked market attributes. Eighteen percent of respondents had made just one visit to the market that season, while 73% had made two or three visits, and the remaining 9% had made between four and seven visits. Sixty‐four percent of respondents heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth, the most of any market in Nevada, while 18% dropped by, 9% heard a radio ad and 9% read about it in the newspaper. Sixty‐seven percent of respondents at the market said their primary motive for attending was to purchase produce, 17% said they came for social interaction, 8% each said they came for events and activities and 8% said they came for concerts and music. Product variety was given the highest average rating for farmers’ market attributes, followed by free parking and convenient location, number of vendors, hours of operation, and food and beverage vendors. The attributes given the lowest average ratings were cultural events, child and family activities, and educational events.
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Nine percent of respondents said they have a favorite vendor, the lowest percentage of all the markets in Nevada. All of the respondents said this vendor is their favorite because of their friendliness and approachability. This is a clear indication of the importance of vendors making an effort to develop a rapport with customers. A positive purchasing experience will encourage customers to make repeat purchases, and having a relationship with the person who grew their food adds additional value to products for customers. Freshness was given the highest average rating of the fruit and vegetable attributes, followed by quality and taste, value, appearance, price, variety, whether the product is organic, having information about the grower or farmer, whether the product is locally grown, and specialty items. None of the respondents at Sparks Hometowne were involved with WIC, food stamps, or senior nutrition. Sixty‐seven percent of respondents said they recycle, 50% said they home garden, 42% said they participate in Earth Day, 17% each said they compost, are involved in food canning and preservation and home beer and wine making, and 8% each said they participate in 4H or FFA, the Master Gardener program, and youth groups. The personal statements the Sparks Hometowne respondents agreed with the most addressed the origin of food, food safety and health and diet, physical activity, supporting local farmers, and agricultural open space. The attributes that were least agreed with addressed eating out frequently and being a vegetarian or vegan. This lends more support to the recommendation that vendors work to develop relationships with their customers, as respondents were most concerned with the origin of their food. Ensuring that customers understand that the vendor’s products were grown or raised locally and providing a bit of personal information about the vendor’s operation and family may increase the customer’s level of comfort with the food and will likely encourage repeat purchases. Emphasizing the local aspect in terms of support for local farmers and agricultural open space is recommended as well. Sparks Methodist The average respondent at Sparks Methodist was a female approximately 53 years old without children in the home. Only 55% percent of respondents were married, indicating that nearly half were unmarried, and only 15% said they had children in the house. Average household annual income was $57,293, the lowest of all the markets in Nevada. The average respondent likely had at least some college education, and is either employed part‐ or full‐time (46%) or is retired (39%). The market was not ethnically diverse, with 87% of respondents describing themselves as Caucasian. The average respondent at Sparks Methodist spent $24.30 per visit to the market, representing 21% of average household grocery spending of $116.20. Along with West Street, this represented the highest percentage of grocery spending in Northern Nevada. Respondents traveled an average of 7.0 miles to reach the market, 21% further than the average of 5.8 miles they traveled to reach their primary grocery outlet. Thirty‐seven percent of respondents used a standard grocery store as their primary grocery outlet, 23% shop at a multi‐purpose store, 17% use a discount store, 12% use a specialty store, and 11% use a bulk store as their primary grocery outlet. Four percent of respondents had made just one visit to their primary grocery outlet in the previous month, 36% had made two or three visits, 43% had made 48
four to seven visits, 16% made eight to 12 visits, and 2% made in excess of 12 visits to their primary grocery outlet in the previous month. Twenty‐nine percent of respondents were interested in joining a CSA, 54% said they would not be interested, and 17% said they would need more information to decide. Ninety‐eight percent of respondents at Sparks Methodist arrived at the market by car, while the other 2% traveled by bicycle. Twenty‐five percent of respondents had made just one visit to the market that season, 37% made two or three visits, 24% made four to seven visits, 10% made eight to 12 visits, and 3% had made more than 12 visits to the market during the season. Thirty‐seven percent of Sparks Methodist respondents heard about the market via word‐of‐mouth, 35% saw a roadside sign, 14% read about it in the newspaper, 5% dropped by, 4% saw a television ad, 4% saw a flyer or poster, and 2% heard about it online. Radio was the only medium that did not reach Sparks Methodist respondents. The fact that 98% of respondents came by car and 35% came to the market because they saw a roadside sign indicates that this is a good advertising method for this market. The market manager is encouraged to consider continuing and/or expanding the roadside sign promotion to encourage additional customers to attend the market. Eighty‐six percent of respondents said their primary motive for attending the market was to purchase produce, 5% each said they came for events and activities and to purchase ready‐to‐eat food, 3% came for social interaction, and 2% were motivated by packaged foods. Product variety was given the highest average rating of the farmers’ market attributes, followed by convenient location, free parking, hours of operation, and number of vendors. The attributes receiving the lowest average ratings were cultural and educational events, child and family activities, and concerts and music. Given the attribute ratings and the primary motives listed for this market (the high percentage of respondents whose primary motive was to purchase produce, and the low percentage of respondents who went to the market for social interaction), it is assumed that attendants at the Sparks Methodist market are more interested in purchasing food items than in attending a farmers’ market for other purposes. Thirty‐six percent of respondents at Sparks Methodist said they had a favorite vendor. Forty‐six percent said this vendor is their favorite because of his or her product offering, 29% attributed it to friendliness and approachability, 12% cited free samples, 5% cited discounts, and 2% each mentioned the availability of product information, quality and taste of products, and organic availability. Freshness was given the highest average rating for fruit and vegetable attributes, followed by quality, taste, value, appearance, price, variety, whether the product is locally grown, whether the product is organic, and specialty items. As mentioned, it is assumed that customers at the Sparks Methodist market are primarily interested in making food purchases at the market. The market manager should consider this motivation along with the vendor and product attribute ratings (i.e. freshness, quality, taste) when developing advertising and promotion of the market, as placing an emphasis on the freshness and quality of the products sold at the market and on the variety of products available might be a more effective way of reaching Sparks Methodist customers than emphasizing other aspects of the market, such as activities and programs. Two percent of respondents said they participate in WIC, 2% said they participate in food stamps, and 9% said they participate in Senior Nutrition. Seventy‐three percent of respondents recycle, 55% 49
participate in home gardening, 30% compost, 23% participate in food canning and preservation, 20% participate in Earth Day, 18% participate in youth groups, 11% participate in the Master Gardener program, 7% participate in 4H or FFA, 4% participate in home beer or wine making, and 2% participate in a CSA program. The participation rates in all programs and activities suggest that Sparks Methodist customers are active participants in their own lives and in the community. As word‐of‐mouth was already an effective advertising method for this market, it is recommended that the market manager try to encourage these active customers to spread the word about the market themselves. This can be accomplished in part by simply providing excellent service and quality products, and asking customers to please tell their friends about the great experience they had at the market. Respondents at Sparks Methodist agreed most with the personal statements addressing food safety, their health and diet, agricultural open space, the origin of their food, supporting local farmers, and physical activity. They agreed least with the statements about eating out frequently, having little time to prepare meals, and being a vegetarian or vegan. This, along with the fact that none of the respondents said they were motivated to attend the market because they wanted to purchase packaged food, indicates that market attendants might be less inclined to purchase “convenience” products or pre‐packed or ready‐to‐eat foods, favoring fresh produce or foods that they need to prepare themselves. West Street The average respondent at West Street was female and approximately 46 years old. Fifty‐two percent of respondents said they were married, indicating that just about half were not. Twenty‐one percent of respondents had children in the household, and 21% had a household member age 60 or older. The average household income was $69,718, and the average respondent had a college degree, with 27% of respondents saying they had a two‐ or four‐year degree and 37% saying that had a graduate degree or higher. Sixty‐seven percent of respondents were employed part‐ or full‐time, 17% were retired, 12% were students, and 2% each were homemakers and retired. The average respondent at West Street spent $23.80 per visit to the market, representing 21% of average household grocery spending of $113.40 per week, the highest percentage in Northern Nevada along with Sparks Methodist. Respondents traveled an average of 3.0 miles to reach the market, 25% less than the 4.0 miles traveled on average to reach their primary grocery outlet. Forty‐seven percent of respondents said their primary grocery outlet is a standard grocery store, 27% shop at a specialty store, 13% shop at a multi‐purpose store, 9% shop at a discount store, and 4% use a bulk store as their primary grocery outlet. Four percent of respondents had made just one visit to their primary grocery location in the previous month, 19% had made two or three visits, 50% had made four to seven visits, 21% made eight to 12 visits, and 6% made more than 12 visits. More than a quarter of respondents had made at least eight visits to their primary grocery outlet in the past month, and nearly 80% had made at least four visits, or an average of one visit per week, indicating that West Street attendants are frequent shoppers. As nearly half of these respondents said they use a standard grocery store as their primary outlet and the average distance traveled to the store was only four miles, it is suggested that the market manager try to determine one or two of the nearest grocery stores and advertise the market at these 50
locations in order to remind the heavy shoppers about the market and to encourage others in the area to attend. Forty‐four percent of respondents said they would be interested in joining a CSA, 32% said they would not be interested, the lowest percentage of negative responses to this question over all markets in Nevada, and 24% said they would need more information. Fifty‐four percent of respondents arrived at West Street by car, 24% rode a bicycle, 21% walked, and 2% took the bus. This was the greatest variety of transportation methods of all the markets surveyed in Nevada, and also the greatest percentage of both cyclists and walkers. Twenty percent of respondents had made just one visit to the market that season, 47% had made two or three visits, 16% made four to seven visits, 12% made eight to 12 visits, and 6% made more than 12 visits. Thirty‐seven percent of respondents heard about the market via word‐of‐mouth, 20% read about it in the newspaper, 18% dropped by, 10% read about it online, 5% each heard a radio ad and saw a roadside sign, 3% saw a flyer or poster, and 2% saw a television ad. The variety of responses to this question indicates that the variety of advertising methods used was effective. Fifty‐four percent of respondents said their primary motive for attending the market was to purchase produce, 15% said they were motivated by events and activities, 11% came for social interaction, 9% said they came for concerts and music, 8% said they came to purchase ready‐to‐eat food, and 3% said they came to purchase arts and crafts. No respondents said they came for packaged foods. When asked to rate farmers’ market attributes, product variety received the highest average rating, followed by convenient location, hours of operation, number of vendors, and food and beverage vendors. West Street was the only market in Nevada where free parking wasn’t present in the top five market attributes based on average rating. This underscores the importance of transportation method on market preferences. It is recommended that the market manager use this information when considering advertising and programming, perhaps by emphasizing that the market is friendly to cyclists and walkers, or by offering some sort of incentive to take alternative methods of transportation. Twenty‐eight percent of respondents said they had a favorite vendor. Thirty‐five percent of respondents said this vendor is their favorite because of their friendliness and approachability, 28% said it is because of the product offering, 10% cited free samples and an additional 10% cited “other” reasons (with 7% of these respondents saying it is because they personally know the vendor and 3% saying it was due to feeling the vendor’s products are a good value), and 3% each cited discounts, having product information available, providing other services outside the market, having local products, and having organic products. Respondents at the West Street market gave taste the highest average rating of fruit and vegetable attributes, followed by freshness, quality, value, appearance, variety, price and whether the product is organic, whether the product is locally grown, having information about the grower or farmer, and specialty items. None of the respondents at West Street said they participate in either WIC or food stamps, but 2% said they participate in senior nutrition. Seventy‐seven percent of respondents said they participate in recycling, 64% said they home garden, 47% participate in Earth Day, 42% said they compost (the second‐ 51
highest in Nevada by a wide margin behind Whole Foods at 45%), 36% said they participate in food canning and preservation, 19% participate in youth groups, 17% participate in home beer or wine making, 9% are members of a CSA, 8% are active with 4H or FFA, and 6% participate in the Master Gardener program. Respondents at West Street had the highest level of agreement with the personal statements about their health/diet, food safety, the origin of their food, supporting local farmers, physical activity, and agricultural open space. They had the lowest level of agreement with the statements about having little time to prepare meals, eating out frequently, and being a vegetarian or vegan. Based on these responses, the programs and activities respondents were active in, and the high number of respondents who took alternative methods of transportation to the market are all indications that customers at West Street are environmentally conscious. Although educational events received one of the lowest average ratings, it is recommended that the market manager consider hosting educational events on topics such as recycling, resource conservation, and composting. Additionally, since 10% of respondents said they heard about the market online (the second‐highest percentage in Northern Nevada and the third‐ highest in all of Nevada), the market manager may consider asking customers for their email addresses so a weekly e‐newsletter can be sent to them, which can be used to show the market’s consciousness towards using paper‐free advertising. Whole Foods The average respondent at the Whole Foods market was a female approximately 47 years old. Only 48% of respondents at Whole Foods said they were married, the lowest percentage of respondents at all the markets in Nevada. Thirty‐five percent of respondents said they had children in the household and 40% said they had a household member age 60 or older. Average annual household income was $80,250 and the average respondent had a college degree of some sort, as 45% of respondents said they had a two‐ or four‐year degree and 29% said they had a graduate degree or higher. Fifty‐nine percent of respondents were employed part‐ or full‐time, 25% were retired, and 11% were students, the second‐ highest percentage in Northern Nevada. The market was not ethnically diverse, with 88% of respondents describing themselves as Caucasian. The average respondent spent $20.10 per visit to the Whole Foods market, representing 15% of average household grocery spending of $130.80 per week. Respondents traveled an average of 8.0 miles to reach the market, 54% further than the average 5.2 miles they traveled to reach their primary grocery outlet. Thirty‐two percent of respondents used a standard grocery store as their primary outlet, 25% used a specialty store, 18% used a discount store, 17% used a multi‐purpose store, and the remaining 8% used a bulk store as their primary grocery outlet. Three percent of respondents had made just one visit to their primary grocery outlet in the previous month, 24% had made two or three visits, 55% had made four to seven visits, and 17% had made eight or more visits. Forty‐four percent of respondents at Whole Foods were interested in joining a CSA, tying Whole Foods with West Street and Springs Preserve for the greatest percentage of respondents interested in a CSA, 34% were not interested, and 22% said they would need more information.
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All of the respondents at the Whole Foods market arrived at the market by car. Twenty‐six percent were making their first visit to the market that season, 40% had made two to three visits, 21% had made four to seven visits, and 14% had made eight or more visits. Twenty‐seven percent of respondents heard about the market through word‐of‐mouth, 25% dropped by, 23% read about it in the newspaper, 13% saw a roadside sign, 10% saw a flyer or poster, and 2% saw a television ad. None of the respondents had heard a radio ad or had seen any online information. Sixty‐eight percent of respondents said their primary motive for attending the market was to purchase produce, 7% said they came for events and activities and another 7% came to purchase ready‐to‐eat foods, 5% said they came for social interaction, and 4% each came for packaged foods, arts and crafts, and concerts and music. Product variety was given the highest average rating for farmers’ market attributes, followed by free parking, convenient location, hours of operation, and number of vendors. The attributes receiving the lowest average ratings were cultural events, concerts and music, and child and family activities. Fourteen percent of respondents said they had a favorite vendor, the second‐lowest percentage in all of Nevada. Thirty percent each said this vendor was their favorite because of their product offering and friendliness and approachability, 10% each cited free samples, having product information available, and providing services outside the market, 5% cited having local products and 5% cited having organic products. As many respondents cited friendliness and approachability as product offering, again showing the importance of the vendor working to create a relationship with customers. It is recommended that the market manager and vendors work to develop a rapport with customers to encourage repeat sales. Respondents gave the highest average fruit and vegetable attribute to quality, followed by taste, freshness, value, appearance, variety, whether the product is locally grown, whether the product is organic, price, having information about the grower and farmer, and specialty items. Whole Foods was the only market where organic was rated higher than price. Vendors should take extra care to advertise any organic products they have at this market. Two percent of respondents said they participate in WIC, and another 2% said they participate in food stamps, while 5% participated in Senior Nutrition. Eighty‐five percent of respondents said they recycle, 69% home garden, 45% each participate in composting and Earth Day, 38% participate in food canning and preservation, 26% participate in youth groups, 24% are active in 4H or FFA, 10% are members of a CSA program, 9% participate in the Master Gardener program, and 7% participate in home beer or wine making. Respondents at the Whole Foods market most agreed with the personal statements concerning their health and diet, food safety, the origin of their food, agricultural open space, supporting local farmers, and physical activity. They exhibited the least amount of agreement with the personal statements about eating out frequently and being a vegetarian or vegan.
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Section V: Marketing Recommendations Programming Capitalize on the “Green Movement” At many of the markets, respondents indicated a high degree of participation in environmentally‐ conscious activities such as recycling, composting, and Earth Day. With the current nationwide “green movement,” focusing on green issues could be highly beneficial to market managers. When determining event and activity programming for the season, the market manager may consider a program that highlights the sustainable benefits of eating locally‐sourced foods, including lower energy (transportation) costs. One example of a potential educational program would be to explain the composting process and how it can be made feasible for people with limited space, and how it reduces the amount of trash that is sent to landfills, as many respondents indicated concern over agricultural open space. Another program could involve educating respondents on what can and can not be recycled in their area, with an emphasis on the environmental benefits of recycling. Home Gardening Home gardening, food canning and preservation, and in some cases, the Master Gardener program, were given relatively high participation rates at most markets. When determining event and activity programming for the season, the market manager may consider a program that shows how local foods purchased at the market can be composted and used for home gardening to fertilize produce that can then be canned or preserved. Programs that educate market attendants about home gardening may also hold appeal for customers. This type of programming might give an overview of what grows well in home gardens in the area, what time of year gardeners should plant different items, and what can be done to encourage growth in the arid climate of Nevada. Emphasis could also be placed on natural or organic fertilizers and methods home gardeners can use. Youth in Agriculture For markets with a higher percentage of respondents who participate in 4H, FFA, and youth groups, appealing to the family‐friendly nature of the market might also be effective. Additionally, programs could be held to appeal to young people interested in agriculture. As mentioned in the analysis for the Gardnerville market, one way to do this would be to host events similar to those that might be found at a state or county fair. This might include hosting a judging event for produce grown or livestock raised by 4H or FFA members, or a judging event for baked goods or craft items prepared by young people. Creating a state fair‐like atmosphere might be an additional way to encourage more people to attend the market to participate in such events. Buy Local Although “locally grown” was given a relatively low average rating at most markets, emphasizing the benefits of local agriculture could be used as both a programming concept and as a marketing tool. Another trend in the US is a shift towards buying and eating local products. There are many ways to 54
incorporate this and many potential benefits. A large proportion of respondents indicated a concern for supporting local farmers and preserving open agricultural open space. Market managers should consider hosting “meet the farmer” events, encouraging customers to become acquainted with the people who have grown the food they are selling. The growers can then educate potential customers as to the benefits of purchasing local foods from their perspective. As most respondents also indicated a concern with the origin of their food and with food safety, having the opportunity to meet and speak with the person who produced their food might be very valuable to customers and may have a positive impact on repeat visits to the market. Additionally, programs such as this can highlight the benefits of spending money locally by introducing customers to the direct beneficiaries of their food spending. Another angle from which to approach this topic is to emphasize that local foods are fresher than grocery store foods, as “freshness” was ranked either first, second, or third on average as a produce attribute at every single market in Nevada. Eat Local At all markets, respondents indicated that they eat the majority of their meals at home, and statements such as “I have little time to prepare food” and “I eat out frequently” received low average rating scores. The market manager may consider addressing customers’ propensity for eating at home through programs that show how products purchased at the market can be used in the home. Examples of this include cooking classes where a local chef prepares a meal solely from items that can be purchased at the market on stage or in a venue in which market attendants can easily watch. This would also be an opportunity to feature vendors’ own recipes, which would serve the dual purpose of introducing customers to the vendor’s operation, or the chef’s own recipes, which might help to facilitate relations between local chefs and local producers and encourage them to continue working together after the market season. This would also capitalize on the “local” theme of the program. Another example would be wine pairings, featuring local wineries and local foods. This could be accomplished either through a setting described above, where local experts speak to a large audience, or in smaller groups with actual wine tasting. Local breweries could be involved in this program as well. Organic and Natural Production Although organic and natural products are becoming more prevalent on grocery store shelves, many consumers are still unsure as to what these terms mean. An educational program that describes the differences between these production methods would likely appeal to customers who are unaware of the differences as well as customers who would like to expand their knowledge. This would also provide an opportunity to profile market vendors who produce organic and/or natural products and might encourage customers to purchase products from these vendors if they haven’t done so in the past. Water Conservation As Nevada is largely a high desert arid climate, farmers’ market attendants might be interested in programming that addresses methods of water conservation. This could include having a speaker from a local water authority speak to attendants about methods they can use to reduce their personal water 55
usage. A topic that is likely to be popular would be low water‐use landscaping, as outdoor landscaping is a main driver of the increased water use and water costs Nevada’s residents experience during the summer months. A speaker from a local gardening and landscaping outlet or a local landscaping operation could inform market attendants about the benefits of using native plants and/or shrubs in landscaping. This would also provide the opportunity for the local business to advertise its own operation, which may encourage the business to promote the market in return. Advertising Emphasize Quality At all markets, respondents rated several quality and value attributes of fruit and vegetables above price. This is very important, as it shows that customers approach pricing at farmers’ markets with an attitude that is different from the cost‐conscious attitude they may have at the grocery store. In the current economic climate, it is more important than ever to communicate to customers and to the community that farmers’ markets are a place where people can purchase high‐quality products whose value exceeds prices. Additionally, it should be emphasized that purchasing foods from a local producer keeps money in the local economy, another recent trend. Foster a Relationship though Brochures and Recipes At the market, it might be beneficial to have vendors create and hand out brochures about their operation, their products, and themselves. For producers and vendors who do not have the time or opportunity to develop personal relationships with their customers, a brochure is a simple way of introducing a producer to a customer. If the producer uses special production methods, such as organic agriculture, the brochure can outline this information and explain why it is important, as respondents indicated that they are concerned with the safety and quality of their food. Providing some personal information about the vendor and his/her family may increase the chances that the customer will feel a connection with the vendor and the vendor’s products, which will encourage the customer to make repeat purchases. Along the same lines, providing recipe cards that use ingredients the vendor sells will help to foster the relationship between vendor and customer while also encouraging the customer to make purchases from the vendor and consider the vendor’s products in terms of what can be made from them. If an “Eat Local” program is held at the market, recipes will encourage customers to remember the vendor and the vendor’s products. Word‐of‐Mouth Advertising Word‐of‐mouth was the overall most effective advertising tool. This shows the importance of providing excellent service and developing relationships with customers. A customer who has an enjoyable experience with a vendor is likely to return to make additional purchases in the future and might be compelled to tell other current or potential customers about their experience. Likewise, a poor
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experience can be damaging. Taking the time to foster a relationship with customers rather than viewing the market as a series of transactions is a cost‐effective way to advertise. Online Advertising For the most part, online advertising was not as effective as other methods of advertisement. However, the Internet is increasingly becoming a main source of information for households in the US, particularly as more print publications increase their online exposure. Additionally, with the advent of television recording systems such as TiVo and DVR, increasing numbers of consumers are recording television programs and fast‐forwarding through the commercials, making television advertisements an increasingly less effective method of advertisement. It is recommended that all markets consider online advertising and email advertising. Asking market attendants to sign up for email newsletters is a cost‐ effective way of reaching many customers at once. As many respondents to this survey provided information that would indicate they are environmentally conscious, e‐advertising can also be billed as a demonstration of the market’s commitment to cutting paper waste. E‐newsletters could also be used to introduce customers to vendors and to provide incentives for customers to return to the market each week. This could involve featuring one or two vendors each week in this newsletter as a way to begin a relationship between the customer and the vendor. The featured vendors could offer some sort of discount or promotion as well. The market manager could include a coupon with the newsletter, although this would eliminate the option of using the newsletter as proof of commitment to sustainability. Another option would be to include a code word in the newsletter that customers could use with the featured vendor at the market to receive the promotion. Although this may seem a bit complicated in theory, restricting promotions to people on the newsletter’s mailing list will provide incentive for customers to join the mailing list, thus increasing the number of people who receive the newsletter directly and increasing the odds that the newsletter will be forwarded to other interested parties. A second paperless option would be to have a drawing for a market‐related prize each week, such as a discount that can be used on any vendor. Having the drawing for newsletter subscribers only will also provide incentive to people to join. Local Advertising Another way to emphasize the local aspect of the markets and product through advertising is to advertise the market in locally‐owned businesses in the area. Market managers should consider contacting local restaurants, coffee shops, lawn and garden suppliers, churches, suppliers of environmentally‐friendly products, CSAs, etc. to see if they would be interested in displaying signs or flyers in the business. Depending on the type of business and whether the business regularly sends out newsletters, it might be beneficial to ask to be mentioned in the newsletter as well. The advertising placed in these types of outlets should describe not only the time and place of the market, but include an overview of product and vendor availability as well. Fresh, local produce can be used as a bartering tool to secure this type of advertising for free, or as a way to thank local business owners for their support. This will also encourage the business owners to sample products and attend the market themselves, and/or describe their positive experience to customers of their own. 57
