Michiganders’ Local Food Perspectives
David S Conner, Kathryn Colasanti, Susan B. Smalley, C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable
Food SystemsBrent Ross
Michigan State University
Acknowledgements
State funds for this project were matched with Federal funds under the Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program of the Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA.
Overview: Increasing Farmers Market Patronage in Michigan
• Goal to increase farmers market participation, especially among under-served populations
• Outputs include recommendations to market managers, vendors to increase market traffic, broaden customer base, enhance sales
Increasing Farmers Market Patronage in Michigan:
Qualitative Results
Farmers Market Background
• Shoppers tend to be highly educated, professional, middle-aged to older, middle-upper income, Caucasian and female
• Produce freshness is a primary reason consumers prefer farmers markets
• Lack of awareness, inconvenient times or no market in the area are primary reasons consumers do not shop at farmers markets
Research Motivation
• Most research about FMs has been collected from market shoppers
• Typical FM shopper is not representative of diverse populations
• Under-represented groups– Young singles– Young parents– Low-income households– Racial and ethnic minorities
Research Questions
• What are consumers’ awareness levels, motivations and behaviors surrounding farmers markets?
• What are consumers’ perceived barriers or disincentives to greater participation in farmers markets?
Focus Groups
• Purposeful, maximum variation sampling method
• 7 focus groups with a total of 63 people1. Rural, Caucasian2. Rural, Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American3. Rural, Mexican-American women4. Rural, Caucasian5. Urban, Arab-American women6. Urban, Young Singles, Caucasian, Hispanic,
African-American7. Urban, Young Parents, Asian and Middle Eastern
Immigrants
Overview of Results
Overview of Results
Overview of Results
Overview of Results
Signs and Promotion
“You must let people know when, where, to open the farm market. Maybe many people like to choose fresh vegetables, fresh fruit from market. But if they always miss the time, they always miss the farm market in just maybe Saturday, one day in only one place, so I think you let people know where, when, is very important. Sometimes maybe you can from the newspaper in [name of city] even… Many people didn't know. They don't know where, when and what.”
Overview of Results
Time Constraints
“There is certain food that they run out of and that they only bring a certain amount of, and when it is gone it is gone. And this year I have noticed, because it is a lot busier than it has ever been, if you are not there early you do not have a lot of choices. Sometimes if I can’t get there until the afternoon I might not go. It might not be worth my time to go.”
Overview of Results
Location and Facilities
• Downtown location– Walkable vs. out of the way– Excursion vs. grocery shopping– Visible location vs. traffic congestion
• Facilities– Payment methods– General appearance
Overview of Results
Atmosphere
• Vendors and customers openly annoyed with their children
• Asked to purchase things that their kids had touched
• Feeling of “being watched”
• Offended by how vendors presented themselves
Key Themes for Follow-Up
• Fairness of prices
• Adequacy of selection and produce quality
• Convenience of hours and location
• Welcoming atmosphere of the farmers market
• Significant demographic differences
Quantitative Data Collection
• Questions on quarterly State of the State Poll conducted by MSU, October 2008
• N=953, representative sample of state• Questions included
• Behavior: shopper, market attendance, money spent• Attitudes: importance of price, quality, convenience,
atmosphere, food safety, etc. on shopping decision• Beliefs: are farmers’ markets good value, convenient,
welcoming? • Demographics: sex, ethnicity, income, age, education,
HH size; plus religion, political views
Data Analysis• Descriptive: means and frequencies• Cross-tabulation and group means• Regressions
–Ordinary Least Squares for expenditure–Binary (Probit) for FM shopper
Results: Descriptive Stats• 90% of respondents do some food shopping
(other 10% skipped subsequent questions)• Of those:
– 61% had attended a farmers market in past year– Reported shopping four times (mean) in previous month
(September 2008) and spending on average $25 per trip (median)– $200 million statewide in September ($100/month, ~4 million
households, ~50% of population shopped at FM)– Ag Census 2007: $50 million direct food sales statewide– Over/undercounting?
Descriptives, cont’d
Most important factors in where to shop • Food quality (3.80)• Food safety (3.75) • Supporting local farmers (3.71)
For FM shoppers• Agreed markets are: easily accessible, adequate supplies• Not able to use preferred payment method (e.g., EBT,
credit or debit cards)
Non-shoppers: agreed good value and welcoming atmosphere
Cross-tabulation &Comparison (race/ethnicity)
• Latinos – Less likely (than rest of population) to shop at FMs– More likely to cite variety, location and convenience
and welcoming atmosphere as important
• African Americans are – More loyal to current stores– Find FMs comfortable and conveniently located– Importance on food safety and products grown without
pesticides
Cross-tabulation & Comparison (income/age)
Low income: (<$20K) place more value on price, convenience, one-stop shopping and products grown without pesticides
Young parents (18-35)• Less likely to shop at FMs • Place more importance on convenient hours,
one-stop shopping and welcoming atmosphere.
Regression: FM shopper
Statistically significant variables
+ more likely to be a FM shopper• Single (+)• White (+)• Employed part time (-)• Latino (-)
Importance of…• Quality (+)• Support local (+)• Convenience (-)• One-stop shop (-)
Regression: Market Spending
# shopping trips in last month (Sept 08) x $ spent
Higher expenditure associated with
• Very important view of:–Value –Welcoming atmosphere–Pesticide free produce
• Less importance on convenience
Regression: Market Spending
• Female
• # children at home
• Union status
All negative in sign
Themes: quality, local (+), convenience (-)
Recommendations: Managers and Vendors
• Market the market: use multiple communication channels to let people know location and hours
• Recruit more farmers of color (especially Latinos) to make markets more welcoming to all
• Accept credit cards and EBT/Bridge Card payment for increased convenience
• Highlight availability of Michigan Grown products with labels and signs
Recommendations: Policy
For state and federal policy makers• Enhance state promotion efforts like Select
Michigan• Encourage state agencies to highlight food stamp
recipients’ ability to purchase healthy food• Assist farmers to adopt organic/sustainable
practices
For local policy makers• Integrate FMs within planning efforts: balance of
accessible, lively, family friendly
Conclusions
• High current reported participation, room for improvement with marketing, policy efforts
• Limitations: –FGs not representative,–Social desirability bias (survey/census)
• Future directions: investigate tensions –Convenience and atmosphere–Downtown vs. ample parking–Lively vs. family friendly
Defining Locally Grown Food
Locally Grown Definitions
3.5%
11.2%
18.0%
49.1%
18.3%
MUST BE GROWN BYFARMER PERSONKNOWSMUST BE GROWN INTHE COUNTY PERSONLIVESMUST BE GROWNWITHIN A 100 MILESOF HOMEMUST BE GROWN INMICHIGAN
MUST BE GROWN INGREAT LAKES REGION
Nearly half sayLocal = Michigan
Locally Grown – September 2008
Did you purchase/receive locally grown food during September 2008?
75%
25%1 YES
5 NO
About ¾ got SOME local
food
Locally-grown Food Perspectives
Locally Grown Food Costs Too Much
3%
25%
1%
46%
25%
STRONGLY AGREE
SOMEWHAT AGREE
NEITHERAGREE/DISAGREE
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE
How do your prices comparewith non-local
Items?
Locally-grown Food PerspectivesLocally Grown Foods are Available
at the Places I Like to Shop
25%
43%
1%
21%
10%
STRONGLY AGREE
SOMEWHAT AGREE
NEITHER AGREE/DISAGREE
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE
Locally-grown Food Perspectives
It doesn't matter to me if my food is locally grown
10%
28%
1%39%
22%
STRONGLY AGREE
SOMEWHAT AGREE
NEITHERAGREE/DISAGREE
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREELocal matters
to some extent to over half
Locally-grown Food Perspectives
I would buy more locally grown foods if they were easier to identify at the store
59%28%
1%
10%
2%
STRONGLY AGREE
SOMEWHAT AGREE
NEITHERAGREE/DISAGREE
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREEHow do you help
Customers ID local?
Locally-grown Food Perspectives
I don't have Time to Shop for Locally Grown Foods
11%
24%
1%28%
36%
STRONGLY AGREE
SOMEWHAT AGREE
NEITHERAGREE/DISAGREE
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREEHow can you help customers
save time when they purchase from you?
Locally-grown Food Perspectives
I cannot find the kinds of locally grown foods I want, when I want them
13%
33%
1%30%
23%
STRONGLY AGREE
SOMEWHAT AGREE
NEITHERAGREE/DISAGREE
SOMEWHATDISAGREE
STRONGLYDISAGREE
How do youcommunicate
what you have to sell?
Locally-grown Food Perspectives
There are some kinds of locally grown foods that I don't use because
I don't know how to prepare or cook them
13%
24%
1%27%
35%
STRONGLY AGREE
SOMEWHAT AGREE
NEITHER AGREE/DISAGREE
SOMEWHAT DISAGREE
STRONGLY DISAGREE
What prepinformation
do you provide?
Value of Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing* by Region, 1997-2007
Growth of Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing by Region, 1997-2007
Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing Sales by Region as a Share of Total
Agricultural Sales
Top 10 States, Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing as Share of Total Agricultural Sales
Where is Michigan?
Top 10 States, Growth of Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing, 1997-2007
Where is Michigan?
Michigan Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing as Share of Total Agricultural Sales, 2007
0.7%
0.8%
1.0% 1.0%
0.0%
0.2%
0.4%
0.6%
0.8%
1.0%
1.2%
1992 1997 2002 2007
2007 Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing Sales
Farms Participating in Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing, 2007
Value of Direct-to-Consumer Food Marketing Sales, 2007
C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State Universityis pleased to be a sponsor
We engage communities in applied research and outreach that promote sustainable food systems
to improve access to and availability of healthy, locally-produced food
For more information:www.mottgroup.msu.edu
517-432-1612