farm to table survey

[bibliophile birds]

i'm conducting a little market research (for personal use) on what people actually buy and how us farmers might actually steal some of their business away from supermarkets. i KNOW how most of you feel about the subject (although you are free to take the survey anyway ), but i would greatly appreciate it if you would consider sharing the survey link with your friends and family (posting to Facebook seems one of the easiest ways to disseminate information these days). in return, i am MORE THAN HAPPY to share whatever i find with the rest of you. small farmers UNITE, right?

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NS27JXM

 

[Woodland Woman]

I took your survey. Personally I like to grow my own vegetables, then support local farmers but only buy non-gmo and it doesn't have to be organic but no pesticides.

 

[bibliophile birds]

thanks!

really, the survey is geared towards people who aren't particularly in the know and don't grow their own. that's why i stuck to the main-stream "buzz words" like organic. we're non-GMO, non-certified "organic" so of course that's how i'm trying to steer this "discussion."

this all really came about because i was at a baby shower on Sunday and saw a bunch of girls i went to high school with (whom i've not seen since) and we got to talking about what everyone is doing. i was, naturally, talking about farming and they all seemed pretty interested but not informed at all. they all have young kids (newborn to 3 years) so i was suggesting easy, nutritious recipes they could make for the kids instead of jarred baby food. they were all surprised that you could do that.....

so, i'm trying to get this survey out to give me an indication where the average shopper who doesn't know much about agriculture could be lured away from big grocery stores AND to get those same people thinking a bit more about their food options.

we'll see what comes of it.

again, thanks for taking the survey!

 

[Woodland Woman]

I run across people like that all the time! I like informing them and some seem interested and others not. It amazes me what garbage people actually eat. I have noticed if it is easy for them people will buy better foods. I think convenience is a big factor though.

 

[bibliophile birds]

convenience is huge. that's one thing i'm hoping to work on with these girls, proving that yummy, local food can be convenient.

i love surveys for the strangest reason: they show you what people think they think, but when you actually compare that to behavior it's usually off.

for example, i'd say almost everyone will say that freshness is very important to them. but that doesn't actually play out in their buying, because the majority of people buy at supermarkets, where things are much, much less fresh than at a farmers' market. but that's just as informative as a strictly true answer. (i think the social scientist in me is getting a childish thrill out of research! )

 

[Lady Henevere]

I completed it and I will pass on the link. One glitch (or maybe it's intentional?): for each of the places to shop (grocery store, Wal-Mart, specialty store, etc.), I could only choose one for each category. So I couldn't say "regularly" for both the farmer's market and the specialty store, I had to choose a different option.

 

[kcsunshine]

It's amazing to me that in our area people still are not aware that we have 2 weekly farmers' markets. It's advertised in our local newspaper every week and this is our 5th year. I actually walk up to people in grocery stores (while they are eyeballing the under-ripe tomatoes and dried-up ears of corn and tell them to come to our market. (I'm pretty sure Food Lion and Walmart hate to see me coming). And, I've actually had people tell me they can't come to the market because they like to sleep in on Saturday. So, yes, convenience is the key word here.

 

[SKR8PN]

I took your survey.

We prefer the farmers markets simply because I can see, touch and choose what I am buying vs getting what the farmer wants to give me every week or every other week.Since we grow most of our stuff, I would fear there would be to much for us to consume and not enough for us to set up a canner and preserve a batch if done weekly or by-weekly. Even though we are not the type of family you would be targeting, I am still interested in the concept, and depending on what you could offer, and if it were flexible enough, might be persuaded to participate, at least on a one year trial.

$0.02

 

[Wifezilla]

Took the survey

I also had the same category issue.

About CSA's...the one closest to my house offered a standard share for $520. I figured for that price I could cover the entire yard in garden beds and go totally nuts ordering seed from Baker Creek. So far I have spent about $200 and still have room for more beds

 

[bibliophile birds]

Lady H: thanks for letting me know. i must have set something wrong. i'll fix that (and i believe you can edit your responses... somehow).

kc: yeah, it still surprises me. but it shouldn't really. i know whole slews of people who probably don't know that farmers' markets even exist as a concept anymore. and some of them are farmers.

skr8pn: yeah, i know CSAs don't work for a lot of people. and i'm not totally set on the idea yet. but i think that this section of the buying public- under-informed working moms with not a lot of time and no interest in growing their own- MIGHT be pulled away from Big Ag if it's as easy as paying for a share and getting a basket. that's really what i'm trying to find out.

Wifey: $500 would probably be the largest share i would sell, aimed at a family of 4. we're starting really small and i want people to grow with us, so i don't plan on making much the first few years. and the people who i'm targeting right now wouldn't know what a raised bed was if it hit them in the head... unless it had ornamental flowers in it, of course.

thanks all for taking the survey and sharing you feedback! it really helps!