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Katherine Gustafson: What Makes a Good Farmers’ Market?

The legendary founders of Fresh Farm Markets (in DC, Maryland and Virginia), Ann Yonkers and Bernie Prince shared their template for success for building markets in this article. Their characteristics for success include: producers only, local focus, good management, event and service ethos and markets acting as town squares. A solid list; what always occurs to me when I hear this are the amount of variables from that list that I see from market to market and region to region.
When I ran markets in New Orleans, we would have added:
Rain or shine, meaning a regularly occurring market.
The market as a mechanism for behavior change, meaning an active role to expand its reach by acknowledging the social determinants of health and affecting the policies that shape them, which is, of course, closely related to the town square ethos.
I’d also like to hear what YOUR non-negotiables are in your market community.
In other words, what are really the “non-negotiables” for all markets? How can we be sure that we get measured for what we actually do, and not what the neighboring market does or even what a partner organization thinks we should do without taking into consideration the capacity and goals of the existing market community.

I have been struggling with an article that I’ll share with the market and food system field (when completed) challenging researchers and practioners to help define sets of characteristics that will identify the types of market that the local community wants to offer. This methodology, called market typology, will show how communities choose their own structure, product selection and partnerships based on their goals and community assets and yet need to align their work with peers across the country in order to share and grow the field for the future.
If anyone is interested in reading the draft and commenting on the typology question, feel free to email me directly and I’ll send you a link.

Katherine Gustafson: What Makes a Good Farmers' Market?.

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01/31/2013
D.W.
articles, case studies/research, civic engagement, farmers markets, farmers/farming information, food policy, public health

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Helping Public Markets Grow 2011-2021

Independent Researcher and Analyst list of contracts (In November 2019 began full-time role as FMC’s Program Director)

•AMS TA project: Mentor for national technical assistance project for current FMLFPP grantees led by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development at Penn State University.
•Brooklyn NYC: Assisted BDPHO with developing farmers market technical assistance programs.
•Report on BDPHO’s 5-year market capacity project.
•Farmers Market Coalition Senior Research Associate for Farmers Market Metrics project creation (2015-)

• Farmers Market Coalition’s Senior Advisor, focusing on technical assistance for markets and networks (2015-)
•Illinois: Worked with ILFMA on evaluation plan for integration and upgrade of statewide fms and DTC information on integrated platforms.
•Louisiana: Assisted students at Southeastern University in Hammond with food system research and farmers market strategy.
•Louisiana: Assisted ReFresh Market and Garden with evaluation plan (2017)
•Louisiana: Working with Ruston Farmers Market on outreach strategy for new location

• Helping to craft resources and training for 2019 Fresh Central Certified Institute for Central Louisiana markets and producers with CLEDA.

•Louisiana: Organized first statewide farmers market conference for LSU Ag Center archives found at: lafarmersmarkets dot blogspot dot com

•Maine: Researched farmers market job descriptions found at www.helpingpublicmarketsgrow.com

• Mississippi: Providing research and analysis for City of Hernando MS 3-year project to grow flagship market

•Mississippi: Assisted Gulf Coast markets with FMPP project on analyzing access to markets for Gulfport resident and farmers. 2014 Local Food Awareness Report for Gulfport MS, found at www.helpingpublicmarketsgrow.com

•Vermont: Providing analysis and resource development for NOFA-VT’s annual data on farmers markets.

•Supporting markets creating their Legacy Binders
•Vermont: Researched and wrote report on SNAP, FMNP technology and policy answers for VT farmers markets in collaboration with NOFA-VT and VAAFM, 2013 Vermont Market Currency Feasibility Report found at www.helpingpublicmarketsgrow.com
•Vermont: Working with Vermont Law School on legal resources for farmers and market organizations.

•Vermont: Assisting with 3 year project to build capacity for direct marketing farmers and outlets through DIY data collection and use.

Wallace Center: Moderator of FSLN, advisory to the 2020 NGFN Conference to be held in New Orleans in March of 2020

•Why Hunger: Created online toolkit for grassroots communities.

Feel free to contact me at my name at gmail dot com if I might be able to help your market or business.
Thanks
Dar Wolnik

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