Farmers Markets

Fields That Dream: A Journey to the Roots of Our FoodI have spent some time over the last couple days reading Jenny Kurzweil’s Fields That Dream: A Journey to the Roots of Our Food. Kurzweil describes the state of state of American agriculture through the lives of a number of small-scale farmers.

In addition to being well-written, Kurzweil’s portrayal of the lives of these farmers is striking. From a Mexican family who immigrated to the States to make enough money to survive, to a chef who left his home and job to pursue life on a farm, to a couple who cannot leave their house for more than two hours at a time for fear of leaving their animals without care, each farmer has a story to tell.

A statistical analysis of the data I collected from the Grinnell and Fairfield Farmers’ Markets. See my more detailed write-ups of the two markets (“A profile of the Grinnell Farmers’ Market” and “A profile of the Fairfield Farmers’ Market) in earlier blogs for more information.

The Vendors

Total number of stations:

• Grinnell: 27
• Fairfield: 23

Total number of vendors:

• Grinnell: 34
• Fairfield: 37

Gender of Vendors:

• Grinnell: 41% male, 59% female

The Fairfield Farmers’ Market is held every Wednesday from 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM, and every Saturday, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The market season starts on the first Saturday of May and end on the last Saturday of October. Like the Grinnell market, most vendors at the Fairfield market sell produce and baked goods, with a few selling homemade crafts, flowers, jams, etc. Unlike the Grinnell market, foods to eat on site (Crepes, egg rolls, wraps) are an important part of Fairfield’s market. This is part of a crucial difference between the two markets: the Fairfield market is a social place. Whereas at the Grinnell market, buyers immediately leave after finding what they want, shoppers at the Fairfield market tend to stick around. Many shoppers buy lunch at the market, and sit down to eat it while chatting with fellow buyers. Many children play on the playground next to the market while the parents shop and socialize. Shopping at the Fairfield farmers’ market can be seen as much more of an entire “experience” than shopping at Grinnell’s market.

The Grinnell Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday, May 27 to October 14, 3-6 PM, and every Saturday, June 5 to October 9, 8:30-10:30 AM. A wide variety of goods are sold at the Grinnell Farmers’ Market, including many different types of produce, baked goods, homemade crafts, berries, and even kettle corn. The Grinnell Market attracts buyers and sellers from many miles away; according to one vendor, Grinnell Market presents the best opportunity for sales in the area. Grinnell’s Farmers’ Market constitutes a large portion of the local food economy. Many vendors are dependent on their farmers’ market sales; according to another vendor, “most people’s sales are over after the farmers’ market season.”

I have a few pieces of information from work done by Dr. Daniel Otto and Theresa Varner that relate to the question of “radius of impact” of Iowa Farmers’ Markets (how far sellers and buyers travel to reach markets). I will post more information regarding this question as I find it.

• Consumers traveled an average of eight miles to get to a market
• The attached file entitled “Radius of Impact Table” contains a table listing the number of visits to and the miles traveled to farmers’ markets, based on their size, from a sample population from Dr. Otto’s survey.

There are nine Iowa counties of interest in this project. These include the four counties surrounding the town of Grinnell (Marshall, Tama, Jasper, and Poweshiek), and the five in the vicinity of Fairfield (Wapello, Jefferson, Davis, Van Buren, and Henry).

A map of the state of Iowa with the two regions outlined is shown in the attached file entitled “Outline of Two Regions.”

Grinnell Region
Total Farmers’ Markets: 7
Total Number of Residents: 113,442
Number of Farmers’ Markets per 100,000 Residents: 6.17

Marshall County:

• Population: 39,311

The following are some interesting pieces of information from an article entitled "Consumers, Vendors, and the Economic Importance of Iowa Farmers' Markets: An Economic Survey Analysis," by Dr. Daniel Otto and Theresa Varner, Iowa State University (March 2005). All figures are from a 2004 survey.

• Approximately $20 million in total Iowa Farmers Market sales were estimated through consumer reporting, while a more conservative estimate of $9.8 million originated with vendor reports.
• An estimated $31.5 million of gross sales and $12.2 million of personal income effects were directly or indirectly related to farmers’ market activity.