Building Public Health and Community in a University Town: Motivational Factors for Shopping at a Local Farmers Market by Graduate Students

Abstract

Farmers markets represent a unique venue for analyzing the dynamic nature of communities. The purpose of this study was to describe the factors that motivate graduate students to patronize a local farmers market. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six graduate students from a large university located in a rural town in the southern United States. Interviews were analyzed using constant comparative methods. Eight themes emerged: (1) Location and Distance, (2) Seasonality, (3) Community, (4) Social Interactions, (5) Consumer and Producer/Vendor Connection, (6) Production Methods, (7) Environmental Concerns, and (8) Economic Reasons. The results have potential to guide a marketing framework and strategies to help farmers markets appeal to a younger demographic of consumers. Future research should focus on farmers market patronage by other populations.