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Abstract
The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has invested in direct-to-consumer initiatives to expand local food consumption and enhance farmers market opportunities. To evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts, this study employs a sample-selected ordered probit model to analyze consumer perceptions of farmers market performance across four states in the Southeast United States. Specifically, we examine differences in awareness and performance of product quality, diversity, and market infrastructure. Awareness and perceptions vary significantly by age, other demographics, and state. These insights provide market organizers and policymakers with data-driven strategies to tailor marketing efforts and improve engagement across diverse consumer segments.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2026
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1002/jaa2.70039
Funding Information
Measuring and Building on Local Food System Vitality for Communities in the South, Supported by National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA): [Grant Number 2018‐68006‐27644].
Repository Citation
Varziri, Azita; Woods, Timothy A.; and Zhao, Shuoli, "Consumer perceptions of farmers market performance: A comparative analysis across states and age groups" (2026). Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications. 34.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/agecon_facpub/34
Notes/Citation Information
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.