BCAFM Farmers Market Benefits Study

ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF FARMERS MARKETS IN BC

Customer Survey Questions

The first few questions are similar to the questions on the flip charts. This overlap will help us to compare the answers we get from the two surveys.

1. How often do you come to this farmers market?

First time visitor

Rarely (1x per year)

Occasionally (2-3x per year)

Often (1x/month)

Frequently (2-3x/month)

Regularly (almost weekly)

2. When did you start shopping at this market?

* Note: categories vary by when market opened.

2012 (this year)

2011 (last year)

2010

3-4 years ago (2008-09)

5-9 years ago (2003-07)

More than 10 years ago

3. How much have you spent, or might you spend, at the farmers market today?

Nothing

$1-20

$21 - $40

$41 - $60

$61 - $80

$81 - $100

More than $100

4a. Was the farmers market your primary reason for coming to this area of town today?

Yes

No

Not applicable (e.g., live or work in this area) [go to Q6]

b. If no, what was your primary reason?

______

5 a. Do you plan on doing additional shopping or eating while in this area of town today?

Yes

No [go to Q6]

b. If yes: how much do you anticipate spending?

Nothing

$1-20

$21 - $40

$41 - $60

$61 - $80

$81 - $100

More than $100

c. If yes: would you have visited these businesses today if you had not come to the farmers market?

Yes

No

Comment: ______

6. How much time did you spend, or will you spend, at the farmers market today?

Less than 15 minutes

15 to 30 minutes

31 minutes to an hour

More than one hour

7. How much of your time at the market did you spend, or will spend, talking with vendors, friends, and other acquaintances?

None

Some of my time

Half of my time

Most of my time

Almost all of my time

8. Please indicate the extent to which you agree/disagree with the following statements.

Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Neutral / Agree / Strongly Agree
The farmers market provides access to good quality, fresh food.
The farmers market provides opportunities to learn about how food is produced.
The farmers market provides valuable connections to other community activities (e.g. community service, local politics, neighborhood events)
Shopping at the farmers market builds trusting relationships between vendors and customers.
The farmers market is a good place to meet my friends.
The farmers market is a good place to meet friends that I don’t usually see elsewhere.
The farmers market is a good place to make new friends.
Buying at the farmers market has a positive impact on the local economy.
Buying at the farmers market supports sustainable agricultural practices.
The farmers market feels welcoming to all people.
I can reliably find what I am looking for at the farmers market.
The farmers market is a destination for good entertainment
Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Neutral / Agree / Strongly Agree

9. What do you like about the experience of visiting the farmers market?

______

______

______

9. During the farmers market season (approx. early May to early October), where and how often do you buy groceries? Please check () the appropriate columns for each type of store.

STORE / Frequently (more than once per week) / Once per week / Every two weeks / On occasion (once a month) / Not Very Often (once every few months) / Rarely (once or twice a year) / Never
Warehouse Stores
(e.g. Costco)
Large Grocery Store (e.g. Save On Foods)
Small Grocery Store
Convenience Store
Farmers Market
Health Food
Specialty/Ethnic
(e.g. butcher, bakery, fish store, ethnic food)
Direct from farm
(e.g. farmgate, CSA)
Other (please specify)
______

10.There are a wide range of factors that people consider when buying food, including the usual factors such as price and quality and the more recent concerns about food safety and fair trade. We would like to know how important the following factors are to you.

Not
Important / Somewhat important / Important / Very important / No opinion
Low price
In season (fresh)
Nutritional content
Brand name
Ease of preparation
Appearance (of product)
Packaging (how it looks; aesthetics)
Packaging (e.g., recyclable material)
Grown or produced locally
(within 100km)
Grown or produced in BC
(not including locally produced)
Grown or produced in Canada(outside of BC)
Grown or produced by someone you know
Organic (certified)
Natural, but not certified
(e.g., wild, grain fed, not sprayed)
Fair trade (made by someone who gets fair wage and fair treatment)
Food safety (e.g., BSE, E. coli, listeria)
Animal Welfare
Other: ______

Demographic information (OPTIONAL)

11. What are the first three digits of your postal code? ______

12. Gender: ___ Male ___ Female ___ Other

13. Age

a)__ Under 20 years

b)__ 21 – 35 years

c)__ 36 – 50 years

d)__ 51 – 65 years

e)__ 66 or older

14. In what range does your annual household income fall?

a)__ Less than $25,000

b)__ $25,000 - 49,999

c)__ $50,000 - $74,999

d)__ $74,000 - $99,999

e)__ $100,000 - $199,999

f)__ $200,000 or more

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