As farmers markets evolve, some add activities

In the interest of attracting more people, farmers markets are increasingly looking outside the farm to broaden their appeal.

What was once an outlet for local farms to sell their wares are now resembling street festivals featuring live music, food vendors, arts and crafts, and other activities that draw a wider spectrum of consumers looking for more than just fresh produce.

While many farmers agree that this diversification has helped to boost market attendance, the success of farmers markets—and their proliferation—has also introduced some challenges.

"The complication arises when farmers markets started turning into community events," said Dan Best, general counsel of the California Federation of Certified Farmers Markets. "I kind of feel we've lost sight of the original purpose of the farmers market."

Tony Thacher, a Ventura County citrus grower who has been selling at farmers markets since California established the Certified Farmers Market Program in 1977, said the original intent of the markets was twofold: to give people in so-called "food deserts" access to fresh produce and to allow small farmers to sell directly to consumers without dealing with wholesalers, thereby earning retail value for their commodities.

In the early days, farmers markets used to feature mostly if not all farmers, sometimes with a bakery vendor or a fish seller in the mix, Best noted. The original markets were especially popular with immigrants who were used to open marketplaces much like in their home countries. Seniors and people on fixed incomes also frequented the markets because they could buy quality, ripe produce in one central location without having to travel to different farmstands. Farmers also appreciated having consumers consolidated to what's typically four hours of market time, so they could go back to farming afterwards.

The rise of the farm-to-fork movement and the popularity of farmers markets have prompted more affluent communities to want their own farmers markets, Thacher said. With more markets popping up, he said there's pressure on market managers to expand them to include more food booths and more entertainment.

The dilemma is understandable, he said, as starting and sustaining a farmers market is not easy. A balance of farmers and customers is required, otherwise the farmer can't make money and don't want to participate, and then customers stop coming because they don't have the variety and selection.

Now that many markets have morphed into community events dominated by items not produced by farmers, Best said the farmers market at these events can end up being an exhibit rather than a viable commercial outlet.

"They attract good people who want a good time and the farmers become a part of the mix but not necessarily the focus," he said.

Best acknowledged that while these community events are "a great amenity" for the community, the challenge is with their abundance, as "the number of consumers that actually patronize the farmer has been pretty static."

In their infancy, there were 12 certified farmers markets in the state in 1977, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. They grew to 170 markets by 1988 and 360 by 2000. Since 2010, the number has stood at the 700 to 800 range, with currently 743 registered markets.

One issue with community-event-type markets is that shoppers tend not to buy much until the end of the event because they don't want to carry anything around, Best noted. Many patrons who attend these events also may not be "active buying customers that are interested in what the farmer has to offer," he added. And if they stay long, they tie up parking spaces.

Yolo County farmer Annie Main has seen how farmers markets have evolved. She helped start the Davis Farmers Market 40 years ago and that market is now a huge community event, drawing people from all over the region. Starting in the spring, the market amps up with live bands, bounce houses, pony rides and other activities.

Having these events is useful, Main said, because they make the market more interesting and they bring people out. Even in the early days, she said she remembers organizing scrambled-egg breakfasts, corn roasts and different activities as "marketing ploys" to entice people to come. She noted that in the lull of fall and winter, she doesn't attend the market because there's not enough foot traffic.

"You want people to come for their coffee and croissant because ultimately they will buy something else," she said. "I feel like the markets are doing better than ever. People are wanting to shop locally, they're wanting to shop seasonally, they want to know their farmer."

Because farmers markets are usually outdoors where people are already gathering, they're not necessarily meant to fulfill the role of a grocery store, said Casey Anderson, membership and project manager of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, which manages two farmers markets. Having a diverse range of vendors at the farmers market attracts more customers and makes them want to spend time there, he added.

"I have never heard a farmer complain that they've lost sales because someone with arts and crafts was allowed to participate in the market," he said. "They understand that the larger the market is, the more vendors that it has participating, the more attractive the market is as a whole."

As a cherry grower who has been working farmers markets for 24 years, Missy Gotelli of San Joaquin County said while she loved the pure form of farmers markets in her early years, the community-events model also works for what she's selling. The more people at the market, the more cherries she sells. But she noted that cherries are a grab-and-go food, and people can buy and eat them while enjoying the event. But that may not be the case for produce that require preparation and cooking.

She acknowledged that with so many farmers markets today, the markets overall are not as heavily attended because there are more of them from which to choose. Anderson said farmers now must work multiple markets in a week to cover their costs and make the same amount of sales as when they worked just one. He noted the San Diego County Farm Bureau has closed two markets due to low attendance and sluggish sales, with market location being a huge factor.

"We discovered that farmers markets, while popular, are not a big-enough draw in and of themselves that you can plunk it where there were no customers and expect enough flock of regular customers to come and support the market," he said. "For them to be financially sustainable and successful, you have to put them where people are already gathering."

Best said some farmers are "finally starting to get it" in that they are not trying to cover every market that opens, especially as they see their labor costs and expenses rise while their profits fall by attending more markets.

"I think some of them are starting to realize that they shouldn't be spending a dollar to chase a dime," Best said.

(Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.)