Collecting Market Data

OFMA is a big fan of good data. Data is a powerful tool: it can tell stories, influence decision making, and showcase strengths and weaknesses. Farmers markets can use data to make decisions about vendor fees, market season length, wages, market hours… the list is endless!

We want to make sure markets have the tools they need to collect accurate, useful data. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has a Market Managers Survey that contains data around market seasons, types of goods sold, nutritional access programs, manager compensation, and more. You can also check out this course on measuring your farmers market’s impact and read more about collecting data below.

Estimating Vendor Sales

It’s not always possible to collect vendor sales directly from your vendors. But there are many ways to make accurate estimates about vendor sales using other data that may be more readily available.

Estimate Vendor Sales Using Vendor Counts

Estimate Vendor Sales Using Crowd Counts

Farmers Market Census

Since 2019, OFMA has been collecting and reporting data from Oregon’s farmers markets. OFMA uses the census to measure the successes of our farmers markets, prove the value of farmers markets to stakeholders, and determine what resources to offer our markets. We take all this information and compile an annual census report, which we then present at our annual meeting. We use the census data to advocate on behalf of our farmers market community to stakeholders, government bodies, and other decision makers.

Rapid Market Assessment

In 1998 Larry Lev and Garry Stephenson from OSU Extension Service developed a simple, fun and yet effective market research method called Rapid Market Assessment (RMA). RMA provides markets research methods to determine market attendance and to collect useful market data.

For more information, contact Garry Stephenson at OSU:

Garry Stephenson
OSU Small Farms Extension Service
garry.stephenson@oregonstate.edu

Here are some sample questions used by markets in their rapid market assessments:

  1. How did you first find out about the market?

  2. How did you travel to the market?

  3. Will you be doing any additional shopping in the business district on this trip? If yes, please estimate the amount.

  4. What stopped you from buying more in the market?

  5. How much did you spend in the market?

  6. Do you come to the farmers’ market for the products, the atmosphere, the c rafts or some combination.

  7. Why are you downtown?

Farmers Market Learning Network

In 2022 OFMA launched the Farmers Market Learning Network (FMLN) - a capacity building program for market operators to learn how to effectively manage their organizations so that they can provide a stable and profitable sales channel for their vendors. The FMLN will be a conglomeration of year-round, monthly online workshops, peer-to-peer learning, and expert technical assistance provided to farmers markets across the state. These opportunities will focus around four focus areas identified as high-need within Oregon's farmers market community: Organizational Development, Branding and Marketing, New and Beginning Vendor Support, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

OFMA will compile together the expert input and peer learning insights into a set of digital toolkits to be provided freely as a resource for market managers and their organizations’ board members and leadership. Overall the program will be the broadest, most holistic technical support ever offered here in Oregon.

The FMLN is an expansion of programming piloted by OFMA from 2018-2021. Markets will be able to participate cost-free thanks to a three-year USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program grant and matching funding from Oregon foundations.