Disparities in the Availability of Farmers Markets in the United States

Abstract

Farmers markets (FM) have been proposed by researchers, policymakers, and health agencies as a potential community-level strategy to prevent obesity and reduce disparities in healthy food access in the U.S. Information about disparities in farmers market availability is scarce. This research aimed to examine county-level associations between farmers market (FM) availability and demographic, socioeconomic, health, and environmental measures in an effort to determine if disparities in availability exist in the U.S. An ecological study of 3,135 U.S. counties was conducted in 2013 using 2009–2010 data extracted from the United States Department of Agriculture Food Environment Atlas. Logistic regression and Poisson regression models were used to determine associations between county-level FM availability and measures such as percentage of non-Hispanic black residents, median household income, and number of grocery stores per 100,000 residents (i.e., per capita). Regression models were stratified by metro county status and all analyses were adjusted for state-level clustering. There were 1,774 (56.6%) counties with at least one FM available. Median household income was associated with increased odds of having at least one FM available among non-metro counties, but not metro counties. Percentage of non-Hispanic black residents and residents living in poverty were negatively associated with per capita FMs among metro and non-metro counties. Per capita fast food restaurants was negatively associated with per capita FMs among metro counties. Disparities in FM availability exist in the U.S. More research on the behavioral and health implications of farmers market availability should be conducted.

The contributions of short food supply chains to territorial development: A study of three Quebec territories

“…However, for these initiatives to develop, stakeholders pointed toward three main issues that must be addressed: physical accessibility, affordability, and accessibility to knowledge with regard to good nutritional practices and the preparation of meals from fresh products. Incidentally, these same issues have likewise been identified in the literature (Colasanti et al, 2010;Singleton et al, 2015).…”

Farmers Market Locations and Their Determinants: An Empirical Analysis in New England

“…The number of fruit and vegetable wholesalers is only weakly associated with the probability of observing a positive number of FMs. The estimated coefficients for the number of grocery stores indicates a positive and decreasing relationship with participation, suggesting that grocery stores and FMs may be complementary shopping experiences (consistent with Morgan and Alipoe 2001, and Singleton, Sen, and Affuso 2015). This could be indicative of demand for similar services or co-location strategies where both types of outlets try to locate in areas with larger demand.…”

“…On the one hand, grocery stores may compete with FMs as a substitute, leading to lower profit margins for farmers participating in FMs and consequently a lower probability of FMs being established. On the other hand, previous research has shown grocery stores may complement FMs, therefore showing a positive association with FMs (Morgan and Alipoe 2001, Singleton, Sen, and Affuso 2015).…”

“…First, we control for the share of household with children, median age in the zip code, as well as the average household size in the zip code, as the size of the household affects the likelihood of shopping at FMs (Gumirakiza, Curtis, and Bosworth 2014). As ethnicity seems to be correlated with FMs’ location (Singleton, Sen, and Affuso 2015), we control for the share of nonwhite individuals in the zip code. We also include the share of individuals with bachelor's degrees or higher as other studies find that having completed postgraduate work is a likely feature of FMs’ shoppers (e.g., Wolf, Spittler, and Ahern, 2005).…”

Accessing Local Foods: Households Using SNAP Double Bucks and Financial Incentives at a Midwestern Farmers Market

“…Other barriers include the geographic location of the markets and market open times. Farmers markets are most commonly positioned in affluent, white areas (Singleton, Sen, & Affuso, 2015), and potential low-income participants experience a range of access barriers, includ-ing lack of time and inadequate transportation (Walker, Keane, & Burke, 2010). Local foods are also limited by season and are more labor intensive to locate and prepare; thus, they may be perceived as an impractical food solution for many potential consumers (Leone et al, 2012).…”