Social Learning and Innovation at Retail Farmers' Markets*

Abstract

Retail farmers' markets are seen as key institutions in a more “civic agriculture,” but little is known about how they promote small business entrepreneurship. Drawing on research in economic sociology and economic geography, this paper examines the role of social learning in vendor innovation. Data from a 1999 mail survey of farmers' market vendors in California, New York and Iowa show that business innovation, as represented by intensity of vendors' innovative marketing practices and vendors' successful enterprise expansion, was modest. Social learning through engagement with customers contributed to more innovative marketing by vendors, while social learning through engagement with customers and fellow vendors increased the likelihood of vendors diversifying to additional markets beyond the farmers' market. Certain individual and enterprise characteristics also influenced vendor innovation. This suggests that, although important, the beneficial effects of social learning for vendors at farmers' markets remain moderated by human capital and structural factors.

Understanding Social Capital, Networks & Institutions: A Guide to Support Compost Entrepreneurship for Rural Development

“…Still, trust appeared most evident among men with agriculture backgrounds (e.g., Microenterprise A had a male coworker sell compost to male farmers). Farming skills may also offer a more credible perception of the entrepreneur to the agricultural consumer, explaining the difference or benefits of compost relative to synthetic fertilizer (Hinrichs et al, 2009). Before gaining trust, however, communities need to be aware of the value of organic fertilizer.…”

“…These problems include 1) raw material availability, 2) labor/education related to processing, 3) financing, and 4) market-access (Hinrichs, Gulespie, & Feenstra, 2009;Somda, Nianogo, Nassa, & Sanou, 2002;Sseguya, Semana, & Bekunda, 1999).…”

“…The quality of organic fertilizer is likely to increase when information regarding decomposition rates for specific raw materials is available to entrepreneurs (Vukobratović et al, 2008). An employee who is knowledgeable about decomposition processes can communicate this information to fellow coworkers (Hinrichs et al, 2009). Singha et al (2012) emphasizes that coworkers with experience in agriculture or its related industries tend to have more knowledge about biological systems, offering a foundation for understanding decomposition processes.…”

Metropolitan farmers markets in Minneapolis and Vienna: a values-based comparison

“…In this way, FMs may contribute to a move away from a dominant industrial food system to one that offers spaces for alternative "green" economic relationships (Morris and Kirwan 2011;Alkon 2012). FMs can also support rural and urban community development (Hinrichs et al 2004;Alkon 2008;Stephenson 2008;Beckie et al 2012).…”

It tastes better because … consumer understandings of UK farmers’ market food

“…A particular focus has been the nascent forces that have encouraged the re-emergence of food markets (Hinrichs et al 2004;Holloway & Kneafsey 2000). Prior to this, opportunities to engage with alternative ways of sourcing and buying food were somewhat limited in the UK (Jolly 2002;La Trobe 2001).…”