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  • From: Richard Moyer <ramoyer AT gmail.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Student experiences shopping at market; how do we get more folks to come and buy from us?
  • Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 12:37:05 -0400

For a lab in my online Bio course, I asked students to visit a local farmers market or farmer, purchase local food, and prepare a meal to share.  And include one food they've never eaten before.  Also, talk with the farmer about water, soil and nutrient management, if they are willing.  And ask why they choose to farm and sell their produce at a local market.

Responses varied, and being graded assignments turned into me a market farmer/teacher, I expect a bias toward favorable answers.

But one mother shared upon serving kale for the first time to her sons "one played dead and the other ran from the house".  And other students shared of the lack of time in their lives for market shopping, let alone cooking from whole foods, hence this lab experience will not make a difference in their food choices, at least now.

Several responses along these lines: "I think that I would have to say that the thing that I learned from this class that comes to my mind the quickest and easiest is how many wonderful products are available for purchase so close to home at the Farmer’s Market.  This is about a mile from where I live and I had never stopped there before.  No one in my family farms or owns a farm, a few family members have gardens but that is for their own personal consumption.  My parent’s have had a garden before but they are older now and they do not garden anymore.  All vegetables and fruit that my family consumes comes from the local grocery store and after stopping at the Farmer’s Market..... I always thought for some reason that farmers markets and fruit stands were more expensive than grocery stores but because of the project/lab that I did, I know ..... it is cheaper at the market so whenever I am able, I am going to buy my produce directly from the grower at the market and skip the middle man.  This makes me feel better because not only am I saving my family money, but I am supporting a local grower as well."

So short of making students shop for a grade, how do we get more folks who live around us to get over the hump and give local markets a(nother) try?

So I'll be doing a version of this lab again, when the class rolls around next spring or summer.  Suggestions welome on how to improve/enrich this student experience, for the farmer as well.

Richard Moyer SW VA

Where pulling weeds is more appealing than grading tests.



  • [Market-farming] Student experiences shopping at market; how do we get more folks to come and buy from us?, Richard Moyer, 07/31/2013

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