Journal of NACAA

Market Assessment for Value-Added Frozen Vegetable and Fruit Sales at a Farmers Market

ISSN 2158-9429

Volume 12, Issue 1 - June 2019

Editor: Bindu Poudel

Abstract

Growth in consumer-direct farm sales in recent decades, such as patronage at farmers markets, has come into competition with enterprises with competing value-propositions, such as large-scale organic operations and natural product lines at chain retailers. This has led some to examine opportunities to augment consumer-direct sales with new value-added products. In this study we evaluated the market for organic, value-added frozen vegetables and fruit at a farmers market in Western Washington. We wanted to determine current purchase habits, potential purchase preferences, and willingness to pay for frozen processed products. Survey results indicated that consumers were interested in purchasing locally processed frozen vegetable and fruit products, with most (47%) motivated to buy local in order to support the economic viability of local farmers. Locally grown, locally processed mixed vegetable products were sought by the most respondents (31%), who indicated they would pay a 36% price premium over non-local products.