Who shops at farmers markets in the US?

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · May 14, 2026 · 858 words · By Bret R Shaw

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What to know about Who shops at farmers markets in the US?

The author, a strategic communications scholar, presents findings from two studies on U.S. farmers market consumers. The research categorizes shoppers into six distinct groups based on their motivations, demographics, and levels of engagement with local food systems.

Propaganda risk 0%

Claims checked 25

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

People who shop at the more than 8,700 farmers markets operating in the U.S.

Why it matters

either year-round or seasonally generally fall into six distinct groups.

Common ground

Three of them are more interested in farmers markets than the others.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Who shops at farmers markets in the US??
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that more than half saying that they either rarely or never shop at them?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/who-shops-at-farmers-markets-in-the-us-279922

analyticsAnalysis

Propaganda Score

confidence: 100%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 25 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 15

info Single Source 8

help Insufficient Evidence 2

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Claim 1: “more than half saying that they either rarely or never shop at them.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “Nearly 70% of uninvolved farmers market shoppers were men and 76% were white.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 3: “We called the 12% of the shoppers in the final group we surveyed “uninvolved.””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 4: “About 58% of them were women and their average age was 57”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 5: “more than 8,700 farmers markets operating in the U.S. either year-round or seasonally”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is found in one web search result ('Who shops at farmers markets in the US?'), but no other independent sources corroborate the specific number of 8,700 markets.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — People who shop at the more than 8,700 farmers markets operating in the U.S. either year-round or seasonally generally fall into six distinct groups.
https://theconversation.com/who-shops-at-farmers-markets-in-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The number of farmers’ markets has more than doubled in the last 10 years or so, and it has escaped no one’s notice that the organic food market is growing fast. These all represent products that are …
https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/weekinreview/27bittman.ht…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Android vs. iPhone Market Share in the United States. iOS and Android both hold 55% and 45% share of the U.S. mobile OS market, respectively. iOS consistently leads the U.S. market, with its share flu…
https://www.demandsage.com/iphone-vs-android-users/

schedule

Claim 6: “About 3 in 4 rarely or never go to farmers markets.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 7: “It had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results provide general information about survey tools (Microsoft Forms, SurveyMonkey) but do not mention the specific margin of error for the survey in question.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Use Microsoft Forms to easily create online surveys, forms, quizzes and questionnaires. AI powered, free survey tool from Microsoft.
https://forms.microsoft.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Easily create surveys and forms with AI and templates for employee and customer feedback, market research, event registrations and more. Get started free.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Mar 13, 2026 · Discover the top 10 best online survey tools of 2024, featuring free and paid options for creating surveys, gathering insights, and improving decision-making.
https://www.smartsurvey.com/blog/best-online-survey-tools

help

Claim 8: “averaging US$40,000-$50,000.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this claim.

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Claim 9: “Roughly 70% of the health-focused group was white”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “about 19% of the respondents were what we called “emerging interest” farmers market shoppers.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “About 43% of them say they never or rarely shop at a farmers market.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 12: “We determined that about 18% of those surveyed are “highly engaged” farmers market shoppers.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that 18% of surveyed consumers are 'highly engaged' is found in the web search result 'Who shops at farmers markets in the US?', but not corroborated by other sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Farmers' markets (FM) must be able to adapt to keep up with changing consumer preferences. Using 274 in‐person surveys of consumers in several FMs our objective is to identify the influence of respond…
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Demographics-of-Total-Sa…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The US Consumer Expenditure Survey data reveals that, since 2007, the country’s top 1% (people earning upwards of $300,000 per year) are spending significantly less on material goods, while middle-inc…
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170614-the-new-subtle…

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web search NEUTRAL — Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu. Consumer sentiment was essentially unchanged this month, coming in a scant 1.6 index points below April’s reading and comparable to the trough reached in June…
https://www.sca.isr.umich.edu/

schedule

Claim 13: “Emerging interest shoppers were nearly evenly split by gender, with 52% women.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 14: “We found that another 18% of the people surveyed were “health-focused.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching for this claim.

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Claim 15: “Around 59% of them are men and 37% are people of color.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 16: “Roughly 17% of these shoppers fall into a “practical” category.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 17: “we pulled survey data from a nationally representative sample of 5,141 U.S. consumers that was conducted Aug. 2-11, 2023.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results discuss general consumer sentiment and a different survey from 2022-2023, but none confirm a specific sample of 5,141 consumers conducted Aug 2-11, 2023.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The survey posted a preliminary record-low reading of 48.2 points, down 7.7% from a year ago and extending the decline from April's reading of 49.8 points. In simple terms, the American consumer is mo…
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/05/11/bitcoin-nasdaq-i…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Household Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted between August 2022 and July 2023 highlights a significant shift in consumer behaviour over the past two decades.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/post-pandemic-consumer-demand…

info

Claim 18: “An earlier study I worked on found that 81% of U.S. adults said that they shop at a farmers market at least once a year.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The web search results for this claim are irrelevant, returning information about Kobe Bryant, aircraft carriers, and highways instead of farmers market statistics.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The career high of points scored in a single game by Kobe Bryant on January 22, 2006 against the Toronto Raptors. 81 is the second most points scored in an American professional basketball game, behin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/81_(number)

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web search NEUTRAL — 6 days ago · One of the Navy’s Ford-class aircraft carriers is delayed by two years, stretching the schedule to build the future USS Doris Miller (CVN-81) out to 15 years, USNI News has learned. Carri…
https://news.usni.org/2026/05/08/future-aircraft-carrier-dor…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — We currently provide real-time traffic maps for over a dozen cities located along the i-81 corridor, as well as, i-81 corridor news, and i-81 corridor weather.
http://i81highway.com/

info

Claim 19: “As we explained in the March 2026 edition of British Food Journal”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is mentioned in the web search result 'Who shops at farmers markets in the US?', but no other source confirms the existence of this specific March 2026 edition of the British Food Journal.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — As we explained in the March 2026 edition of British Food Journal, people who fall into those groups have different levels of interest in farmers markets but also have some things in common.
https://theconversation.com/who-shops-at-farmers-markets-in-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Edmondson wrote in a study published in 1999.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.2307/2666999

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The study focused on the three-quarters of food that is consumed in the same country where it is produced. For the other 25 percent, "the farmer share of consumer expenditures on imported foods is alm…
https://www.ibtimes.com/most-food-spending-supports-processi…

schedule

Claim 20: “Their average age was 44 years old”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 21: “About 16% of farmers market shoppers are people we identified as “convenience” shoppers.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 22: “with 27% of respondents identifying as Hispanic, 20% Black and 4% multiracial.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The search results for this claim are completely irrelevant, returning information about the game 'Among Us' instead of demographic data for farmers market shoppers.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Among Us takes place in space-themed settings where players are colorful, armless cartoon astronauts. Each player takes on one of two roles: most are Crewmates, but a small number are Impostors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Among_Us

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 2, 2026 · Join your crewmates in a multiplayer game of teamwork and betrayal!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.innersloth…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Among Us is a party game of teamwork and betrayal. Crewmates work together to complete tasks before one or more Impostors can kill everyone aboard.
https://www.innersloth.com/games/among-us/

schedule

Claim 23: “Their income tended to be the highest of the groups, typically in the $60,000-$75,000 range.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 24: “Nearly 65% of these shoppers were women.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that nearly 65% of these shoppers were women is found in the web search result 'Who shops at farmers markets in the US?', but not corroborated by other sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Highly engaged, health-focused and emerging interest. We determined that about 18% of those surveyed are “highly engaged” farmers market shoppers. They care a lot about food and enjoy buying, preparin…
https://theconversation.com/who-shops-at-farmers-markets-in-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — They provide high-quality, Irish, farm-fresh and artisan produce, often picked the same day, and give us the chance to connect with local suppliers who care deeply about their craft. Plus, they ensure…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/booeys-gourmet-farmers-marke…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Quora is a place to gain and share knowledge. It's a platform to ask questions and connect with people who contribute unique insights and quality answers. This empowers people to learn from each other…
https://www.quora.com/

schedule

Claim 25: “Practical consumers were close to evenly split by gender; 53% were women.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.