Farmers Market Shopper Survey

View your shoppers data in real time

We are working to bring more people to Virginia’s farmers markets. As part of that mission, our Board President, Dr. Omar Faison of Virginia State University, is leading an effort to collect farmers market customer data. This will give all of us a better understanding of market shoppers.

With that in mind, we’re asking you to help us share our farmers market survey at your market. You will have immediate access to the responses across the state as they come in.

The survey allows us to get information about the demographics of people who are attending the markets, how they found out about it, what it is that they were interested in, what brought them there, how often they attend as well as their purchasing activity.

We have signs we are asking you to download and display at your market. Encourage shoppers to use the QR code to access the Google Forms survey. And then check out the data on your market.

If you have any questions, feel free to email Dr. Omar Faison.

The survey link is: https://bit.ly/vafma_visitor_survey

Signage for the markets is here: https://bit.ly/vafma_survey_folder

A video providing guidance on the survey and contents of the folder is here: https://youtu.be/tZxTtLEAmv0

Promoting Virginia’s Farmers Markets
VAFMA Visiting 50+ Farmers Markets in 2023

Last year we visited 50+ farmers markets. We’re on track to visit 50 more in 2023. VAFMA and our agriculture partners are also visiting 400+ market farms across the state for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

We like to post videos and photos from our visits. Check out these recent posts on Instagram:

• Sunset Market at IX Art Park
• The Market at Second Stage
• Little Hat Creek

We’re also spotlighting the markets of VAFMA Members through social media features.

Are you following us on social media? We’re probably following you! And if we’re not, please let us know.

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Twitter

Tag VAFMA in your social media posts so we can share them too.

Make sure you’ve updated your market’s profile on Farmspread so we can find it too!

Eggs Must Be Kept at 41 Degrees F or Below at Market
Do not leave eggs on your market tables this summer

During the Food Safety Summit, VDACS shared these requirements for selling eggs at farmers markets:

Eggs must be:

• Clean, unbroken, and free of dirt and manure
• Properly refrigerated at 41 degrees F or below at all times
• Labeled with: name and address of producer/packer, the word “eggs,” safe handling instructions, and the term ‘ungraded’ or the appropriate grade

Virginia Egg Law: sell up to 150 dozen eggs/week of your own eggs and up to 60 dozen eggs/week of another producer’s eggs without inspection.

The term “fresh eggs” can only be used if the eggs are graded

Eggs can be graded by the producer – the link below is from the USDA website (Egg-Grading Manual)

If you have farms accepting these programs, download and print these posters from the links below:

We Proudly Accept SFMNP

Spend Five and Thrive

Senior & WIC FAQs

Farmers – now is the time to apply to be authorized to accept the vouchers from older adults for fresh fruits, vegetables, and fresh cut herbs.

Market Managers – spread the word about this program to your market’s produce farmers.

Details and Applications are on our website