Part III. Section 8. VERMONT FARMSTAND SURVEY RESULTS

The Vermont Farmstand Directory will enable consumers to easily locate farmstands and determine hours of operation and products and services available.  The directory was made available in the spring of 2007.  It will be housed and maintained online by NOFA-VT (www.nofavt.org) in addition to its extensive listings of Vermont farmer's markets, CSA's and certified organic farms.  The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Market also has a Vermont Farmstand and Pick-Your-Own online listing where 110 farms are listed by county. It is available at www/vermontagriculture.com/pyown.htm. 

Survey Results: 

The respondent rate was 47.6 percent (88 surveys were completed and returned. Not all 88 answered each question. 

Do you run a farmstand?  

Yes 80  No 5  

Do you want to be listed in the Vermont Farmstand Directory? 

Yes 80  No 5

Is your farmstand located on-site or off-site? 

The vast majority (89 percent) are located on-site. 

What is your farmstand structure? 

30 percent had a farmstand structure -- traditional three walled 

structure. 41 percent had a farmstore structure -- a four walled

building.  13 percent used a table and the rest used other structures. Farmstands vary in physical structure, from old sheds to modern farm stores.                      

Is your farmstand staffed or help yourself? 

41 percent staffed, 21 percent help yourself, 21 percent both. 

Nearly half of farmstands have staffed positions. 

When is your farmstand normally open? 

55 percent of farmstands are open by June.  The months of greatest  farmstand operation are May-October.   

What products do you sell at your farmstand?  The top four are: 

22.7 percent -- maple

55.4 percent -- fruits and 59 percent vegetables

30.7 percent -- bedding plants, seeds

40.9 percent -- other (jam, honey, gifts)

Other findings: 

• 56 respondents stated their farmstand carries less than 25 percent - off-site products.  

• 18 percent of respondents are CSA's, 34 percent are pick-your-own operations, 23 percent go to farmers' markets and 18 percent offer farm tours.  

• 95 percent said they felt a farmstand directory would be of  assistance. 43 percent said it would assist consumers in locating farmstands. 38 percent said it would provide marketing           assistance to farmers.

• Other assistance ideas: discount coupons, state-wide uniform farmstand signage, utilizing tourism centers as areas for marketing along with education, maps, the reprinting of past       materials.  

Specific ideas include: uniform directional steel signs displayed statewide that help consumers find farmstands, road-way literature for tour companies, farmstand brochures at Welcome Centers, coupons for the farm-to-family program, newspaper coupons for farmstand discounts, ads in local newspapers, and the farmstand directory needs to be available in both print and online to local consumers and tourists who frequent welcome centers.   

Source: 

Vermont Farmland Survey

Prepared for the: Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont

by Jillian Abraham, The Center for Rural Studies, University of Vermont, March, 2007.