Nutrition Knowledge and Dietary Habits of Farmers Market Patrons

A balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been strongly associated with weight management, improved overall health, and decreased incidence of chronic disease. Availability of locally grown produce is associated with a higher intake of fruits and vegetables; there were 7,864 farmers markets operating in the U.S. in 2012, a 9.6% increase from 2011. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the demographics, nutrition knowledge, and dietary habits of farmers market patrons at ten diverse markets in Kentucky. A total of 153 surveys were collected; the average age of study participants was 46 ± 21 year. Respondents reported consuming an average of 2.1 ± 1.3 fruit servings and 2.9 ± 1.6 vegetable servings per day. As well, 49% of the market patrons indicated they had an advanced or professional knowledge of nutrition. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being extremely important , 59% of the patrons ranked having nutrition information listed on recipes as an 8 or above. Market patrons are specifically interested in the salt (87%), fat (74%), and calorie (72%) content of recipes. Results indicate that most farmers market patrons have a good knowledge of nutrition and are interested in evaluating nutrition information