Researching Broome County Farmers Markets in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The value of farmers markets has been shown through their contribution to community building by providing consumers with local food and giving farmers direct access to consumers. The direct connection between farmers and consumers can only be found at places like farmers markets. Having values such as the interaction between farmers and consumers and supporting locally grown food makes farmers markets important to their communities. However, the impact of farmers markets in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic is unclear. By conducting interviews with people closely involved in farmers markets, I aim to find out how farmers markets in the Broome County area have been affected. These interviews will consist of questions targeting the atmosphere of farmers markets before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through interviews with public officials, vendors, and market organizers I aim to collect views on the markets from people involved before and during the pandemic to analyze its effects. Findings could range from a noticeable decrease of people involved with farmers markets around the time the pandemic began to continued or increased involvement in farmers markets. Reasons why consumers and vendors felt safe or unsafe at farmers markets, as well as if they felt motivated to attend or not, will be explored to better understand the place of farmers markets in the community and how direct connections have either been valued or discontinued as a result of the pandemic.https://orb.binghamton.edu/research_days_posters_2021/1021/thumbnail.jp