Intensity of Adoption of Direct Marketing Strategies Among Fruit and Vegetable Farmers in Tennessee

Consumer interest in fresher foods has increased over the past few years and has stimulated the growth of direct-to-consumer outlets. Tennessee currently hosts many types of direct food outlets, including farmer markets, CSAs, roadside stands, and pick-your-own operations. Using data from a 2011 survey of Tennessee fruit and vegetable producers, factors associated with the percentage of sales fruit and vegetable producers make through direct-to-consumer outlets or intensity of adoption of direct-to-consumer marketing strategies are evaluated using fractional logit and logit regressions. Findings suggest that the percentage of sales a producer makes through direct-to-consumer outlets is associated with farmer age, the use of published University/Extension materials about marketing strategies, percentage of income from farming, and the ability to access other market outlets, such as wholesale and retail, through food hub organizations. These results should be of interest to University/Extension personnel and state agencies attempting to increase producer income by promoting direct-to-consumer marketing strategies.