“The metrics that [our market] received from FM360 have been useful in our marketing efforts. It was great to have trained people at the market who were dedicated to surveying the shoppers. In all of the surveys, there were questions that I didn’t think to ask, and they turned out to be very helpful!”
— FM360 participating market manager
FM360 is a collaborative metrics service for farmers markets that was developed through a partnership between market advocates, market managers, and researchers from the University of Minnesota.
The goals of FM360 are:
1. To provide farmers market managers with the metrics they need to make more informed decisions for their markets to succeed.
2. To provide market advocates with metrics to better articulate the value of farmers markets, and the value of small and medium-sized farms, to Minnesota’s food system.
FM360 is unique in that it captures data from every angle of a farmers market using different types of surveys tailored to each of the three dynamic stakeholder groups which make up a market: vendors, customers, and managers. Collecting and analyzing data in a standardized way makes it comparable across markets and more valuable at both the individual market level and aggregate regional levels. The FM360 approach and survey tools have been co-developed with collaborating farmers markets in Minnesota since 2016. Since then, 127 markets have participated in the FM360 metrics service.
Our Team
Hikaru Peterson
FM360 co-founder and Professor of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota
Joseph Nowak
FM360 co-founder and PhD Candidate, University of Minnesota
Seasonal Staff
Our metrics service wouldn’t be possible without the hardworking seasonal staff that assist with on-site data collection at farmers markets every year.