Growing Organic Fruits and Vegetables for Local Farmer's Markets

An Organically Grown Vegetables Survey was done in the summer of 2003 at four local farmer’s markets in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The survey was randomly given to customers that purchased produce on the day of the survey. 189 households completed the survey. The survey indicated that 6 out of 7 participants were familiar with the term organic. The survey also noted that 1 in 10 customers desired organic produce and was willing to pay 50% or more than the conventional value for them. The survey also revealed the buyers preferred purchasing produce at the local farmers market by 2 to 1 over the other three fields: u-pick farm, roadside vendors, and supermarket. The organic customer’s profile has a medium household income between $41,000 and $70,000 and between the ages of 36 and 55.