Farmers' Market versus Grocery Store Produce: Results of the Delta Produce Sources Study

Food environments of three farmers' markets and 12 grocery stores located in five Mississippi Delta towns were measured and descriptively compared. Availability, source, quality, and price of 13 fruits and 32 vegetables were measured from June 2019 to March 2020. Availability was lower for farmers' markets than grocery stores (29 vs. 39 items) with 27 (93%) farmers' markets produce sourced locally and four (10%) grocery store produce sourced locally. Prices were higher for farmers' markets than grocery stores with four exceptions. Compared to grocery stores, farmers' markets had less variety and higher prices, but locally sourced produce were more prevalent.