Tusculum College students Ge-Ann Stuart, Christy Starnes, and Holly Arrowood, from left, present findings from a survey conducted of customers of the Downtown Greeneville Farmers Market. The three students and their classmates in a Principles of Marketing class presented their findings and recommendations on Tuesday. (Tusculum College photo)

Tusculum students conduct research for Farmers Market

The Downtown Greeneville Farmers Market can begin planning for next year with information about customer opinions and desires, thanks to a Tusculum College class.

Students in a Principles of Marketing course, taught by Dr. Antonio Bos, spent a Saturday morning a few weeks ago surveying customers as they purchased fresh vegetables, fruit, and baked goods at the market, which provides local farmers a central location to sell fresh produce.

Divided into three groups, the students compiled the results of their survey and began preparing recommendations for promotion of the Farmers Market based on those findings. Each group made presentations of those results and recommendations Tuesday, Oct. 8, to the manager of the Farmers Market and others involved in the effort.

"The presentations were great. They confirmed some of what we have known about the market. It is good to see it on paper," said Sally Causey, executive director of Rural Resources, which along with Main Street: Greeneville, assists the Farmers Market. Farmers can join the market by paying a $5 membership fee and a nominal fee each day they set up, with the funds used to pay for advertising.

The students' survey and recommendations involved such areas as demographics, location, times for the market, the variety of produce and other goods for sale, and methods of promotion. The findings are to be distributed to the farmers who participate in the market and used in planning for the growth of the market, Causey said.

The survey is an example of community-based research, which is driven by needs of the community. Tusculum College received a grant earlier this year to help instructors integrate community-based research into their curricula.