Many consumers went to their local farmers markets. Many commented on how they enjoyed the community aspect of these farmers markets, and the interactions they had with other consumers and the farmers.

People spoke of the farmers market as being more of an enjoyable “event” for the community than a place to transact business. C8 said that a trip to the farmers market “feels like more of an outing than anything else... a lot of times it’s a much more pleasant environment for shopping than going into a store….more festive and generally relaxed atmosphere.” C6 said that it “feels like you have a community inside a city when you go to a farmer's market.” C4 said that she socialized all the time at farmers markets: “I just shoot the breeze with people. I am just talking with people, interacting with people the whole day.”

Some consumers said that they spoke to other consumers while at the farmers market. These conversations tended to be centered around how to cook certain vegetables, which stand they got a particular item, or conversations around food in general. C6 said “sometimes I chat it up with people about vegetables,” and C7 said that sometimes he would ask other customers how to cook something that he would see in their basket.

Some people mentioned the phenomenon of “eavesdropping” as a way conversations started at the market. For example, C4 detailed times when he was at the farmers market when two consumers started talking about a certain vegetable within hearing distance of others, and others started to jump in and say things like “oh really?” and give advice. C10 also had a similar story involving apples. She said that there were people behind her in line talking about whether or not the apples that were wrinkly were still good. She said that she turned around and told them that they were. This resulted in a conversation around the cooking and eating of these particular apples.

Our consumers also would sometimes interact with the farmers at the stands. C4 said that she had specific vendors that were her favorite and in fact cared so much about who she bought from because she couldn't “separate the quality of the food from the people selling it.” C7 mentioned speaking to farmers and asking them questions about vegetables that he didn't recognize, what produce they preferred to eat, and whether or not certain vegetables were “fresh” and “new crops.” C5 and C11 also mentioned asking farmers for recommendations, C11 told a story about asking a rancher if he had bacon, and the farmer answering “I have this bacon and its the best bacon you'll ever have.” C11 bought the bacon, and, after eating it, realized that it really was the best bacon he'd eaten