We’re partnering with the University of Minnesota (UMN) to strengthen the relationship between our institutions and support small- and mid-sized farmers in Minnesota. Our collaboration is creating a more equitable approach for collecting and sharing baseline data on local and regional markets.
Dr. Hikaru Hanawa Peterson, Professor of Applied Economics in the UMN College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources, is the lead researcher on this initiative and works closely with the Project Team and Cooperative Partners to:
- Design the engagement plan and survey instruments to collect baseline data across the local and regional market supply chain.
- Supervise a graduate research assistant who will support research and data collection activities during the first two years of the grant.
We also work with community-based organizations to ensure a meaningful response is gathered across our state and among our diverse producer communities, including Hmong, Latinx, Native American, Somali, and farmers in Plain (e.g., Amish and Mennonite) communities.
Farmers’ Market 360 Metric Project
Dr. Peterson also leads the Farmers' Market 360 Metric Project (FM360), which provides markets with the data they need to make more informed decisions and better communicate their value to the local food system. The FM360 approach and survey tools have been co-developed with collaborating farmers’ markets in Minnesota.
Through the Minnesota Grown program, we’ve partnered with FM360 to help with the cost of their collaborative metrics service. The Farmers’ Market Cost-Share Opportunity is available to markets on a first-come, first-served basis.
