The data in the dashboard below was gathered at 67 farmers' markets in all 11 MFMA regions in late summer 2025. Our survey crew visited the farmers' markets and wrote down prices of all the farm products sold at the market that day. Data was also collected on the market itself, including the number of total vendors, farmer vendors, day temperature and wind conditions.

CHALLENGES

1. Standardizing units. Prices were recorded as is, and pictures taken of the foods in their various containers. The issue arose when for the same produce, prices were charged by the bunch, or pound, or quart container, or oblong tray. Following the volume-to-weight protocol for grains (a bushel of oats weighs (more or less) 32 pounds; a bushel of corn 56 pounds; a bushel of wheat 60 pounds, etc.) we created the same conversion standards for every reported volume and all units were converted to price per pound. 
1. SOLUTION: for 2026 price captures, we created a pictorial guide for farmers to help them convert volume to pounds IF they aren't already weighing all their products.
2. In this pilot, our reporting tool was not robust enough to capture prices for all the varieties of apples, cuts of meats, different containers for maple syrup and honey, value-added farm products like goat milk soap, and all the fiber products. 
1. SOLUTION: for 2026 price captures, the online input tool will have open-ended fields to allow farmers to include all their products.
3. Capturing prices for cottage foods or licensed foods was problematic. This pilot was focused on farm product prices and many produce farmers do make cottage foods with their produce - like canned salsas, tomato juice, jams, jellies. Those products were fairly easy to identify. Where it became tricky was when a cottage food producer or licensed food maker who was not a farmer made foods primarily from product purchased from their area farmers.
1. SOLUTION: still a little hazy.