Filling in the Food Security Gaps: Examining The Farmers\u27 Market System in Norwalk, Connecticut

Farmers’ markets are seen as important venues for increasing access to nutritious food and mitigating chronic diseases. The 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment found chronic disease/obesity to be the primary health priority for the Greater Norwalk Region. In Norwalk, the prevalence of adult obesity reported in 2017 (22%) was significantly higher than the surrounding towns (11%). Farmers’ markets (FM) could be a potential approach to mitigating Norwalk’s chronic disease/obesity challenges through increasing access to nutritious food sources. While there are several small farmers’ markets held each summer in Norwalk, not much is known about the benefits and challenges of farmers’ market utilization in Norwalk from the perspectives of key stakeholders. The Norwalk Health Department hopes to increase farmers’ market usage as an approach to filling important food security gaps. The objectives of this study were as follows: Identify barriers and benefits of the Norwalk farmers’ market system from the perspective of consumers, farmers, and market managers in the Norwalk farmers’ market system, and increase community access to local, state, and federal resources.https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysph_pbchrr/1021/thumbnail.jp