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DURHAM, N.H. (AP) — A survey of New Hampshire residents shows that they are willing to pay more for locally grown fruits and vegetables, but they may not always know where to find it.
Two hundred people were surveyed for the University of New Hampshire study, which said residents spend about 21 percent of their grocery budget on fresh produce. They're willing to pay more for items such as local green beans and cucumbers, though fewer are willing to pay more for organic green beans and cucumbers.
"We found that the top reasons those surveyed purchase local, fresh produce are concern for healthy eating, quality of the produce, and to support local farms," said John Halstead, professor of environmental and resource economics. "This is true across all age, education, income, and gender levels. The top reasons they purchase organic fresh produce are concerns for healthy eating and reduced pesticide exposure."
The research by the New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station at UNH showed word of mouth was residents' primary source of information on where to buy the produce. Most residents said they still buy fresh produce at grocery stores, not at the farmer's market or directly from farms.
"Receiving information about where to purchase local fresh produce through word of mouth, lack of information as a reason for not purchasing local fresh produce, and the perceived lack of availability of local fresh produce may explain why more people are not using farmers markets and direct from producer sources," Halstead said.
Researchers soon will launch a much larger study including Vermont and Maine to survey thousands of consumers and dozens of farmers about buying locally grown food.
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