A Participatory Model for Evaluating a Multilevel Farmers' Market Intervention

Well-designed evaluation is necessary to document the impact of farmers' markets (FMs) on health, economic, and community outcomes. However, the complex nature of FMs poses challenges for evaluation.

Our goal is to describe a participatory, multilevel framework used to evaluate a FM implemented at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in a rural community in the Southeastern United States.

An iterative, collaborative process involving three feedback loops was used to engage community stakeholders in the development, implementation, and utilization of the multilevel evaluation plan.

A participatory approach helped to navigate the complexities of evaluating FMs and promoted stakeholder engagement. The evaluation became a core element of the intervention that informed continuous quality improvement (CQI). The development of strong university- community partnerships facilitated the ongoing use of results.

The evaluation framework presented may be used to promote community engagement and rigor for evaluation of future FMs.