Project Name : Farm stops: Understanding a new model for local food distribution

Description : bstractFarm stops are year-round markets that support primarily local farmers and strengthen community-based circular food systems (C-B CFSs). They operate on consignment: the farm stop gives the local producers they work with 70–80% of the retail price, while taking a small percentage to maintain operations. This gives producers a higher price for their goodsandflexibility with their time and product offerings, and enhancescommunity connections.The purpose of this research is to understand how farm stops contribute to devel-oping C-B CFSsthrough strengthening community connections and resilience, asC-B CFSsarelocal and regional food systems that emphasize a com-munity’s health and well-being while minimizing waste and protecting shared natural resources. This project surveyed the customer base of four U.S. farm stops to gauge their perceptions of farm stops’ overall support of a circular economy and of resilience within their communities. Results indi-cate that respondents believe thatfarm stops have a strong presence in the communities they serve, that they help individuals feelthey are contributing to the development of C-B CFSs, and that they increase long-term community resilience by provid-ing reliable, year-round sales outlets for local pro-ducers. This paper also serves as an introduction to a guidebook on how to develop farm stops in any localw.