| There is a movement towards strengthening the local food system on Vancouver Island. This work addresses a key component of the local food system: food distribution by local agricultural producers. In particular, it concentrates on farmers' markets, an important aspect of food distribution. The main objectives of this research are: (1) To determine the current production practices, forms of sales, and marketing approaches of producers in the Royal Oak/Saanich area. (2) To ascertain the opinions of these producers regarding a proposed farmers' market in this area. (3) To analyze and synthesize the above findings and to make recommendations.; A qualitative research methodology was used in this research. Data was gathered from semi-structured interviews with nine producers. Grounded theory was used to determine themes from the data. The findings of this study, including recommendations and discussion, provide key information regarding how to strengthen the local food system on Vancouver Island. |
