Social Embeddedness in Farmers'' Market's Management: An Illustration of NCHU Organic Farmers' Market

Abstract

The research taking the NCHU Organic Farmers' Market as the main field of personality participated in farmers' market operation process. By means of in-depth interviews and participant observation, it attempts to understand how to establish and manage the farmers' market, and how to become a platform between producers and consumers. The consequence of improving their agriculture literacy and trust by social embeddedness was examined as well. It is found that to build rules and regulations is the key to stabilize the operation of NCHU Organic Farmers' market. Through regular selling time and fixed place, the continuous participation can be sustained and the mutual confidence can be consolidated. In the context of Farmers' market, both producers and consumers can convey information and feelings to each other. Consumers not only believe farmers' production philosophy and methods and get safely food, but also enhance their own agriculture literacy and trust. Moreover, producers will establish a diversity mode of an agricultural business through farmers' market participation.

本研究以興大有機農夫市集為場域，藉由參與農夫市集經營的過程，並藉由訪談與觀察市集的參與者，了解農夫市集如何建立與運作，並以一個開放的公共領域，讓消費者與生產者透過直接的互動，藉由社會鑲嵌的過程，改變參與者的信任感與農業素養。 研究結果發現興大有機農夫市集得以穩定的發展，立基於學術單位的支持，並且藉由相對健全的制度與規範，讓消費者初步的建立信賴感，同時也讓生產者獲得穩定的銷售通路。透過定點、定時、定期的營運模式，消費者能在互動的過程中，認識並了解生產者，而生產者也能將自己的操作模式與生產理念傳達給消費者了解，並且相關活動的舉辦與參與，親身的感受與接觸農業生產，建立更加穩固的信任關係。 藉由農夫市集創造的消費情境，生產與消費的雙方，能夠更理解彼此傳達的資訊與感受，更能理解農業耕作的過程與缺失。透過這樣的過程，消費者不僅能夠更加相信生產者的經營理念與方式，獲得安全的食物，並加深自己的農業素養與信任感；而生產者更可透過與消費者互動所得到的資訊，加上農夫市集內部的觀摩與學習，突破本身的耕作技術與銷售方式，發展出多樣化的經營型態。