Increasing purchases of locally grown produce through worksite sales: An ecological model

The purpose of this study was to test an ecological model designed to ident ify social and environmental factors that encourage local produce buying. P re- and postintervention surveys in June and September 1997 measured local produce purchasing and factors identified by the model. At three mid-sized worksites in a rural Maine community, the response rate was 68% (135 employ ees) preintervention and 61% (124) postintervention. For 6 weeks, workers w ere given the opportunity to Order local produce at work; to see, taste, an d read about the produce; and to see coworkers sample and buy it. Associati ons were examined between increased purchases of locally grown produce outs ide the workplace and ordering at work, proportion of friends who ordered, degree of satisfaction with orders ascribed to coworkers, and degree of sat isfaction with the project ascribed to management. McNemar's test and chi-s quare analyses were the statistical analyses performed. Purchasing locally sown produce at work apparently motivated consumers to purchase local produ ce outside the workplace. Workers' observations of coworker and management participation in and satisfaction with the project were associated with inc reased purchasing outside the workplace. Sales at worksites offer a potenti ally important way to increase purchases of locally grown produce.