Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted agribusiness operations nationwide. This study analyzed text data from the websites of 200 farmers markets across the United States using a “Text Mining Analytics” approach. We created word clouds to examine three key aspects of farmers markets: (i) digital marketing strategies adopted in response to the pandemic, (ii) popular products sold, and (iii) market operating days and times. Our findings revealed a notable increase in online presence and identify effective digital promotional strategies, such as the use of Facebook, websites, Instagram, Twitter (now X), and blogs. Additionally, we highlighted the most popular products available at farmers markets, including tomatoes, baked goods, peppers, apples, plants, and lettuce. Furthermore, we found that Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays are favored operating days. This research offers valuable insights for policymakers, market managers, and vendors, aiding them in making informed decisions.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.