In the questionnaire, producers were asked to write in how consumer demand was determined. Answers were sorted by three broad categories – primarily horticultural products, primarily field crops/livestock, and mixed (sales depended on both previous categories). Horticultural producers depend largely on customer feedback as determined by direct contact or sales. Field crop or livestock producers are not as directly linked with consumers and rely more on brokers or information learned from sources other than consumers.
The frequencies of responses submitted by survey respondents follow.
Primarily Horticulture Products
| Previous sales/experience | 15 |
| Survey, observe, listen to customers | 11 |
| Publications/reading | 6 |
| CSA subscriptions | 5 |
| Trial and error | 4 |
| Talk to retail merchants | 2 |
| Response to advertising | 1 |
| Only sell extra after own needs | 1 |
| Can’t meet demand as it is | 1 |
| Talk to greenhouse operator | 1 |
| Client eating habits | 1 |
| Per capita consumption data | 1 |
| OSU consumer preference survey | 1 |
| Create demand with low prices | 1 |
Primarily Field Crop and/or Livestock
| Rely on broker or contract | 10 |
| Customer requests/ask customers | 9 |
| Discussions with other producers | 4 |
| We don’t assess | 4 |
| Read | 2 |
| Call markets | 1 |
| Consumer demand/processor concern | 1 |
| Don’t deal directly with consumers | 1 |
| Long-term agreement | 1 |
| Previous sales | 1 |
| Price | 1 |
| Sell wholesale | 1 |
| Word of mouth | 1 |
Mixed
| Customer requests/ask customers | 5 |
| Previous sales | 3 |
| From broker or contract | 2 |
| Pre-growing season agreement | 1 |
| They call me | 1 |
| Trial and error | 1 |
| Prices | 1 |