Food System Meetings Food System Meetings

Calais Food System Meeting – Audience Polling Results

Session Name: Calais Food System Meeting
Date Created: 4/23/13 6:44:44 PM Active Participants: 21 of 21
Average Score: 0.00% Questions: 19

Results by Question

1.) What is your gender? (Demographic Assignment)

 Responses

Percent Count
Male 30% 6
Female 70% 14
Totals 100% 20
2.) Please tell us your age range (Demographic Assignment)

 Responses

Percent Count
under 25 0% 0
25-35 15.79% 3
36-45 5.26% 1
46-55 26.32% 5
56-65 47.37% 9
over 66 5.26% 1
Totals 100% 19
3.) MAY – OCTOBER: What percentage of your weekly food budget do you estimate that you spend on local food? (Multiple Choice)

 Responses

Percent Count
less than 5% 5% 1
~6-10% 40% 8
11 – 25% 25% 5
26-50% 10% 2
greater than 50% 20% 4
Totals 100% 20
4.) NOVEMBER – APRIL: What percentage of your weekly food budget do you estimate that you spend on local food? (Multiple Choice)

 Responses

Percent Count
less than 5% 50% 10
~6-10% 10% 2
11 – 25% 20% 4
26-50% 10% 2
greater than 50% 10% 2
Totals 100% 20
5.) What is your primary “hat” in attending this meeting about local food (NOTE – you will get a secondary hat too)? (Demographic Assignment)

 Responses

Percent Count
Farmer (w/ off farm sales) 33.33% 7
Fisherman 4.76% 1
Distributor 4.76% 1
Retailer 0% 0
Consumer – household 19.05% 4
Food transformer (processor) 0% 0
Grower – preparing to sell 0% 0
Support system 28.57% 6
Homesteader/Grower 4.76% 1
Consumer – institutional 4.76% 1
Totals 100% 21
6.) What is your secondary “hat” in attending this meeting about local food? (Demographic Assignment)

 Responses

Percent Count
Farmer (w/ off farm sales) 10% 2
Fisherman 0% 0
Distributor 0% 0
Retailer 5% 1
Consumer – household 40% 8
Food transformer (processor) 10% 2
Grower – preparing to sell 0% 0
Support system 20% 4
Homesteader/Grower 15% 3
Consumer – institutional 0% 0
Totals 100% 20
7.) If one of your “hats” is being part of the local food Support System (NOTE – could be your 3rd “hat”), what is your primary supporting role? (Demographic Assignment)

 Responses

Percent Count
Lending 8.33% 1
Education/Research 33.33% 4
Marketing/Trade Association 25% 3
Policy/Legislation 33.33% 4
Totals 100% 12
8.) In what way do you as a consumer participate in the local food system? (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
Buying club 20.31% 13
Community Supported Agriculture 1.56% 1
Farmers market 25% 16
Pre-order 7.81% 5
Direct from producer 21.88% 14
Local products from retailers 23.44% 15
none of the above (yet) 0% 0
Totals 100% 64
9.) Management workshops – Please indicate whether you would attend workshops in the following subject areas (more than one answer OK). (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
Pricing/invoicing 5.88% 2
Financing – credit, grants, loans 2.94% 1
Time management 14.71% 5
Tax issues for farms 11.76% 4
Tools & equipment – sizing, maintenance, choice 5.88% 2
Alternative pest control. 17.65% 6
Markets and marketing 17.65% 6
Distribution networks 23.53% 8
Totals 100% 34
10.) Production workshops – Please indicate whether you would attend workshops in the following subject areas (more than one answer OK). (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
Cranberry and blueberry production 9.68% 3
Poultry production – eggs and meat 12.9% 4
Hoofed animals – dairy and meat 6.45% 2
Vegetable production – field and greenhouse 19.35% 6
Season extension 22.58% 7
Aquaculture 6.45% 2
Fruit tree production 22.58% 7
Enter answer text… 0% 0
Totals 100% 31
11.) Time of year? Please indicate the months when you would participate (more than one answer OK). (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
January 8.82% 3
February 17.65% 6
March 20.59% 7
April 20.59% 7
November 32.35% 11
Enter answer text… 0% 0
Totals 100% 34
12.) Location? Please indicate your preferred location for training (more than one answer OK). (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
Calais 48% 12
Machias 24% 6
Eastport 24% 6
Milbridge 4% 1
Totals 100% 25
13.) Time? Please indicate the best time to attend a workshop (more than one answer OK). (Multiple Choice)

 Responses

Percent Count
Weekday morning 15.79% 3
Weekday afternoon 10.53% 2
Weekday evening 42.11% 8
Saturday 21.05% 4
Sunday afternoon 10.53% 2
Totals 100% 19
14.) Distribution – what distribution issues hinder your growth? (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
Available hubs with storage capacity. 40% 6
Logisitcs and dispatch 26.67% 4
Available truck capacity 20% 3
Insufficient/inefficient back haul loads 0% 0
Others, let’s discuss 13.33% 2
Totals 100% 15
15.) Access to capital – where does this affect you most? (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
Production 25% 3
Distribution 0% 0
Processing 16.67% 2
Marketing 16.67% 2
Infrastructure – buidings, boats, equipment 41.67% 5
Totals 100% 12
16.) Critical mass of growers – how do we support/attract new and/or expanded production? (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
Mentoring program for new farmers 8.33% 1
Producer grant/loan program 33.33% 4
Coordinated County-wide support network. 41.67% 5
Market research 0% 0
Others, let’s discuss. 16.67% 2
Totals 100% 12
17.) Storage – what are the critical issues that hinder expansion? (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
Freezer capacity 31.25% 5
Central food hub facilities 18.75% 3
Dry storage capacity 12.5% 2
Refrigerated storage 31.25% 5
Others – let’s dicuss 6.25% 1
Totals 100% 16
18.) Do you agree that Washington County could benefit from the creation of a County-wide Food Council? (True / False)

 Responses

Percent Count
True 63.64% 7
False 36.36% 4
Totals 100% 11
19.) Feedback – did polling help the discussion? (Multiple Choice – Multiple Response)

 Responses

Percent Count
Useful to see results immediately 10.34% 3
Interested to see full summary from all 5 meetings 44.83% 13
Not useful, got in the way 3.45% 1
Too many questions 6.9% 2
# of questions OK 31.03% 9
Comments? 3.45% 1
Totals 100% 29