MIFMA - How to Collect, Store, Aggregate, and Analyze Vendor Attendance Data

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Skyler

Guidance for measuring Michigan Farmers Market Association vendor attendance, including methods to collect simple daily vendor counts or richer per-vendor attendance records. The document explains how to prepare for data collection using paper charts or online Google Forms, then record attendance during each market day. It covers transferring paper logs into electronic Excel/Google spreadsheets, aggregating totals and averages at season end, and analyzing trends to support market goals. It also recommends presenting findings through reports, using MIFMA templates.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

How to Collect Your Data

Determine what data to collect

Prepare for data collection

Record your data

How to Store, Aggregate, and Analyze Your Data

Store your data

Aggregate your data

Analyze the data

How to Present Your Findings

Report your findings

MEASURING MICHIGAN FARMERS MARKETS VENDOR ATTENDANCE M I C H I G A N FARMERS MARKET A S S O C I A T I O N HOW TO COLLECT YOUR DATA 1. Determine what data to collect Vendor attendance can be collected by simply recording the total number of vendors in attendance each market day or for a richer set of data, an attendance record for each vendor can be collected. If your market has the capacity, collecting the attendance record for each vendor is recommended as this will better allow you to analyze your market’s product diversity over the season. For example, you can calculate the average number of vendors per product category per day if you have an attendance record for each vendor. Vendor attendance can also aid in tracking vendor booth fees, serve as evidence in discussions with a vendor violating the market’s attendance policy, or provide a record of who was onsite on any given date should an issue arise post-market day. If your market would like to go beyond the vendor’s primary product category to analyze your market’s product diversity, then it is recommended to utilize a product tally checklist to track every product for sale by each vendor at your market. For example, use a product tally checklist to report the average number of SNAP-eligible products for sale or the average number of fruit and vegetable types for sale. It is most likely not feasible to record this level of detailed information each market day. Therefore, it is recommended to collect this level of product data only 2 – 4 times throughout the season and take the average and/or report for key periods of the year like spring, summer, fall, and winter. The Bath Farmers Market has a Product Record Form and the Farmers Market Coalition has a SNAP Eligible Goods How to Guide and Checklist to serve as an examples of how this type of data can be collected and analyzed. WELCOME 2. Prepare for data collection Decide how you are going to record your data at the market. If you are tracking attendance for each vendor, an attendance chart can easily be created using a row for each vendor accepted to the market and a column for each market day. This chart can be printed and used to collect your data each market day. | Great Apple Farm
| | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Vendor Name Market Day 1 6/1/23 Market Day 2 Market Day 3 Market Day 4 Market Day 5 Alternatively, an online Google Form can be used that you (or a volunteer or staff member) can complete each market day from any smartphone or tablet at the market. The Google Form responses will then automatically be entered into a Google spreadsheet eliminating the need to enter your data electronically after the market. Vendor attendance can also easily be recorded as part of your daily Market Day Report. 3. Record your data! During each market day, take a few minutes to record the information you’ve decided to collect. HOW TO STORE, AGGREGATE, AND ANALYZE YOUR DATA Store your data If you used paper to collect vendor attendance, we recommend transitioning the data to an electronic file after each market day as part of your market close-out activities as paper record logs are susceptible to being lost, damaged, or accidentally discarded. An Excel or Google Spreadsheet works well for storing this data. Aggregate your data At the end of the season, aggregate the attendance data by calculating totals, averages, or percentages where appropriate. Some examples of what you may be able to calculate from your vendor attendance data include your average number of vendors per market day and the total number of vendors supported by your market per season. Using an Excel spreadsheet can help make these calculations easier. Examples of these type of calculations are pre-populated in MIFMA’s Data Entry Excel Template. Analyze the data Spend some time analyzing your data in ways that may help info

FAQs

What data should a farmers market collect for vendor attendance?

Vendor attendance can be collected as a total count of vendors each market day, or as a detailed attendance record for each vendor. More detailed records help analyze product diversity and support deeper reporting across the season.

How can markets prepare to collect vendor attendance data at the market?

Markets can create a paper attendance chart with a row for each accepted vendor and a column for each market day. Alternatively, an online Google Form can be completed each market day from a smartphone or tablet, automatically entering results into a spreadsheet.

What steps are recommended after collecting the data to analyze it?

After each market day, transfer paper logs into an electronic file (Excel or Google Spreadsheet). At the end of the season, aggregate totals, averages, or percentages, then analyze trends such as changes in vendor counts, product category alignment, and SNAP-eligible goods availability.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Skyler