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One does not have to read far before realizing that Stephenson’s writing is grounded in many years of experience with farmers’ markets. He visited dozens of farmers’ markets in Oregon and throughout the West. For me, the familiar flavor of this book comes from the pragmatic analyses of market scale, market management, and community interactions, and how these impact market successes and failures. With all the focus on successful markets in the media, we often do not hear about why some markets fail. Stephenson’s chapters about market failures are as instructive as those about what makes markets succeed. Although there are many individual cases, Stephenson is able to reveal some interesting patterns and themes.
Stephenson has taken great pains to include a diverse advisory committee in the design and analysis of his research, both for the new ideas they offer and to make sure his conclusions are grounded in reality. In this participatory methodology, market participants and researchers worked together to synthesize findings and discuss new ideas that emerged. This participatory framework is woven throughout the book and contributes to the pragmatic, realistic themes and conclusions.
The work behind this book represents some of the best public scholarship as defined by Scott Peters (Peters, Jordan, Adamek, & Alter, 2005). Stephenson’s practical, participatory, research-based work on farmers’ markets fits Scott Peters’ (2005) description of public scholarship perfectly—“creative, intellectual work that is conducted in public, with and for particular groups of citizens. Its results are communicated to, and validated by, peers, including but not limited to peers in scholars’ academic fields. Scholars…advance the academy’s teaching and research mission in ways that hold both academic and public value” (p. 14).
As Peters says, one of the principal differences between public scholars and public intellectuals is that the former work with various publics and the latter work on behalf of the publics they study. The notion of a “public scholar” complements one of the tenets of a sustainable food system—that community residents participate actively in its design and implementation (UC SAREP, n.d.). Farmers’ markets are indeed one of the tangible hallmarks of a sustainable food system in many communities.