Assessing Need and Interest
Assessing the need for and interest in a garden market is important for initial success and continued popularity. You can also think of this phase as market research for the project. Seeking employee input at key points in the planning process is recommended, especially in this phase.
Preparing for Your Assessment
Before asking employees for input, anticipate as many questions as you can and consider the decisions you will need to make. For example, think about the following questions:
-
Will
a garden market increase employee access to fresh produce? - Are employees interested in the garden market and will they use it?
- Are there convenient places to buy fresh produce on the way to or from work, which may mean that a garden market may not be necessary?
- Is fresh produce available in vending machines or workplace cafeterias and do employees purchase it?
- Do most employees bring prepared foods from home for lunch?
- Are certain locations, days of the week, or times better than others?
- Which names and/or promotional graphics are appealing to employees?
Gathering Employee Input
There are many ways to gather employee input. Some examples are
- Use data from health risk appraisals, employee surveys, or similar tools to learn if employees are eating the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.
- Conduct informal conversations and solicit comments via email to learn if employees are interested in a garden market.
- Use surveys and focus groups to further assess need and interest.
For more information on developing and conducting focus groups, see the following resources:
Next Steps
After you have collected enough information to make decisions about your garden market, get management approval to proceed with your project. Then continue with the planning phase. However, you may need to consider additional employee input as your garden market takes shape.
Garden Market Example Tools
- CDC Garden Market Example
- Focus Group Moderator’s
Guide
(PDF-142k) - Planning Checklist
(PDF-54k)
Other Helpful Information
Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.
* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.
Page last updated: May 22, 2007
Content Source: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
