How do residents perceive local food system activity? Perspectives of system performance and awareness using the local food vitality survey

Local food systems are complex sets of relationships between farmers, residents, market venues, intermediating institutions, social values, and agricultural landscapes. They are also, by definition, locally unique. How might advocates of local food systems (LFSs) evaluate the complicated expectations, hopes, and perceptions of those who reside within these systems? In this manuscript, we demonstrate a generalizable survey approach that involves collecting residential perspectives to understand food system performance. We use survey responses from 13 diversely sized and structured communities in the Southeastern United States to understand residents’ 1) awareness of and 2) performance evaluations for 21 different aspects of their local food systems. We use probit and ordered probit models, respectively, to conceptualize how different place-based demographic and geographic characteristics impact these perceptions. By bringing consumer perspectives into view, LFS development personnel and other stakeholders may better understand where their residents place value within their unique systems.