This report presents the findings of the formative research undertaken to understand the current operations of nine farmers markets purposely selected by FNS to capture geography, market size, urban city, and variation in participation in nutrition assistance programs.

The diets of most Americans fall short of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This exploratory analysis examines dietary patterns of low-income individuals classified as healthy and less healthy eaters based on their score on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2005. The HEI-2005 is a 100-point score that measures how well populations adhere to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.