title: A Participatory Model for Evaluating a Multilevel Farmers' Market Intervention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Well-designed evaluation is necessary to document the impact of farmers' markets (FMs) on health, economic, and community outcomes. However, the complex nature of FMs poses challenges for evaluation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our goal is to describe a participatory, multilevel framework used to evaluate a FM implemented at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in a rural community in the Southeastern United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  An iterative, collaborative process involving three feedback loops was used to engage community stakeholders in the development, implementation, and utilization of the multilevel evaluation plan.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A participatory approach helped to navigate the complexities of evaluating FMs and promoted stakeholder engagement. The evaluation became a core element of the intervention that informed continuous quality improvement (CQI). The development of strong university- community partnerships facilitated the ongoing use of results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The evaluation framework presented may be used to promote community engagement and rigor for evaluation of future FMs.
authors.forename: Kassandra A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Alia
authors.forename: Darcy A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gibson-Haigler
authors.forename: Daniela B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Friedman
mesh_terms: D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005523:Food Supply; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012424:Rural Population; D064876:Safety-net Providers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration; D014675:Vegetables