Dr. Jennifer Dennis

Horticultural Marketing

Dr. Jennifer Dennis joined the Purdue Agricultural Economics faculty in June 2004 working in the areas of extension, teaching and research in marketing of specialty crops and consumer behavior. Jennifer has a joint appointment with the Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture and can also be reached in 320 Horticulture or by calling 494-1352. Jennifer teaches an undergraduate class in the Horticulture department entitled “Principles of Marketing and Management for Horticultural Businesses.”

Dr. Dennis has a master’s degree in Horticulture with an emphasis in survey research methods from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she explored target marketing within the Illinois retail nursery and garden center sector. Jennifer completed her Ph.D. work at Michigan State University where she investigated the role of regret and consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction on purchase situations with horticulture products. Her general research interest includes consumer behavior topics such as switching behavior and repeat patronage, consumer perceptions of products, marketing of organic products, and the organization and implementation of consumer awareness programs for Indiana grown fruits and vegetables.

Dennis is also active in the development and delivery of programs through the New Ventures Team.

Starting a Farmers’ Market

Farmers’ markets bring in $1 billion nationally and continue to grow (Shaffer and Cox, 2006). The United States Department of Agriculture lists over 19,000 farmers reporting farmers’ markets as their sole marketing outlet. In 2004, the number of markets in Indiana grew to 77—an increase of 222% within a 10-year period (Wilmont, 2006)...

Food Safety Regulations for Farmers’ Markets
Farmers’ markets have been around for a long time. However, today’s farmers’ markets are more complex than ever. In the past, whole fruits and vegetables were the primary items sold; now, food is processed, cut open to be displayed, and given as samples to entice purchases...

Using the WIC Program:
Guide for Farmers’ Market,
Vendors, and Roadside Stands
The Women, Infants and Children Program, known as WIC, is a program that gives nutrition education and supplemental food to women, infants, and children who have nutritional needs and meet income guidelines...