This paper analyses factors affecting the likelihood of farmers to participate in short supply chains to market their products. While in literature participation in farmers markets is often emphasised as a re-action to mainstream production strategies, mainly imposed by large retailer, relatively little attention has been given to whether short channel mechanisms and location- related features induce selection for specific typologies of farms and farmers. Our results indicate that more attention needs to be given by both researchers and practitioners to the complexity of factors leading farmers to participate in short supply chains.