Source: COMMUNITY SERVICE COUNCIL OF GREATER TULSA submitted to NRP
DOUBLE UP OKLAHOMA
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1009417
Grant No.
2016-70025-25239
Cumulative Award Amt.
$481,191.00
Proposal No.
2016-02327
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
May 15, 2016
Project End Date
May 14, 2019
Grant Year
2016
Program Code
[FIP]- FINI Project
Recipient Organization
COMMUNITY SERVICE COUNCIL OF GREATER TULSA
16 E 16TH ST STE 202
TULSA,OK 74119
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Double Up provides Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries with a one-to-one match to purchase healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Double Up Oklahoma (DUO) isan expansion of the successful incentive program piloted in 2012. DUO engages nine statewide partner farmers' markets and the Cherokee Nation Tribal locations, and SNAP beneficiaries to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by providing incentives at the point of purchase (tokens); increasing the consumpion of fruits and vegetables; and improve the livelihoods of local farmers adn sell that produce at local markets. The intent is to increase the SNAP transactions at farmers' markets in fruit and vegetables from a baseline of 43,000 to 90,000 per year.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
70460991010100%
Knowledge Area
704 - Nutrition and Hunger in the Population;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
1010 - Nutrition and metabolism;
Goals / Objectives
1. To increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP recipients at partner markets by providing incentives at the point of purchase2. To increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables by SNAP recipients who shop at partner markets.3. To improve the livelihoods of local farmers who grow specialty crops in Oklahoma and sell that produce at local markets.
Project Methods
Karen Gray, PhD, and Ric Munoz, JD, MSW of University of Oklahoma Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work (AHZSSW) will provide the evaluation design and work with FINI national evaluators by providing data as prescribed (R&R Personnel). The DUO project includes a comprehensive evaluation plan to determine success in meeting goals for increasing SNAP participants' purchase and consumption of fruits and vegetables and improving the financial condition of local farmers. Broadly speaking, the evaluation design includes both a process and outcome evaluation to capture the following previously stated goals of the DUO program. The evaluation team will conduct a mixed methods program evaluation to capture data on both 1) the process of implementing the program and 2) the desired outcomes of increased fruit and vegetable purchases and consumption of SNAP participants and financial stability for local famers. Each of the two dimensions of the evaluation is described below. Process Evaluation. The process evaluation component will gather information about how successfully the strategies of DUO are implemented as planned. Evaluators will document the process, challenges, and success of implementation and operations by working with the program managers and individual markets to supply data that capture stakeholders' perspectives on the program development and implementation process. The goal is to collect descriptive data of how administrators developed and implemented project activities. The process evaluation will be mixed methods, including both qualitative and quantitative data collection efforts. The process evaluation will:document the process, challenges, and success of implementation and operations;track and account for the use of FINI funding and pledged in-kind contributions;explain market oversight of individual vendors;explain the management and organizational structure of the markets as well as their months of operation and operating days and hours;explain whether program sites accept other nutrition assistance program benefits;explain whether program sites collaborate with nutrition education programs or offer other experiential nutrition education activities;total all expenses associated with establishment and operations of the program;explain the incentive delivery mechanism; andlist fruit and vegetable products eligible for incentives.Qualitative data collection efforts of the process evaluation will include key informant interviews to capture emergent themes regarding the program development process. The quantitative data will be collected via surveys developed by the evaluators that are circulated to program stakeholders. Evaluators will report data regularly to the project coordinator, and DUO Advisory Board so that program outcomes can be improved.

Progress 05/15/16 to 05/14/19

Outputs
Target Audience:Snap recipients in Oklahoma. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Farmers Markets were brought together monthly for a meeting to network and discuss changes, issues and best practices. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?These results were sent out to community partners and interested markets. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1)This proved to be impossible to measureas defined because there was not a method to keep track of specific products customers purchased with SNAP tokens (ie customers could use SNAP for meat and dairy). Goal 2)Outcome 25% increase in consumption of fruits, and vegetables by SNAP recipients using DUO. SNAP recipients who shopped at a Farmers Market reported statistically significant highter levels of vegetable consumptions than SNAP recipients who did not shop at a Farmers Market. SNAP recipients who shopped at a Farmers Market reported higher consumption of fruits, but it was not statistically signnificant. Goal3) In the vendor surveys, produce and non produce vendors reported increase in sales. The three markets using DUO in 2015 saw a 98% increase in SNAP sales the first year of the grant. All markets new to DUO saw a 100% increase in distritutions.

Publications


    Progress 05/15/16 to 05/14/17

    Outputs
    Target Audience:In 2016 we had $203,095 total--- $117,241 in SNAP sales (6964 transactions) and $85,854 in Double Up (DU) sales (6794 transactions). We had 1429 new SNAP customers. We had 6 new markets accepting DU. Changes/Problems:1. One market dropped out before starting the program, citing lack of vendors and customers. 2. We have not developed or found technology yet. At a conference in Denver, we learned that this is a common problem. 3. Although we were informed in June, 2016 that we were awarded the grant, we didn't actually receive any funds from USDA until xxx. By that time, most of the markets had been open several months. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?1. Graduate student learned a great deal about research and submitting papers to conferences. 2. A market manager and the project manager attended a conference in Denver, "Fini Winter Meet Up." How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Local foundations who provided matching funds have been/will be given reports. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are expanding to at least three new markets. We will be sending more postcards to SNAP recipients explaining/reminding of the DUOK program. Tulsa Farmers' Market received private funding to expand their transportation program of bringing customers to the market. We will contact all customers who completed surveys and re-survey them to see if their f&v consumption increased, health improved, etc. We will continue to try to determine the best technology and test it out with 2 markets.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? 1. We reached 1429 new SNAP customers with our incentives, for total revenue of $203,095. The average SNAP + Double Up per transaction was $ 31. 2. From our customer and non-customer surveys: Statistical analysis indicates that the DU group had significantly higher consumption of dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, and "other" vegetables. While a posttest only analysis on nonequivalent groups must always be done with caution, the results of the initial analysis of DUOK participation on F&V consumption are indeed suggestive that DUOK is an effective tool for increasing F&V consumption for SNAP recipients in Oklahoma. 3. At the five new markets to accept DU, there were $70,381 in SNAP and DU sales, which is all new revenue. And 753 new SNAP customers. Two markets did DU in 2015. In 2016 one saw an increase of $61,733 in SNAP and DU sales with 331 new SNAP customers. The other saw an increase of $4153 in SNAP and DU sales with 345 new SNAP customers.

    Publications

    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Under Review Year Published: 2017 Citation: 1. "Expanding a healthy food incentive to SNAP recipients at farmers markets" submitted to the Council on Social Work Education Annual Program Meeting, 2017 (national conference). 2. "Tackling food injustice in Oklahoma" submitted to the Zarrow Mental Health Symposium, 2017 (statewide conference).