Progress 09/15/23 to 09/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Double Up Food Bucks helps to increase food and nutrition security by providing access to affordable healthy food for individuals and families who receive SNAP food assistance benefits. We obtain characteristics of the program's target audience by surveying individuals participating in Double Up Food Bucks at markets and grocery stores. Our most recent evaluation (2023 program year) found that Double Up Food Bucks participants were primarily Black (63 percent) and non-Hispanic White (31 percent), while the percentage of Latinx participants (12 percent) nearly doubled in 2023. Participants are also predominantly female (74 percent), with distribution across age groups. In our 2023 sample, Double Up participants reported experiencing food insecurity at more than four times the rate of the general US population, indicating that the program is successfully serving high-needs households with low food security. Sixty-three percent (63%) of respondents indicated they were food insecure -- an 8% increase over the previous year -- and more than one-third of respondents classified their health status as "fair or poor," more than twice the percentage of Michigan adults from the general population selecting "fair or poor" as their health status. Interviews conducted as part of Double Up's statewide evaluation show progress is being made toward the long-term health and wealth of Double Up's target population, particularly related to changes in purchasing and consumption of healthy food. The majority ofsurvey respondents (68%) reported a high level of engagement with Double Up, including earning and spending Double Up across multiple sites and incentive types.More than half (55%) of current participants reported using Double Up almost every time they shop. Shoppers reported corresponding benefits of regular program usage, including weight loss, improved management of chronic disease, and overall improved health. Shoppers also reported that using the program decreased financial stress, increased enthusiasm for cooking, and helped encourage their children to choose and eat healthier foods. Changes/Problems: As outlined above, we are making good progress on our objectives and are pleased with the overall impact of the Double Up program in this last reporting period, in which Double Up participants spent $11,671,467 on fruits and vegetables and participating grocers purchased more than $1.4 million of Michigan produce. While we are achieving a significant impact on the nutrition security of Michigan families and contributing to Michigan's local food economy, we have more to do in terms of the more "micro" objectives outlined below that support these greater goals. For Objective One (Streamline and improve program experience by decreasing friction and stigma at participating sites) we have more sites to bring into the Champion program, and we realize that bringing new technology to farm direct sites takes time and dedicated capacity. We are working with our site partners to spread the word about the success of the Champion program (to encourage participation) and with our technology provider to improve the experience for farm direct markets and their vendors. While time-consuming, these efforts are very worthwhile for winning over skeptical and/or reluctant partners. Objective Two (Reduce barriers to Double Up implementation and participation by deepening community connections statewide) has two activities that are taking longer than anticipated. We have successfully onboarded staff dedicated to our community partnerships, and as such have successfully begun reciprocal referral relationships with several new organizations. However, the development of a community resource guide and the launching of a resource newsfeed on our Double Up app are taking longer than anticipated. We require more time to ensure what we develop is well-aligned with participant needs while not duplicating existing community resources. Objective Three (Maximize impact on Michigan families, farmers, and food retailers) has reflected significant success. Remaining activities include finalization of the retailer rubric and launching of our evaluation of food waste reduction associated with Double Up. Both of these activities are well underway, and both have proven to be more complicated undertakings than we anticipated! For example, we have found that there are many characteristics of partner sites that matter a great deal (reporting compliance, program championing, experience of shoppers, produce quality and price, location and availability of the Double Up incentive in that community, sourcing practices, and many others). So, we are working to narrow the characteristics to those that matter most to participants in Double Up and our intended impact. Relatedly, developing a good understanding of produce shrinkage tracking and data, establishing measures, and obtaining data from participating stores has taken time. We have successfully received data from partners, and are now on the path of evaluating these data. It's good progress on the food waste evaluation activity, and requires some additional time for our evaluation partners to implement. We are excited about our progress, however, and feel confident that we will achieve each of our goals. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The following is a list of in-person training and professional development events the Double Up team has attended in this reporting period: 09/12/23 Storytime at Peaches n Greens (hosted by Great Start Wayne Co.+ PnG) 09/14/23 UofM Dearborn Student Resource Fair 09/22/23 Michigan Brain Injury Conference (DUFB table) 09/30/23 Men's Health Fair (Detroit Ford Field) 10/05/23 PACE & Peaches n Greens (table with their mobile market) 10/06/23 Sign-Up Event at Royal Fresh (Flint) 10/07/23 Brightmoor FAM Harvestfest 10/14/23 Project Healthy Community - Fall Family Fun Day (Detroit NW Activities Center) 12/06/23 PACE & Peaches n Greens Outreach 12/07/23 Technical Assistance at Linwood Fresh 12/08/23 Technical Assistance at E&L Supermercado 02/23/24 Community Partner, Community Health Fair at Center Line Prep 03/14/24 Community Partner, Great Start Literacy Fest 03/26/24 Community Partner, Clement Gardens 03/30/24 DUFB Site, Flint Farmers Market - Soups & Stories 04/13/24 Community Partner, Keep Growing Detroit 04/20/24 Community Partner, Congress of Communities Spring Resource Fair 04/26/24 Community Partner, ACCESS Family Resource Hub 05/01/24 DUFB Site, Detroit People's Food Coop Opening Day 05/04/24 DUFB Site, Ypsilanti Farmers Market Opening Day 06/01/24 DUFB Site, Pittsfield Farmers Market Opening Day 06/14/24 DUFB Site, Fulton Street Farmers Market 06/15/24 DUFB Site, Eastern Market 06/15/24 DUFB Site, Flint Farmers Market 06/22/24 Community Partner, Mott Flint Fest 06/24/24 Rural Grocer Convening, Montgomery, AL 07/12/24 Community Partner, Deaborn Summer Market (with Eastern Market) 08/02/24 Community Partner, Sloan's Museum of Discovery 08/10/24 Community Partner, Hurley Food FARMacy 08/14/24 DUFB Site, Be My Neighbor Day at Eastern Market 08/31/24 Community Partner, LIVE Wellness Event How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Fair Food Network is always seeking opportunities to share our experiences, to exchange information with national practitioners, and to disseminate lessons learned. We share our annual report on the Fair Food Network website, in addition to sharing it directly with established partners. The report illustrates the impact Double Up programs are having on community health, wealth, and resilience nationwide, and includes detailed program statistics for 2023, as well as spotlights on specific geographies, reports on program and policy developments, and plans for the future. Key media coverage that highlighted Double Up Food Bucks over the last year included the following: July 26, 2024, State of Michigan, MDARD Hosts Roundtable to Develop New Farm to Family Program Under Governor Whitmer July 16, 2024, Mix 95.7 West Michigan, How Michiganders Can Get the Most Bang For their EBT/SNAP Buck June 20, 2024, Detroit Free Press (reach 5.02 million), Where to find food pantries, free lunches while school is out in metro Detroit June 20, 2024, Bridge Detroit (reach 105K), JB's Bites: Free produce June 14, 2024, WXMI FOX17 (reach 12.56K), Eating healthy made easy: The Double Up Food Bucks program could help your family get fresh food June 14, 2024, WKAR Public Media (29.61K), Double Up Food Bucks Program celebrates access to healthy food in Michigan since 2009 June 14, 2024, MLive (reach 8.28 million), Michigan nonprofit helping families afford fresh fruits and veggies June 13, 2024, WKTV Journal (reach 3.99K), Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Farmers Market runs Friday, June 14 through Oct. 11; Meet new Manager Yeli Romero June 12, 2024, WEYI/Mid-Michigan Now (reach 58.47K), Double Up Food Bucks Program doubles fresh produce for Michigan families June 12, 2024, Up North Live ABC (reach 399.82K), Grocery stores and farmer's markets partake in Double Up Food Bucks program June 11, 2024, WNEM CBS (reach 10.45K), Michiganders and farmers benefiting from SNAP programs June 11, 2024, WILX10 (reach 572.24K), Michiganders and farmers benefiting from SNAP programs June 10, 2024, The Detroit News (reach 3.26 million), Krauss: Boost support for Double Up Food Bucks program June 10, 2024, ABC 12 News (reach 15.83K), Fair Food Network has their first ever Double Up Food Bucks awareness week June 10, 2024, WWJ (reach 170.4 K, estimated 21 airings on June 10) and across 51 stations throughout Michigan that are part of the Michigan News Network June 7, 2024, The Flint Courier News, Improving access to healthy, affordable food in Michigan: Fair Food Network celebrates 15 Years of Its Double Up Food Bucks Program June 6, 2024, Outlier Media, Where to find fresh produce at Detroit framers markets this summer June 5, 2024, The Oakland Press, Farmers markets are cropping up in Oakland County June 4, 2024, Now Kalamazoo,Kalamazoo Farmers Market Weekday Mini Markets June 3, 2024, Upper Michigan,Bang for your buck: learn the basics of smart shopping at a Senior Support Series event this Wednesday May 31, 2024, Detroit Free Press,50 farmers markets highlight local shopping across southeast Michigan May 29, 2024, White Lake Beacon,Montague Farmers Market offers Double Up Food Bucks program May 20, 2024, WoodTV.com,Food assistance accepted at Fulton Street Market May 17, 2024, Keewenaw Report,Houghton Kicking Off Farmer's Market Season With A Local Focus May 13, 2024, Wood Radio 106.9FM/1300AM,Holland Farmers Market to open for season Wednesday April 30, 2024, Upper Michigan Source, From The Ground Up Farmers Market Collective reminds community to utilize 'food bucks' program April 22, 2024, Bridge Michigan (reach of 7.8 million), Opinion, Farm bill imagines a sustainable, equitable, healthy food system January 17, 2024, Planet Detroit, Opinion, Why you should care about the 2024 farm bill November 21, 2023, Michigan State Democrats, Michigan Senate Democrats Celebrate Thanksgiving with a Look Back on Legislative and Budget Wins for Food Security in 2023 November 9, 2023, Planet Detroit, Double Up Food Bucks helps Detroit senior access fresh food October 17, 2023, The Washington Post (reach of 82.5 million), Opinion, Five reforms to reorient SNAP toward nutrition and health October 4, 2023, Detroit Free Press, Michigan families can once again get $20-a-day match for produce purchases In the coming year, we will continue to rely on strategies similar to those shared above -- attending the annual convening, smaller events, press outreach and conversations with reporters, and our annual report. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the upcoming program year, we will work to streamline program experience, reduce barriers to implementation and participation, deepen community connections, and maximize the impact of the Double Up program on Michigan's families, farmers, and food retailers. In pursuit of this overarching goal, we will engage in the following activities in 2025: Incentives + Local Sourcing Provide $650,000 incentives through farm direct markets Provide $5,200,000 incentives through grocery stores Document an average of 20% of produce purchased by participating grocers is locally sourced between July and November Develop a clear vision for the evolution of the local sourcing pilot project in grocery over the next 2 years Expand local sourcing pilot project to one new geography and at least 3 new stores Program Expansion Target intentional expansion in up to 15 new locations while remaining within the incentive budget. Initial key counties for targeted expansion include: Ingham Genesee Macomb Oakland Ogemaw Otsego Community + Site Engagement Ensure 95% reporting compliance for all sites Conduct at least one site visit at every Double Up grocery store in Michigan Conduct at least one site visit at every Double Up farm direct site in Southeast Michigan and Flint Conduct at least one site visit at a minimum of 35 Double Up farm direct sites outside of Southeast Michigan and Flint (including meeting with onsite staff and completing site visit rubric) Expand farm direct reimbursement pilot to include 5-10 additional sites Create a Site Management Process that uses data from site visits, hotline, reporting, contracting, inventory management, email, and other relevant inputs to monitor and support program integrity Increase team-wide adoption of program management tools like Salesforce and the site visit rubric Develop site dashboard to support collaboration and site visit coordination Work with outreach team to develop system for tracking impact of events (i.e., outreach to participants, outreach to other community partners, # of sign-ups, new potential partners, etc.) to determine relevance for future years Revise internal tools and processes such as: site visit rubric, hotline procedures, site audit process, farmers market contracting and closeout process, inventory management (e.g., technology equipment, communications materials, and giveaways) Double Up Champions + Community Partners Establish or strengthen relationships with 2-3 community organizations (e.g., WIC, SNAP-ED, MI Fitness Foundation, MDHHS, Community Health Workers) in the public health space to increase awareness of Double Up and identify opportunities to collaborate Establish or strengthen relationships with 2-3 organizations in the Michigan food systems space to increase awareness of Double Up and identify opportunities to collaborate Collaborate with Communications Department to implement 2025 Double Up Food Bucks Awareness Week Implement the Double Up Champion program at Flint Farmers Market, increasing spending at the market by at least 25% Implement the Double Up Champion programcity-wide at grocery stores in Flint Technology Successfully rollout Text for Balance feature of Double Up app in partnership with EpicTechnologies In partnership with Epic, improve user experience for participants using the Double Up Card and app Develop clear SOP for when it makes sense to expand/offer sites the ability to use the Double Up card in key geographies Development of 2-year plan for the future of Double Up technology Program Evaluation Work with UM PEG and grocers to understand how participation in Double Up might change food waste by impacting the total amount of produce shrink, frequency of produce orders, amount of local sourcing, and others TBD Pilot new NTAE core metrics

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? There are currently 238 locations in Michigan offering Double Up Food Bucks, with Double Up locations in 68 of Michigan's 82 counties. Ninety-seven percent of Michigan residents live in a county offering Double Up. Total earning and spending at all Michigan Double Up locations in this period equaled $11,671,467. The estimated number of individuals served was 363,365, or approximately 27% of Michigan's SNAP population of 1.365 million. Fair Food Network leveraged its expertise and deeply engaged participant and partner network to conduct the following activities in this interim reporting period. Objective 1: Streamline and improve program experience by decreasing friction and stigma at participating sites. Tailor engagement approach. To improve overall program experience in underperforming communities, we recruited interested owners and managers to customize our engagement approach at 6 grocery locations and 5 farm direct sites. These 11 sites represented 9 different counties (Calhoun, Genesee, Gogebic, Isabella, Kalkaska, Lenawee, Monroe, St. Clair, and Wayne) in both rural and urban locations across Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Expand Double Up Champions program. In addition to these tailored interventions, we have made sign-up events at all new Double Up sites part of our statewide programming. Sign-up events are an opportunity to train staff, distribute program materials, and promote Double Up. Partners and participants regularly tell us front-line retailer staff are crucial to their experience with Double Up. In response, we expanded the Double Up Champions program to 6 new sites (3 in Detroit, 3 in new geographies in Macomb, Wayne, and Isabella Counties). The Champions program pairs sign-up events with cashier competitions in which cashiers compete for prizes to increase program enrollment and spending. We implemented an abridged version of the Champions program at 2 new Ingham County locations, offering cashiers prizes for answering questions demonstrating their knowledge and understanding of Double Up. Cashiers at one Ingham County location signed up 129 new Double Up users in October 2024 -- more than four times the site's monthly sign-up average! Produce box ordering. We have worked with our technology vendor, Epic Technologies, to update the Fresh Incentives app with a feature that will allow participants to order fruits and vegetables up to one week ahead of time and pay with EBT or Double Up at in-person pickup. Objective 2: Reduce barriers to Double Up implementation and participation by deepening community connections statewide. Community Engagement Coordinator. To address barriers to Double Up and identify opportunities to maximize usage we transitioned Jessica Lofton-Williams, former Detroit-area Program Ambassador, to Community Engagement Coordinator. Jessica now coordinates across partners to directly tackle barriers to Double Up while helping partners meet their service goals.In addition to managing service referral and coordination, the Community Engagement Coordinator ensures participant experiences are shared with the program team. New connections + reciprocal referrals. Fair Food Network routinely works with food banks and pantries, senior centers, nutrition educators, healthcare facilities, and community-based organizations to engage directly with participants, promote program uptake, and support site recruitment. As part of this growing body of work, we aimed to identify priority needs among program users and establish connections with supplemental service providers who can meet these needs and act as reciprocal referral partners for Double Up. To this end, Fair Food Network cultivated relationships with 5 new regional partners in 2024. We connected with the Detroit Area Agency on Aging to table at coupon distribution events in Highland Park and Detroit. We assisted Gleaners with two cooking classes, the first of which was co-sponsored by WIC and focused specifically on the nutritional needs of women/mothers. The second included a nutrition coordinator who discussed meal planning and ways to stretch food dollars. We collaborated with the Upper Peninsula Commission for Area Progress (UPCAP) on Double Up program evaluation; this work led to the foundation of a reciprocal referral relationship in which FFN supplies UPCAP with data on food access in the Upper Peninsula and UPCAP refers eligible clients to Double Up. We are also working to establish relationships with Great Start programs, and in 2024 we worked with the Great Start Collaborative - Wayne County to coordinate a sign-up event in Detroit. We also connected with and attended meetings of the Michigan Alliance to Stop Hunger (MASH). Supplemental service newsfeed. To communicate directly with Double Up consumers and increase participant satisfaction with the program, we enhanced the Fresh Incentives app in this reporting period. The app, which we are prepared to pilot at select locations in 2025, supports a robust newsfeed of supplemental services and program updates, as well as a feature for participants to request support and offer real-time program feedback. Objective 3: Maximize impact on Michigan families, farmers, and food retailers Eliminate spending limit + increase earning limit. We continued to prioritize the stabilization and sustainability of the Double Up program after a protracted period of elevated program spending. In addition to pandemic-related demand for nutrition incentives for most of the past five years, increased emergency SNAP benefits during the COVID-19 crisis and periods of record inflation caused Double Up usage in Michigan to more than double between 2019 and 2023. To modulate program spending, we instituted a temporary pause on grocery store earning (August 2022-January 2023), as well as a daily spending limit and a reduced daily earning limit from January-September 2023. In October 2023, upon receipt of this most recent GusNIP award, Fair Food Network eliminated the incentive spending limit and raised the earning limit to its pre-pandemic level of $20/day. Alongside this change, we made a concerted effort to re-engage those whose participation may have lagged due to the temporary pause and other program modulations. The Fair Food Network communications team informed participants of recent programmatic changes with direct mailings, in-store signage, and advertisements in strategic locations. Identify key retailer characteristics. In this reporting period, we continued our ongoing survey of grocers and farm direct sites in the Double Up network for compliance with program protocols and reporting requirements. This process is guiding contracting and recruitment of Double Up sites by evaluating such characteristics as sourcing practices, customer satisfaction, Double Up support, community placement, and other qualities named by participants and partners. From this effort, we aim to develop and implement a "good food retailer" rubric for site recruitment going forward. This process is also helping us to evaluate and implement our local sourcing strategy and identify underperforming sites to which we can tailor our engagement approach to improve performance in 2025. Environmental impact measure. Alongside efforts to increase the Double Up program's impact on health and wealth, we are working with an external evaluator to identify potential measures of Double Up's environmental impact. We are currently working with our evaluators and a selection of retailers statewide to understand the impact of Double Up on food waste (i.e., shrink, or in-store produce loss due to spoilage or expiration). We hope to support our hypothesis with data that shows Double Up already positively contributes to environmental protection by keeping more fruits and vegetables out of landfills.

Publications

• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Farmers market training for Michigan market managers: https://fairfoodnetwork.egnyte.com/dl/kzIy9yO1mw
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2024 Citation: Farm stand training for Michigan market managers: https://fairfoodnetwork.egnyte.com/dl/fO9tE35clo
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Record keeping toolkit for Farmers Market Vendors (Large Print Customer Transaction Records, Vendor Redemption and Reimbursement Records, and Vendor Agreements): https://doubleupfoodbucks.org/market-managers-portal/ (password: Asparagus