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

Outputs
Target Audience:In year one of this project, ASAP worked with regional partners, farmers market managers, farmers, food hub operators, and grocers to offer Farm Fresh Double SNAP incentives to SNAP benefit recipients in 23 counties of Western North Carolina. A region in the Southern Appalachian Mountains where residents grapple with high rates of poverty, food insecurity, and poor health outcomes, a total of 27 firms participated this year. The program targeted both food insecure community members by expanding their food budgets and the local food economy by diversifying and increasing farmers' customer base and sales. Year one focused on supporting and streamlining existing firms ensuring continuation of services for SNAP customers utilizing the program. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) families in the region are disproportionately likely to participate in SNAP and were included as a target audience for increased access to the incentive benefits. This included expanded Spanish language outreach and communications to better engage Latinx communities. The high number of LGBTQ+ community members in the region were also included as a target population, including representation in market management and diversity, equity, and inclusion training for staff. Project information and promotions disseminated included targeted communities with > 12% SNAP households. Outreach and engagement efforts feature a Network Advisory Council that includes a broad representation of WNC communities, with multiple organizations that represent and/or serve marginalized populations. SNAP recipients with lived experience have also been included as Advisory Council members. ASAP has worked with regional partners Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and MountainWise to effectively transition outreach and promotion efforts using a "community adaptive model" that is responsive to the communities served across the region. Changes/Problems:Challenges in year one included: A delay during the process of obtaining the IRB Low resourced markets required additional technical assistance and support Staff transition across project partners Needed operational adjustments given the varied firms involved and the established priority of implementing a community adaptive model across the region Revisions and improvements in the Smartsheet reporting and tracking process None of the above represents a major change in approach, implementation, or evaluation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Regular regional partner meetings throughout the year were instrumental in crafting collaborative and participatory program development based on previous experiences and best practices. This was conveyed in responsive 1:1 engagement with firms and clear, concise guidance across the region. Implementation references in ASAP's Farmers Market Toolkit and discussions during our annual Farmers Market Summit provided foundational information on SNAP access and incentives. These opportunities provided key partners with the expertise, experience, and insight to craft a regional incentive program that effectively transitions from pre-existing initiatives, is responsive to the needs of communities served, and builds a foundation for sustainable programming moving forward. ASAP, together with our regional partners, monitored implementation, tracking, and reporting. Real time follow-up, support, and guidance addressed issues and challenges as they arose. Every firm received ongoing individualized attention, updates on adjustments needed, and direction for evolving best practices for program implementation. Support staff have received technical assistance related to the implementation of the Smartsheet reporting and tracking platform including operational customization. The improved practices and lessons learned have been seamlessly transferred to regional partners and participating firms. Diversity, equity, and inclusion training was offered to ASAP program staff through professional development consultant Danae Aicher, CultureValue, LLC, and Blue Ridge Pride. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In year one, data, evaluative information, and updates have been shared with regional partners and members of the program's Advisory Council, representing stakeholders, community organizations, and program participants. This included a summary of the S.O.A.R. analysis. We anticipate sharing data and lessons learned with all firms as part of a comprehensive review of the project's initial year. A program overview and summary will be posted and shared with regional partners, firms, and engaged community representatives across the region. ASAP's annual Farmers Market Summit in early 2025 will feature a review of the program in year one and a preview for year two. The Summit will engage managers to discuss results, trends, and projections. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In Year 2 there will be an assessment to identify gaps in firms based on community needs and a plan for network expansion across the region. New firms will be evaluated and onboarded, with a focus on farm stands. Program development will include establishment of a Farmer Working Group to implement the extension of SNAP incentives to farm stands. Development and implementation of a region-wide outreach and promotion plan will build from the individual efforts of regional partners and firms in Year 1 including the creation of a draft "SNAP at Farmers Markets" supplement to ASAP's Farmers Market Toolkit. This resource will be developed with input and assistance from the Advisory Council, regional partners, firm participants, and community organizations and representatives. Ongoing activities during the next reporting period include dissemination of outreach and promotion materials, updating of regionally branded educational materials, expanded outreach to connect with community based public health, nutrition education, farm to school, and Farm Fresh for Health partners. Systems and processes for tracking and reporting data will be reviewed for potential improvements. Programming and implementation will be adjusted based on feedback from Advisory Council, farmers, SNAP recipients, and community partners.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In year one we made significant progress toward accomplishing project goals and objectives through the implementation of a regional network employing a community adaptive model to implement and expand SNAP incentive programs across Western North Carolina (WNC). Objective 1: Through a centralized approach led by the Network Advisory Council, implement Double SNAP incentives for produce designated "Appalachian Grown" to increase access to and consumption of local fruits and vegetables for SNAP participants. ASAP successfully managed the transition from existing smaller scale, varied, and siloed incentive initiatives to an effective regional Double SNAP Network that expanded SNAP incentive benefits across WNC. The success of this transition supported the intended outcomes of increasing food security and consumption of fresh local fruits and vegetables for SNAP participants and supported the sustainability of local farms. Formation of an Advisory Council was a significant activity for the initial phase of the project. Members included regional partners, additional community partners, and representatives from project firms, and SNAP participants. The Council met quarterly with, on average 81% of members attending, and completed a SOAR analysis (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, Results) - a facilitated process designed to create an energizing vision of the future by combining data on how things are currently done with ideas and ambitions of the program's many stakeholders. This element of the project ensured a process through which the varying needs of communities and populations across WNC were identified and addressed. From January to September 2024, $139,919 SNAP dollars were matched through this program. Supporting over 250 local farmers and thousands of local families. The program is unable to track unique users, but calculations based on ASAP's previous program estimate nearly 9,000 households utilized the incentive. Objective 2:Support farmers markets, farm stands, grocery stores, and food hubs to be positive food environments that foster direct connections between farmers and consumers, increasing engagement in the local food system A key component of developing out the Regional Double SNAP Network has been the attention given to balancing the efficiencies of a centralized approach with the benefits of implementing an innovative "community adaptive model" that met the unique needs of each firm and community served. To do this, project partners centralized technical assistance, outreach and promotion efforts, and data tracking and management as much as possible, while allowing for flexibility across firms and communities. Project partners, with support from the Advisory Council, solidified a Data Tracking/Reporting Plan. This assured an effective collaboration with network partners and a seamless continuity of service for program participants and was a significant accomplishment of the program's first year. Support of farmers markets, farm stands, grocery stores, and food hubs included providing participating firms with training and connection to resources around incentive model issuance and the redemption process, allowable foods, and available education and community resources. Increasing capacity to implement and operate SNAP in year one was focused on systems, tools, and assistance based on existing needs and assets, as well as onboarding them with operations and data tracking/reporting systems. 27 Network firms received focused 1:1 technical assistance, training, and follow-up support from ASAP and regional partners Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and MountainWise. This included a baseline assessment interview conducted with firms to identify existing systems and processes as well to identify need for tools, training, or technical assistance. 42 farmers market managers participating in ASAP's annual Farmers Market Summit. As a result, all firms have greater capacity to implement and operate SNAP and Double SNAP programs. All 27 firms are utilizing new data collection, tracking, and reporting systems, which have been fine tuned and serve as a model for incentive program management. Objective 3:Develop and implement a regional outreach and promotion plan to increase community members' awareness of the local food system, bolster program participation, and contribute to long-lasting positive behavior changes regarding healthy eating across WNC. Developing and implementing a regional outreach and promotions plan in year one focused on framing a comprehensive Outreach and Promotion Plan for the regional network while building out existing promotions, outreach efforts, and branding to be inclusive of target audiences and leverage community based connections. Educational and promotional materials featured Appalachian Grown as a trusted and recognized regional branding for local farm products across the region. Regional partners and participating firms engaged with their communities, generated and distributed promotional materials, and conducted cooking demos, promotional events, and engagement activities based on their needs. Materials included an explanation of Double SNAP and how it works, lists of locations and hours of firms, guidelines for how recipients can participate, and contact info for any questions. Regional efforts included information provided in ASAP's Local Food Guide (70,000 copies), updated SNAP rack cards, seasonal recipes, signage, social media posts, and online promotion. Many of these materials were developed in both English and Spanish. These elements serve as the foundation for an evolving regional plan to increase knowledge and demand for local fruits and vegetables as well as where to purchase them across the region. A program participant survey was shared electronically with participants through newsletters, social media, and with QR codes at markets and stores and asked several questions about the impact of the program on their lives. Within two months, 93 surveys were completed. 94% of respondents shared that participation in the program increased their consumption of local fruits and vegetables and 85% shared in increased their food security. 87% reported that because of the program, they had greater knowledge about local fruits and vegetables, such as where their food is grown, where they can purchase local food, new fruits or vegetables, new recipes, or health benefits of fruits and vegetables. The program also had ripple effects towards building the local food community. 74% reported sharing information with family, friends, or coworkers about local food and farms and 72% reported feeling more connected to local farmers and the local food community. One participant shared, "One participant shared, "I think buying local meat/produce tends to feel like a luxury and when you're on food stamps, you really feel like you have to stretch your dollars. The double up bucks program makes buying local feel more accessible because it makes the cost more comparable to chain grocery stores. Being able to buy our produce at the farmers market with our EBT funds has 1. Given us opportunities for an outing with our kids and gets them excited about picking out healthy food with us, 2. Has made us feel more connected with our community (especially seeing and connecting with people in person at the farmers market), and 3. Has offered a sense of dignity while shopping with food stamps - there's not just no judgment, but encouragement to double up to use food stamps locally.

Publications