Progress 09/15/24 to 09/14/25

Outputs
Target Audience:Target Audiences During this reporting period, the Veggie Van project primarily focused on elementary school students and senior living residents in central North Dakota. These audiences were chosen because they represent two populations with significant barriers to accessing fresh, affordable food. Elementary school students at Will Moore Elementary in Bismarck were included in the pilot. Will Moore serves a very low-income neighborhood, where many families experience food insecurity and limited access to affordable produce. By bringing the Veggie Van directly to the school, we introduced children to fresh, healthy food in a convenient, accessible way. The project also provided recipes and education, reinforcing lifelong healthy eating habits. Senior living residents were selected as another priority audience. Older adults often face mobility challenges and limited food access. By bringing high-quality, affordable produce directly to senior facilities, the Veggie Van helped ensure that seniors--many of whom are on fixed incomes--could access nutritious foods that support overall health and wellbeing. Both groups were reached through on-site pilots in June and July 2025, where the Veggie Van served as both a distribution tool for local producers and a food education resource for participants. Accomplishments The first year of the Veggie Van project demonstrated strong early outcomes and impact: Pilot Launch & Success: The Veggie Van was piloted in June and July 2025 at Will Moore Elementary and several senior living facilities. The pilots were met with enthusiastic participation, confirming the project's relevance and demand. Producer Engagement: To date, 14 individual local producers have been engaged in the project. Many of these producers previously lacked access to wholesale or institutional markets. The Veggie Van created a new sales channel and generated thousands of dollars in direct producer sales during the pilot season. Producer-Led Operations: In addition to supplying products, several producers have expressed interest in driving and operating the Veggie Van. This represents an important milestone toward producer-led ownership and sustainability of the model. Food Bank Partnership: The project established a partnership with the Great Plains Food Bank, ensuring that any excess produce not sold through the Veggie Van was redirected to families in need. This reduced waste while increasing community benefit. Affordable Food Options: The Veggie Van successfully integrated SNAP acceptance and Dakota Double Up incentives, making fresh, local food more affordable and accessible for households of all income levels. Catalyst for Replication: The success of the Veggie Van pilot has already inspired another region of North Dakota to begin adapting the model into a fully operational mobile grocery store. This demonstrates that the concept is scalable and transferable across different communities. In addition to these accomplishments, the Veggie Van strengthened partnerships across public health, education, agriculture, and community organizations, aligning with our original goal of building a systems-based approach to food access. Next Steps Building on pilot results, our next steps include: Vehicle Selection: Using lessons learned during the pilot, we will identify and secure the most effective vehicle type to serve as the long-term Veggie Van. Options include a retrofitted transit bus, a purpose-built mobile market truck, or a trailer model. The decision will be based on balancing mobility, storage, customer accessibility, and operational costs. Expanded Routes: We will design and implement regular routes that reach additional underserved communities, including schools, senior facilities, and rural food desert areas. Expansion will be guided by community feedback and producer capacity. Producer Training & Leadership: Strengthen ND will continue to train producers on logistics, food safety, and customer service, while also exploring opportunities for producers to take on leadership roles in driving and operating the Veggie Van. This approach will build community ownership and long-term sustainability. Revenue & Sponsorship Models: To ensure sustainability, we will explore sponsorships, appearance fees, and bundled product offerings. These strategies, combined with SNAP/Double Up sales, will help offset fuel, maintenance, and staffing costs while keeping food affordable for customers. Changes/Problems:The primary change in our project approach has been a deliberate delay in procuring the Veggie Van vehicle. Our original timeline anticipated vehicle purchase earlier in the project; however, we determined that piloting the concept prior to procurement was essential to ensure long-term success. By conducting pilots at Will Moore Elementary (a very low-income neighborhood school in Bismarck) and senior living facilities in June and July 2025, we were able to: Evaluate which vehicle type (retrofitted bus, purpose-built market truck, or trailer) would best fit community needs, producer logistics, and operational sustainability. Test demand and customer experience in real-world settings, confirming strong interest and market feasibility. Gather input from 14 local producers, some of whom expressed interest in driving and operating the Veggie Van, which helped refine operational requirements for the vehicle. This shift in sequencing represents a strategic adjustment rather than a setback. The decision to pilot first ensures that the vehicle we ultimately procure will be fit-for-purpose, financially sustainable, and able to serve the widest range of communities effectively. No additional reporting requirements beyond those already specified in the award Terms and Conditions have been identified at this time. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Veggie Van project has created multiple training and professional development opportunities for both staff and local producers: Staff Training: Two Strengthen ND team members completed a Mobile Market Truck training program, gaining technical skills in operations, logistics, food safety, and customer service that directly support the Veggie Van's success. Another staff member completed a Rural Grocery Transition course, equipping them with strategies for supporting small-town grocery sustainability and mobile retail operations. Producer Training and Engagement: To date, 14 individual producers have been engaged through the project. Producers received hands-on training in how to prepare products for mobile sales, bundle produce into customer-ready packages, and utilize point-of-sale technology. Several producers have expressed interest in driving and operating the Veggie Van, which represents not only a logistics role but also a professional development opportunity for them to expand their business capacity and leadership skills. Market Access Education: Producers received guidance on integrating SNAP and Dakota Double Up Bucks into their sales strategy, expanding their ability to serve low-income customers and diversify revenue. The project also provided opportunities for producers to learn about pricing strategies, marketing, and building direct customer relationships through the Veggie Van model. Partnership-Building Skills: Staff and producers alike benefited from training in community engagement strategies developed through the Mobile Market Truck CourseMobile Market Truck Cou..., including asset mapping, partnership development, and creating agreements (MOUs) to ensure sustainability. Overall, the project provided meaningful professional development by equipping both staff and producers with the technical, business, and leadership skills needed to sustain mobile market operations, while also creating a replicable model that can be adapted by other communities across the state. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Veggie Van project results have been actively shared with a wide range of community partners, professional networks, and stakeholder groups to build awareness, share lessons learned, and encourage replication of the model. Presentations to Statewide Networks: Project outcomes and lessons from the Veggie Van pilot were presented to the North Dakota Local Foods Development Alliance, reaching food system practitioners, advocates, and community leaders across the state. We also presented to the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives' Rural Grocers Task Force, a group working to address rural grocery sustainability challenges. Sharing the Veggie Van model with this audience connected the project to broader rural economic development and food access conversations. Producer and Market Community Engagement: Results were shared with producers and market managers at the North Dakota Farmers Market & Growers Association conference, highlighting the ways the Veggie Van creates new markets and revenue streams for small farms. Upcoming Dissemination: The project will be featured at the Hunger Free North Dakota conference in September 2025, where we will present findings from the pilot, discuss lessons learned, and highlight the potential for statewide replication. Through these presentations, the Veggie Van project has reached stakeholders in local foods, agriculture, rural grocery sustainability, and anti-hunger networks, ensuring that lessons learned are widely shared with communities of interest and informing future adaptations of the model. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The next reporting period will focus on moving the Veggie Van from pilot stage to a fully operational and sustainable model. Planned activities align with the project's short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes: Short-Term Outcomes (Next 12 Months) Vehicle Selection and Procurement: Finalize and acquire the most effective vehicle type (e.g., purpose-built truck, retrofitted bus, or trailer) to ensure adequate refrigeration, storage, and customer access. Route Design and Scheduling: Expand routes beyond pilot sites to additional schools, senior living facilities, and rural food desert communities, guided by community and producer input. Producer Training: Continue training on logistics, food safety, and point-of-sale systems. Provide targeted training to producers who have expressed interest in driving and operating the Veggie Van, building ownership and leadership capacity. Mid-Term Outcomes (1-3 Years) Sustainable Operations: Pilot revenue-generating strategies such as sponsorships, appearance fees, and bundled product offerings to cover operating costs while maintaining affordability for customers. Expanded Producer Engagement: Grow beyond the 14 producers already engaged, with more supplying products and taking leadership roles in van operations. Strengthened Partnerships: Deepen collaboration with the Great Plains Food Bank, schools, elder care providers, and rural host sites to secure ongoing support and commitments. Long-Term Outcomes (3+ Years) Replication and Scalability: Document pilot lessons, vehicle specifications, and operational models into resources that can support other North Dakota regions in launching similar mobile markets. Systems Change: Position the Veggie Van as a catalyst for a statewide network of mobile markets, increasing farm viability, reducing food insecurity, and improving rural health outcomes. By the end of the next reporting period, we aim to have a fully equipped vehicle, expanded service routes, and more producers trained and engaged in operations. These steps will advance short-term accessibility outcomes, build toward mid-term sustainability, and lay the groundwork for long-term replication across North Dakota.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1 - Deploy a Mobile Market Truck to Improve Food Access We successfully piloted the Veggie Van in June and July 2025 at Will Moore Elementary (a very low-income neighborhood school in Bismarck) and at senior living facilities. The pilot demonstrated strong demand from both children and older adults, directly addressing barriers to fresh food access. Through these pilots, 14 individual local producers were engaged, and the Veggie Van generated thousands of dollars in produce sales, creating new income opportunities for small farms. The Veggie Van is fully licensed to accept SNAP and Dakota Double Up, ensuring affordability for low-income households. Goal 2 - Strengthen Local Producer Capacity and Market Opportunities The project provided a new distribution channel for 14 small producers who often lack access to wholesale or institutional markets. Several producers expressed interest in not only supplying products but also driving and operating the Veggie Van, a major step toward long-term producer ownership and sustainability. Recipes, bundled product offerings, and farm branding were integrated into sales, helping farmers build direct relationships with customers. Goal 3 - Build Partnerships to Reduce Waste and Increase Community Benefit A formal relationship was established with the Great Plains Food Bank to ensure unsold produce was redirected to families in need. This partnership reduced waste, expanded community benefit, and strengthened the project's role as part of a larger statewide food system. Goal 4 - Establish a Sustainable and Replicable Model The Veggie Van pilot inspired another region of North Dakota to begin developing a fully operational mobile grocery store based on this model. Lessons learned from the pilot are guiding next steps in vehicle selection (evaluating transit bus vs. purpose-built truck vs. trailer) and route design. Initial exploration of sponsorships and alternative revenue models (appearance fees, bundled pricing, community partnerships) has begun to ensure sustainability. Goal 5 - Advance Short-, Mid-, and Long-Term Outcomes Short-term: Increased food access for targeted audiences (students and seniors), producer engagement, and proof-of-demand for a mobile market approach. Mid-term: Strengthened farm viability through new market opportunities, expanded use of SNAP/Double Up incentives, and partnerships that reduce waste. Long-term (in progress): Laying the groundwork for a statewide network of mobile markets, with replication already underway in another region. This positions the Veggie Van to contribute to systemic changes in food distribution, economic resilience, and community health.

Publications