Progress 04/01/15 to 03/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:-Oregon SNAP Participants (low-income) in urban, suburban, and rural communities - In the first year of the project, this audience was engaged through a series of focus groups seeking their opinions on outreach strategies and perceptions of eating and shopping for locally grown produce. SNAP participants were reached by distribution of materials dispersed at Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) offices, regional food banks, and social service organizations. SNAP shoppers were involved through written surveys completed at participating outlets, and during interviews focusing on program impact. -Women with young children - Through Multnomah County Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) offices, Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) instructional materials were posted and distributed to clients during appointments and nutrition education classes. -Low-Income Latina Women and Families - Through a partner organization serving low income Latina women and their families, Spanish language focus groups were held with clients to learn more about eating and shopping habits, and to educate about DUFB. -Oregon Farmers Market Leaders - Through group trainings and individual correspondence, leaders, staff, and volunteers of Oregon farmers markets were educated about hunger in our communities, how SNAP incentives can help, how to implement DUFB and how to gain support for program sustainability. -Farmers - Oregon produce farms offering Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares were targeted to participate in the DUFB CSA incentive program. Through our partnership with Zenger Farm and the Portland Area CSA Coalition, local farms were informed of the opportunity to broaden their customer base, increase sales, and contribute to community health by accepting SNAP as a form of payment and offering the DUFB incentive for fruits and vegetables. Through market staff trained by Farmers Market Fund (FMF) and FMF instructional materials, these produce farmers were informed of program guidelines and given the opportunity to accept incentive currency for eligible produce. Changes/Problems:-New Point of Sale Technology Pilot: We hoped to implement point of sale technology in 2016, but research on possible options, determined than none of the available solutions fit the needs or budget of our organization. -Adaptation of materials: With the purchase of the DUFB brand from Fair Food Network, we received templates of outreach materials, tracking tools, and process documents. We anticipated little adaption of these materials but ended up refining many pieces significantly to meet our needs. This resulted in additional graphic design costs. -Staff time: Overall this project required less management staffing time than originally expected. However, a much larger portion of staff time was spent on evaluation and reporting to Westat than we could have ever anticipated. -Fundraising: A fundraising consultant hired to work with farmers markets on individual fundraising efforts could not fulfill the work in 2017.We shifted to a video to generate broad based support from donors. While supportive, private funders are not giving amounts large enough to match another FINI grant for a statewide program in 2018. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Trainings were conducted by the Program Manager for farmers market managers, staff, and volunteers to better understand the impact of SNAP matching programs, and learn how to interact with customers and vendors to implement DUFB. Training participants were provided record keeping and tracking tools to organize transactions and improve bookkeeping. Technical assistance and mentoring was available and given to market staff throughout the program. After comprehensive research and interviews with national SNAP incentive program leaders, the DUFB Program Manager presented at the Oregon Statue University Small Farms Conference to farmers market staff, family farmers and others. She shared the history and impact of SNAP and incentive use at farmers markets. This resulted in four farmers markets using locally raised funds for SNAP incentive programs; and mentoring sessions with nutrition graduate students interested in pursuing work in this field. The DUFB Program Manager completed a year-long leadership program conducted by LionHeart Consulting. The program focused on producing results through personal growth. Coursework directly impacted relations with the various program collaborators around Oregon, including farmers market leadership, community food system organizations, outreach partners, farmers, funders, and SNAP participants. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Reports related to focus group research, customer surveys, and program results were distributed among farmers markets, partner organizations, and funders. Program data was also shared through social media campaigns, conference presentations, fundraising efforts, webinars with national partners, and in an outreach video produced to show program impact. Through leadership roles in the Oregon Community Food Systems Network, program data and survey results were also shared with collaborative organizations throughout Oregon. Program impact data was shared with four state legislators, who were also invited to visit participating markets. Two state legislators toured markets in Portland and Madras and learned how DUFB and SNAP benefit constituent families, farmers, and the local food economy. To build sustainable funding, a worksheet of strategies for successful SNAP incentive fundraising was created and distributed to dozens of farmers markets. It was also used for presentations at the Oregon Farmers Market Association and Washington Farmers Market Association conferences, as well as through the Oregon Farmers Market listserv, and to Farmers Market Coalition email subscribers. A final program report will be sent to all funders, individual donors, markets, partners, supporters and others. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Oregon has one of the highest rates of food insecurity and one of the highest SNAP participation rates with close to 1 in 6 Oregonians participating in the food assistance program. Low income households often lack access to affordable fruits and vegetables, and struggle to put enough nutritious food on the table. By doubling SNAP benefits up to $10 each market day, Oregon Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) allows families to purchase healthy food while also supporting local farms. Through DUFB, Farmers Market Fund created a consistent statewide incentive program, expanded the geographic reach of SNAP incentives, and boosted statewide data collection. Goal 1: To increase the purchase of locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables by SNAP recipients by providing dollar for dollar incentives of up to $10 at Oregon farmers markets in 2015-2017. -Generate an additional $790,000 in fruits and vegetables purchases. -Increase the number of SNAP recipients redeeming their benefits at participating farmers markets by 25%. Activities: Informed by focus groups, outreach materials were created and disseminated through government offices, community organizations and farmers markets in 16 counties. FMF conducted five outreach trainings for government and community organization to support their clients. A press release resulted in publicity 15 times on radio, print and television; a website offered program details and a map of farmers markets. Markets received training on program implementation and funds to reimburse DUFB purchases. Data: Markets collected program data and submitted it to FMF monthly through an online portal. Three annual customer surveys totaled 1,850 responses. A farmer survey about the program's impact on sales received 280 responses. Participating Farmers Markets January 2016 - March 2018: SNAP transactions: 68,745 Incentive transactions: 65,826 New customers (first time using SNAP card at the market): 11,729 SNAP sales: $866,205 SNAP redeemed: $801,649 Incentives distributed: $626,346 Incentives redeemed: $600,069 Summary: Objectives under this goal were poorly written and proved difficult to determine. Comparing 2016/17 results with baseline data from 2015, the average annual SNAP sales increased by 25%; SNAP transactions increased by 39%; incentives (DUFB) distributed increased by 176%. An additional $999,817 above 2014 levels of SNAP and incentive purchases were made at participating farmers markets. Shopper surveys revealed that because of DUFB: -87% visited the farmers market more often -92% bought more fruits & vegetables One customer noted the impact on her household by stating, "Not only are we able to afford more healthy, fresh food, but a few times it has been the only food we could afford". Another appreciated the economic benefit by adding, "It has made it possible for me to make healthy food choices even when money is tight, and to ensure that my dollars are staying in the region and supporting local businesses." Farmer surveys revealed that 69% made more money because of DUFB. Goal 2: To increase the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables by SNAP recipients by providing dollar for dollar incentives for CSA shares. -Increase the amount of produce purchased with SNAP and incentives through partnering CSA farms. -Increase the number of households using their SNAP benefits and redeeming incentives through CSA farms. Activities: Through a partnership with Zenger Farm and the Portland Area CSA Coalition (PACSAC), farms offered a $200 season match to first time SNAP CSA customers. PACSAC processed SNAP and incentive transactions on behalf of the farms who connected SNAP households with weekly vegetable boxes. Recipients of the incentive were surveyed via an online questionnaire and 119 responses were reviewed and summarized. Data: Payment records of SNAP dollars and incentive money issued to participating farms was tracked monthly. Participating farms: June 2016 - March 2018 SNAP Sales: $113,620 Incentives earned: $55,018 Households receiving DUFB CSA incentive: 302 Summary statistics: Sold $168,638 worth of fruits and vegetables to SNAP households. One hundred percent of customers who received the incentive used SNAP to purchase a CSA share for the first time. Of households surveyed, 94% reported eating more produce because of their weekly farm boxes; 67% reported eating less processed foods. One customer stated, "[DUFB] made a huge difference in helping me eat healthier. Also decreased financial stress knowing there would always be healthy good food in the fridge." Goal 3: To understand the feasibility of new technology for SNAP redemption at farmers markets. - Provide program leaders with an understanding of challenges and opportunities for implementing point of sale EBT technology. Activities: FMF and partners thoroughly researched four technologies used to process SNAP transactions at farmers markets. Advantages and challenges for each were evaluated. A summary document of this technology comparison was completed and shared with FMF decision makers. Data collected for each technology included: how long it had been in use, equipment required, advantages and challenges for markets, shoppers, and vendors, and the costs to purchase and operate. Summary statistics: Due to high costs, labor required, and other barriers, it was determined that no point of sale technology for SNAP incentives would be feasible to implement during the program period. Outcomes: Overall, 57 farmers markets and 24 farms offered DUFB incentives in the period January 2016 - March 2018. That resulted in an average 25% increase in SNAP sales at participating farmers markets, and nearly $1.5 million in SNAP and incentives distributed to purchase farm-direct foods. Farmers Market Fund and each market and farmer involved gained knowledge and expertise in how to promote and implement incentive programs. Through collaborative actions we built a statewide program that increased purchases of locally grown food, improved the health of communities, and took steps toward an equitable food system. FMF increased expertise at leading a statewide coalition of farmers markets working to offer low income shoppers a consistently managed program. We developed and shared best practices in all aspects of the program. Through focus groups we learned messaging and outreach techniques to attract shoppers. The number of SNAP transactions at participating farmers markets increased by 39% proving that more recipients became aware of the program. From surveys, 87% said they visited farmers markets more often. DUFB allowed SNAP families to bring home more food, with 81% reporting the amount of food they had in the home increased. SNAP recipients in urban and rural areas were able to purchase more fruits and vegetables from farmers in their communities. DUFB promoted the health value of eating more produce, and 88% of participants reported their overall health improved because of the program. Participating farmers markets received technical assistance and resources to run a comprehensive incentive program that can be replicated. Farmers market staff improved their expertise in operating, promoting, evaluating and fundraising for incentive programs. As a result of the CSA incentive program, more than a dozen farms accepted SNAP payment for the first time. Program leaders gained expertise in operating an incentive program for multiple farms using centralized payment processing. CSA and market farmers increased the health of their communities, gained new customers, and sold more produce by participating in DUFB. Due to positive public relations and impactful program results, FMF strengthened connections with local donors which has allowed continued funding of some SNAP matching programs in 2018. FMF is well positioned to continue leadership in Oregon for SNAP matching and other incentive programing. We are engaged with local and national networks to build a sustainable food system for everyone.
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Progress 04/01/16 to 03/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:-Oregon SNAP Participants (low-income) in urban, suburban, and rural communities - We reached this audience through materials dispersed in communities where the incentive was offered, including distribution at Department of Human Services (DHS) offices, regional food banks, and social service organizations. SNAP shoppers were also targeted through written surveys completed at the point of sale at participating farmers markets. -Women with young children - Through Multnomah County Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) offices, Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) instructional materials were posted and distributed to clients during appointments and nutrition education classes. -Oregon Farmers Market Leaders - Through group trainings and individual correspondence we educated a mix of leaders, staff, and volunteers of Oregon farmers markets about the need for incentives, as well as how to implement Double Up Food Bucks and gain support for program sustainability. -Farmers - Oregon produce farms offering Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares were targeted to participate in the Double Up Food Bucks CSA incentive program. Through our partnership with Zenger Farm and the Portland Area CSA Coalition, local farms were informed of the opportunity to broaden their customer base, increase sales, and contribute to community health by accepting SNAP as a form of payment and offering an incentive for fruit and vegetable CSA share purchases. Through market staff trained by Farmers Market Fund (FMF) and FMF instructional materials, produce farmers at DUFB markets were informed of program guidelines and given the opportunity increase their income by accepting incentive currency for their eligible produce. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Six trainings were conducted by the DUFB Program Manager for farmers market managers, staff, and volunteers to better understand the impact of SNAP matching programs, and learn how to best interact with customers and vendors to implement Double Up Food Bucks. Training participants were also provided with record keeping and tracking tools to better organize SNAP and matching transactions, as well as improve bookkeeping methods. Regular ongoing technical assistance and mentoring was also given to market staff as the incentive program began and additional coaching was required. During this reporting period, the Double Up Food Bucks Program Manager completed 30 hours of a year-long leadership program conducted by LionHeart Consulting. The program focused on leadership project planning to produce results and foster personal growth, and increasing collaborative performance by working with partners and stakeholders to productively mobilize resources and capabilities to create more trust, less wasted effort, and better results for all. Coursework directly impacted and helped guide relations with the numerous and varied Double Up Food Bucks collaborators around Oregon, including farmers market leadership, community food system organizations, outreach partners, farmers, funders, and SNAP participants. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?To help build sustainable local funding for incentive programs we created an information sheet showcasing successful SNAP incentive fundraising strategies at 15 Oregon and Washington farmers markets. Via email, websites, and social media, this resource was distributed to members of the Oregon Farmers Market Association and Washington Farmers Market Association, as well as through the Oregon Farmers Market listserv, and to Farmers Market Coalition email subscribers. Outreach flyers and posters including instructional program messaging informed by 2015 focus groups were distributed in communities surrounding participating farmers markets by market staff and through community and government organizations working with SNAP clients. Oregon Food Bank also printed and sent additional program fliers to Regional Food Banks to be distributed through network agencies. See "other products" section for more details on the materials and reports. Farmers Market Fund's program manager serves on the leadership team of the Oregon Community Food Systems Network (OCFSN), and is the Team Lead for the Network's SNAP Matching workgroup. Through this team and collaboration of organizations, program data and survey results were shared throughout the state. A program summary and first year impact data was shared with four state legislators, and an invitation to visit participating markets was extended. Two of the legislators accepted the invitation and attended markets in their districts. The visits in Portland and Madras included a tour of the market and details on how DUFB and SNAP were benefiting constituent families, farmers, and the local food economy. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Implement Double Up Food Bucks for a second season, including 5 new farmers markets and 10 additional CSA farms. Conduct in person and online trainings for all new markets to implement the program and track results Distribute over 60,000 updated outreach flyers and posters to community partners, organizations, and social service agencies serving SNAP recipients around participating markets Conduct trainings for outreach partners and state agencies to increase awareness, educate, and encourage promotion of the program Revise, implement, and analyze surveys given to SNAP shoppers, vendors, and market managers at participating markets Track and evaluate SNAP and incentive transactions at all participating markets Create a brief promotional video sharing stories of SNAP customers and farmers impacted by the program to increase support and funding for DUFB. Finalize and share final report of 2016 survey results with communities of interest.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Historically, Oregon has had one of the highest rates of food insecurity, and also one of the highest SNAP participation rates with close to 1 in 6 Oregonians participating in the program. Despite socio-economic and health disparities, Oregon is known for innovation, and has a reputation for being on the cutting edge of trends related to health and food systems. With its numerous and sophisticated farmers markets, family farms growing for direct sales, and a consumer base committed to the regional food system, Oregon provided an ideal opportunity to implement Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB). Through DUFB, Farmers Market Fund has created a consistent statewide incentive program, increased dollar for dollar SNAP matches up to $10 per visit, expanded the geographic areas of participating farmers markets, and boosted data collection and analysis. With 50 farmers markets and 12 CSA farms offering the incentive in 2016, the program helped drive a 40% increase in SNAP transactions at participating farmers markets, and over $750,000 in SNAP and incentives were distributed to purchase farm-direct foods - a 61% increase from the previous year. SNAP recipients in urban and rural areas were able to purchase more fruits and vegetables, while farmers and food producers saw increased income. Goal 1: To increase the purchase of locally grown fruits and vegetables by SNAP recipients by providing dollar for dollar incentives of up to $10 at farmers markets. OBJECTIVE: Generate an additional $790,000 in fruits and vegetables purchases above 2014 at participating farmers markets with SNAP and SNAP incentives. 1) Activities: 50 farmers markets received training and funds, and began offering DUFB in May 2016.62,725 outreach flyers and posters were distributed to raise awareness of the program and bring low-income shoppers to the markets.Vendors were surveyedto learn more about the incentive's impact on their farm sales. 2) Data: Monthly we collected the dollar amount of SNAP and incentive money distributed to customers and redeemed by vendors. 194 vendor surveys were completed. SNAP sales: $414,385 Incentives distributed: $298,818 SNAP redeemed: $380,687 Incentives redeemed: $280,237 3) Summary statistics: Compared to SNAP sales and incentives distributed in the previous year (2015), 2016 annual SNAP sales increased by $97,369 (27%) and the incentives distributed increased by $186,720 (168%). With the introduction of an increased match and improved outreach, an additional $325,030 in SNAP and incentive funds was distributed from 2014 to 2016. Vendor Survey Highlights: 69% of vendors surveyed said they made more money because of Double Up Food Bucks and/or SNAP benefits redeemed. 4) Outcomes: SNAP shoppers increased their knowledge of how to access more fruits and vegetables. Farmers market staff received training and increased their expertise in operating and evaluating SNAP incentive programs. OBJECTIVE: Increase the number of SNAP recipients redeeming their benefits at participating farmers markets by 25% from 10,200 households in 2014 to 12,780 in 2017. 1) Activities: 50 farmers markets in 16 counties began offering DUFB. Outreach materials were disseminated through farmers markets, Department of Human Services (DHS) offices, food banks, and social service organizations. Accompanying the materials, FMF conducted 4 outreach trainings for DHS staff and community organizations to encourage discussions about the program with the SNAP recipients they serve. A press release was crafted for statewide news outlets that resulted in at least 15 radio, print and television pickups sharing the story of DUFB. We updated www.doubleuporegon.org to offer an interactive map of participating outlets. Customer surveys were offered to SNAP shoppers on at least one market day. 2) Data: Monthly we collected the number of SNAP and incentive transactions each market day, and the number of new customers, defined as answering "yes" to the question: "Is this your first time using your SNAP card at this market?". 652 completed customer surveys representing 45 markets/farm stands were received for tallying and analysis. The survey consisted of multiple choice questions and covered basic demographic information. SNAP transactions:32,531 Incentive transactions:31,284 New customers:6,258 3) Summary statistics: Program wide there was a 40% increase in the number of SNAP transactions from 2015 to 2016. The number offirst time customers indicates the program is attractingnew SNAP households and the increase is more than past shoppers returning more often. 87% said they visited the farmers market more often 92% reported buying more fruits & vegetables Customer Quote:"The first time I used [DUFB] I felt a sense of freedom to buy healthy fruits and vegetables that I haven't felt in a long time. I also really value being able to support local farmers." 4) Outcomes: More SNAP participants spent their benefits at farmers markets than the previous year. SNAP shoppers increased their knowledge of how to access more local produce. A majority of shoppers surveyed have changed their behavior and are visiting farmers markets more often. Program leaders and partners increased their knowledge of how to best reach and explain the program to SNAP shoppers. Goal 2: To increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP recipients by providing incentives for CSA shares up to $250 per household per season. OBJECTIVE: Increase the amount of produce purchased with SNAP and incentives through partnering CSA farms. 1) Activities: Through partnership with the Portland Area CSA Coalition (PACSAC), 12farms offered incentive funds to first time SNAP CSA customers. PACSAC centrally processedtransactions on behalf of the farms. 2) Data: Monthly the dollar amount of SNAP spent by customersearning the incentive for their purchase was collected. Payment records of SNAP dollars and incentive money issued to farms was also tracked. SNAP Sales: $40,234 Incentives earned: $20,064 3) Summary statistics: $60,298 worth ofproduce went home with SNAP households participating in theCSA incentive program. 4) Outcomes: As a result of the incentive program,6 farms accepted SNAP for CSA shares for the first time, and9 farms newly offered an incentive option. SNAP shoppers increased their knowledge of how to access more produce. OBJECTIVE: Increase the number of households using their SNAP benefits and redeeming incentives for fruit and vegetables through partner CSA farms. 1) Activities: 102 householdsearmed the CSA incentive benefit. Recipients were surveyed via an online survey andresponses were summarized. 2) Data: Monthly we recorded the number of households receiving the incentive, and the number of households paying for a CSA share with SNAP at participating farms.48 CSA customer surveys were completed. Households purchasing CSA share with SNAP: 150 Households receiving DUFB CSA incentive: 102 3) Summary statistics: 100% of customers that received the CSA incentive used SNAP to purchase a CSA share for the first time. 92% of households surveyed reported eating more produce because of their weekly farm boxes. CSA Customer Quote: "[DUFB] made a huge difference on helping me eat healthier. Also decreased financial stress knowing there would always be healthy good food in the fridge." 4) Outcomes: Program leaders increased their knowledge in customer recruitment methods, and gained expertise in operating a CSA incentive program for multiple farms using centralized payment processing. Goal 3: To understand the feasibility of new technology for SNAP redemption at farmers markets. OBJECTIVE: Provide program leaders with an understanding of challenges and opportunities for implementing farmer-based point of sale EBT technology. 1) Activities: Research completed in year one of the grant was shared with the Foundation for Food and Ag Research to support their effort in collecting data on current systems. Noother resultsto report.
Publications
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Progress 04/01/15 to 03/31/16
Outputs
Target Audience:-Oregon SNAP Participants (low-income) in urban, suburban, and rural communities - We reached this audience through a series of focus groups discussing messaging and perceptions, written surveys completed by SNAP shoppers at farmers markets, and through materials distributed in communities surrounding four Winter Pilot Programs at farmers markets offering Double Up Food Bucks. -Low-Income Latina Women and Families - Through a partner organization serving low income Latina women and their families, we held Spanish language focus groups with clients to learn more about eating and shopping habits, and to educate about Double Up Food Bucks. -Oregon Farmers Market Leaders - Through conference presentations, meetings, and individual correspondence we targeted a mix of leaders at urban, suburban, and rural Oregon farmers markets to offer the opportunity to participate in Double Up Food Bucks and gain support for program sustainability. -Farmers - Produce farms with Portland-area CSA pick up sites were targeted to participate in the Double Up Food Bucks CSA incentive program. Through our partnership with Zenger Farm and the Portland Area CSA Coalition, local farms were informed of the opportunity to broaden their customer base, increase sales, and contribute to community health by accepting SNAP as a form of payment and offering an incentive for fruit and vegetable CSA share purchases. Changes/Problems:We experienced no major problems, but minor deviations. New Point of Sale Technology Pilot: We initially hoped to implement new point of sale technology in the 2016 market season, but through research of possible options, determined than none of the available solutions fit the needs or budget of our organization. In the coming reporting period we will research additional options and explore creating new technologies to fit our need. Adaptation of materials: With the purchase of the Double Up Food Bucks brand from Fair Food Network, we received templates of outreach materials, tracking tools, and process documents. We anticipated little adaption of these materials but ended up refining many pieces significantly to meet our needs. This resulted in additional graphic design costs. Staff time: Overall we have found that this project has required less management staffing time than originally expected. Our full time Program Manager has been able to complete the majority of tasks independently without relying much on additional support staff. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two trainings were conducted by the DUFB Program Manager for Winter Pilot Program farmers market managers to better understand the impact of SNAP matching programs, and learn how to best interact with customers and vendors to implement Double Up Food Bucks. Training participants were also provided with record keeping and tracking tools to better organize SNAP and matching transactions, as well as improve bookkeeping methods. Regular ongoing technical assistance and mentoring was also given to winter pilot market staff as the incentive program began and additional coaching was required. After comprehensive research and interviews with national SNAP incentive program leaders, our Program Manager presented at the Oregon Small Farms Conference to farmers market staff, small farms, and community organizations to increase knowledge on the history and impact of SNAP and incentive use at farmers markets. This conference presentation resulted in 2-4 farmers markets using locally raised funds to offer new SNAP incentive programs for their 2016 season, as well as led to one-on-one mentoring sessions with three public health and nutrition graduate students interested in pursuing work in this field. The Double Up Food Bucks Program Manager is participating in a year-long leadership program conducted by LionHeart Consulting. Six group coaching sessions were completed during this reporting period for a total of 32 hours of training. The program focuses on leadership project planning to produce results and foster personal growth, and increasing collaborative performance by working with partners and stakeholders to productively mobilize resources and capabilities to create more trust, less wasted effort, and better results for all. Coursework directly impacted and helped guide relations with the numerous and varied Double Up Food Bucks collaborators around Oregon, including farmers market leadership, community food system organizations, outreach partners, farmers, funders, and SNAP participants. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The reports created from focus group research and SNAP customer surveys were distributed among farmers markets and partner organizations. Select data points from the reports were also shared during conference presentations. Outreach flyers and posters including instructional program messaging informed by the focus groups were distributed in communities surrounding our four winter pilot farmers markets. These materials were disseminated to SNAP participants through farmers markets, Department of Human services offices, food banks and pantries, senior centers, community spaces, and other social service organizations. See "other products" section for more details on the materials and reports. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Launch Double Up Food Bucks at 51 farmers markets and through 13 CSA farms starting May 2016 Conduct in person and online trainings for all markets to implement the program and track results Distribute over 70,000 outreach flyers and posters to community partners, organizations, and social service agencies serving SNAP recipients around participating markets Conduct trainings for outreach partners to increase awareness, educate, and encourage promotion of the program Create, implement, and analyze surveys given to SNAP shoppers and vendors at participating markets Track and evaluate SNAP and incentive transactions at all participating markets Further research and evaluate technology solutions for improving incentive distribution and redemption at farmers markets Collect data from and select farmers markets and CSA farms for participation in the 2017 season
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Oregon has had one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the US, and also one of the highest SNAP participation rates with close to 1 in 5 Oregonians participating in the program.Oregon is also well known for innovation, and has a reputation for being on the cutting edge of trends related to health, land use, and food systems. With its numerous and sophisticated farmers markets, family farms growing for direct sales of fruits and vegetables, and an educated consumer base committed to the regional food system, Oregon provided an ideal opportunity to implement Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB). Through DUFB, Farmers Market Fund (FMF)has created a consistent statewide incentive program, increased dollar for dollar SNAP matches up to $10 per visit, expanded the number and geographic areas of participating farmers markets, and boosted data collection and feedback loops. With over 50 farmers markets and 13 CSA farms expected to participate in the 2016 season, four Winter Pilot farmers markets launched the program in January. The markets showed an average 38% increase in SNAP transactions, and distributed over $14,000 in SNAP and incentives to SNAP shoppers for purchasing farm-direct foods and locally grown fruits and vegetables - a 90% increase from the previous year. Through this winter pilot, SNAP shoppers in urban, suburban, and rural areas were able to purchase more fruits and vegetables, while Oregon farmers and food producers saw increased income. Goal 1: To increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP recipients by providing dollar for dollar incentives of up to $10 at Oregon farmers markets. OBJECTIVE: Generate an additional $790,000 in fruits and vegetables purchases above 2014 levels at participating farmers markets with SNAP and incentives. 1) Activities: Four Winter Pilot Program farmers markets inPortland, Oregon City, Corvallis, and Roseburg received training and began offering Double Up Food Bucks in January 2016.Funds were given to the pilot farmers markets to be used to reimburse vendors for eligible fruit and vegetable purchases. Informed by focus groups held with SNAP participants, outreach flyers and posters were created to raise awareness and bring low-income shoppers to the markets.An additional 47 farmers markets in 17 counties were registered to participate inDUFB for the summer market season and include several markets that will offer an incentive for the first time. 2) Data collected: 2015 SNAP transaction data was collected from participating markets to establish a baseline for comparison.For the winter pilot, we collected the dollar amount of SNAP and incentive money distributed to customers and redeemed by vendors per market. Jan- Mar 2016: Total SNAP sales: $8,888 Total Incentives distributed: $5,162 3) Summary statistics:Compared to SNAP sales and incentives distributed in the2015 winter season, Jan - Mar 2016 SNAP sales increased by $2,455 (38%) and incentives distributed increased by $4,203 (438%).SNAP and incentive funds distributed to SNAP customers at the markets resulted in an additional $6,658 for low-income shoppers to spend on fruits and vegetables. 4) Key outcomes: SNAP shoppers increased their knowledge of how to access more local fruits and vegetables. Farmers market managers received training and increased their expertise in operating SNAP incentive programs. OBJECTIVE: Increase the number of SNAP recipients redeeming their benefits at farmers markets by a minimum of 25% from 10,200 households in 2014 to 12,780 households in 2017. 1) Activites: Four Winter Pilot Program farmers markets began offeringDUFB in January 2016.Outreach materials were disseminated through farmers markets,DHS offices, food banks, senior centers, community spaces, and other social service organizations. 2) Data collected:We collected the number of SNAP and incentive transactions each market day, and the number of new customers, defined as answering "yes" to the question: "Is this your first time using your SNAP card at this market?". Jan- Mar 2016: Number of Incentive transactions: 529 Number of new customers: 132 3) Summary statistics:Each pilot market saw an increase in SNAP transactions compared to the previous winter season, averaging a 38% increase. 4) Outcomes: More SNAP participants spent their benefits at participatingfarmers markets than the previous year. SNAP shoppers increased their knowledge of how to access more local fruits and vegetables. Through focus groups,FMF and program leaders increased their knowledge of how to reach and explain the program to SNAP shoppers. Goal 2: To increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP recipients by providing dollar for dollar incentives for CSA shares up to $250 per household per season in 2016 and 2017. OBJECTIVE: Increase the amount of produce purchased with SNAP and incentives throughCSA farms by at least 80% from $100,000 in 2013 to $180,000 in 2017. 1) Activities:13 CSA farms were selected and trained to offer incentive funds for fruit and vegetable purchases to first time SNAP CSA customers. 2 & 3) No data or results were collected. TheCSA season will begin in June 2016. 4) Outcomes: As a result of the Double Up Food Bucks CSA incentive program, six new farms will now accept SNAP payment for CSA shares, and nine farms will be offering a SNAP incentive option for the first time. OBJECTIVE: Increase the number of households using their SNAP benefits and redeeming incentives for fruit and vegetables through partner CSA farms by 45% from 179 in 2013 to 259 in 2017. 1) Activities: Customer recruitment began in January and 35% of available 2016 CSA incentive funds were reserved by 42 SNAP customers in this reporting period. 2 & 3) No data or reslults were collected this reporting period. 4) Outcomes:All SNAP customers that signed up for the DUFBCSA program this reporting period will be using SNAP to pay for a CSA share for the first time.Program leadersincreased their knowledge in customer recruitment methods,and gained expertise in operating a CSA incentive program for multiple farms using centralized payment processing. Goal 3: To understand the feasibility of employing new point of sale technology for SNAP redemption at farmers markets. OBJECTIVE: Provide program leaders with an understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities for implementing farmer-based point of sale EBT technology in Oregon farmers markets. 1) Activities:Staffresearched and held conversations with spokespeople representing four technologies used to processincentive transactions. We compared advantages and key challenges for each technology to evaluate possible use at aDUFB farmers market in Oregon. 2) Data collected: For each technology we collected details onthe equipment required for operation, advantages and challenges for markets, shoppers, and vendors, and the costsassociated withthe solution. 3) Summary statistics: It was determined that none of the technologies' advantages outweighed the challenges, and that no option would be feasible or advantageous forDUFB farmers markets to implement in the 2016 season. The leading drawbacks for each are as follows: eToken by Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets: The system is still in development, and would requireFMF to fund and manage additional technology development labor, which is outside of this project's scope and budget. Mobile Market + with Loyalty Program by Novo Dia Group: This systemrequires a multi-year contract and annual costs and processing fees which significantly exceeded our project budget. ConnectNPay by MerchantSource: The system is still in development and currently only available on Windows platforms. Double Up "Bridge Card" by Flint Farmers Market: To operate, the farmers market needs a permanent structure with electricity and telephone. 4) Outcomes:FMF gained knowledge in the opportunities for point of sale technology, and concluded that no availableoption would be implemented in 2016.
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