Progress 05/15/16 to 05/14/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The Double Up Food Bucks nutrition incentive program targets individuals and families receiving SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) benefits. For the final year of the project we operated the program at a total of 102 unique sites across 15 New York State counties with sites operating in urban, suburban and rural areas. We continue to operate the program seasonally with the majority of our market partners, however, we have continued our year-round program outlets with our partners Foodlink with their Curbside Mobile Market program and throughout the winter season with the Elmwood Bidwell Winter Farmers Market and the Lockport Community Winter Market. May 2018 we reached 2,916 newparticipants in the program. The total number of new customers using Double Up Food Bucks in our target area for this FINI project is: 7,968. Changes/Problems:As stated in our accomplishments section under goal #3, we pivoted our project after year 1 from developing a new technology to deliver nutrition incentives to program users to utilizing an existing technology - developed by our partners Fair Food Network - that had been implemented with some success in Flint, MI. Another significant reason for this shift was our original technology partner Applied Sciences Group was sold to a new owner which resulted in the company no longer being interested in our project. Another change from when the project started in 2016 was to our internal program staff capacity. As a result of the growth of the program, we have increased our staffing from 1 FTE to 2.5 FTE over the life of the project. Prior to this project, we relied on outside collaborative relationships including with our partners at Cornell's Harvest NY team. During year 1, our partnership with Cornell materially changed due to their shifting priorities which limited their capacity to devote to the project. This change resulted in us growing our internal capacity which ultimately resulted into a stronger program overall. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We published our Double Up Food Bucks New York State 5 year program report in April 2019 which is available on our both of our websites: www.fieldandforknetwork.com and www.doubleupnys.com. We hosted a Double Up Summit in Albany - our state capital - this past May to engage lawmakers on the impact of Double Up and why the state should invest in the program. We are continuing our advocacy efforts on an ongoing basis until we are able to secure New York State funding for the program. We are doing a mailing of the Double Up Food Bucks NYS 5 year program report later this summer sending hard copies of the report to each of our partners, funders (past & present) and some key stakeholders and lawmakers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
From May 2018 through May 2019 the following was accomplished relative to the goals of the project: Program Goals: Goal #1:Improve access to and affordability of fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income consumers (SNAP recipients) in the 11 county region at the identified food access points. The program operated in over 102+ unique sites across New York State including farmers markets, mobile markets, and 2 healthy corner stores. The program covered 15counties with the majority of the sites operating seasonally from July 1 - October 31. We had 2 farmers markets, 1 mobile market program and 2 healthy corner stores operating year-round. SNAP sales (value of tokens/coupons distributed): $183,260 Double Up Distributed (value of tokens/coupons distributed): $154,119 Total SNAP transactions: 13,872 Total Double Up Transactions: 13,742 Number of New Customers: 2,916 228 Customer Surveys were completed. Results: 93% of Double Up shoppers reported an increase in purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables 96% of Double Up shoppers reported their families are eating more fresh fuits and vegetables 86% of Double Up shoppers reported they are purchasing more fresh fruits and vegetables for snacks since using the program 94% of Double Up shoppers reported they are more confident in their ability to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables since using the program 27market managers and staff attended a Double Up training EatSmart NY SNAP nutrition educators did not report data for this time period We captured the following demographic information from our customer surveys to give us a better sense of who are our Double Up Shoppers: Age: 50+........47.1% 35-49.....33.1% 25-34.....17.2% 18-24.....2.6% Race: White/Caucasian........57.1% Middle Eastern/North African.......14.2% Asian.........11.2% Black/African American........9.8% Hispanic/Latino/Spanish origin......7.1% American Indian/Alaskan Native......4.9% Other.........2.7% Gender: Female.......72% Male......26.2% Other......1.4% 2 Focus Groupswere completed with 19 participants. Some resulting feedback and common themes from the focus group were: General Food Environment During the summer season, everyone usually goes to Clinton Bailey Market and does so because it is the largest market and is close by. Right now, participants are getting produce from Save a Lot, Price Rite, Tops, Aldi, Market in a Square, or Walmart. Stores for purchasing produce are chosen primarily based on price (inexpensive) and quality and are in close proximity to the participants' homes. There are some stores that sell produce that are closer to home (corner stores, Wegmans, Tops), but participants will travel further since these stores have lower quality produce and/or higher prices. Participants prepare most of their meals at home because they feel that cooking at home is less expensive, provides larger volume for your dollar, is healthier than eating out, and that home cooked meals taste better. Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) Loyalty Card Experience Overall, participants felt that the signup process for the Double Up Food Bucks loyalty card was simple. Most felt that loading the card was simple as well, however one participant felt it was time consuming. Many participants noted that when it was cold outside, the process took much longer and lines got longer because the batteries on the tablets were dying, the kiosk did not have extra batteries or a charging station, and the kiosk staff had to run to "the restaurant" to charge the tablet. One customer had not initially understood that he had funds on two separate cards, and thus had funds left over after the season. All except two participants had previously used DUFB under the token system, and felt the transition to cards was smooth. 3 participants preferred tokens to loyalty cards because sometimes the tablet did not work with the farmer, and they felt it took longer to wait in line. Sometimes EBT cards would not swipe, and the tablets don't allow manual card number entry, which meant participants could not use their funds. According to participants, all vendors were familiar with the loyalty card process. The process with the vendors was sometimes longer with the loyalty card than with tokens, because large vendors had long lines and would sometime mix up customer loyalty cards since they only had one tablet and would collect multiple cards at once and pass the tablet between employees. Some vendors only take cash and therefore will not take DFUB, but it was this way prior to the loyalty card system too (they didn't take tokens either). Two participants experienced one-time errors at the vendors, in which the vendor swiped their card twice and double charged them. Both mistakes were caught when the customer asked his/her balance and then the vendor looked at transaction history to find the error. Overall, some felt the loyalty card make the process faster at kiosks but slower at some of the vendors. Participants reported eating more fruits and vegetables and trying new produce items as a result of DUFB. One individual stated he is able to buy larger quantities, and thus get better deals. Many participants assumed all food at the market was local, but a few participants said DUFB did expand their knowledge of what is grown locally. Milestones: Years 1-3: 20 market managers trained, 20 program markets operating, 300 customers surveyed at the markets, 64 SNAP/DUFB customers attend focus groups, 371 nutrition education market visits at designated food access points. We achieved our milestones each year for number of market managers trained, number of program markets operating. We surpassed our nutrition education market visits at designated food access points for years 1 and 2, no data reported for year 3. We had 19 number of program participants attend focus groups during the project period. Our evaluation partner University at Buffalo is doing additional focus groups beyond the scope of this project in 2019. Goal #2:Increase business opportunities and revenue for small and mid-size farmers selling through food access points. SNAP spent at participating sites: $169,686 Double Up spent at participating sites: $146,780 200+ Farmers participated in the program during this time period: 51farmer/vendor surveys were completed. Results: 42% offarmers said they are selling more fruits and vegetables 46% said they are making more money 44% reported having a new customer base as a result of participating in the program Milestone:Years 1-3: 200 vendor surveys completed and 10 in-person interviews each year. The number of vendor surveys completed fluctuated dramatically year over year. We attribute this to a change in internal staffing of the program. The staffing transition occurred at a critical time during program evaluation that limited outreach efforts to vendors encouraging them to fill out the survey. Goal #3: Develop and test effective and efficient technologies for benefit redemption at point of sale that are scaleable and replicable by others. We were able to finally launch the pilot the Double Up Food Bucksloyalty card technology at 3 farmers markets and 2 healthy corner stores during the 2018 season. In early 2019 we expanded the technology to 2 new healthy corner stores which then totaled 4 small retail sites and 3 farmers markets using the technology. We pivoted toward using this technology after the first year of our project resulted in our relationship with Applied Technologies ending due to the company being sold and new ownership uninterested in pursuing the project. Furthermore, it seemed impractical to pursue the development of new technology when the loyalty card platform - introduced to us by Fair Food Network - was viable, tested and proven successful with its implementation in Flint, MI.
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Progress 05/15/17 to 05/14/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The Double Up Food Bucks nutrition incentive program targets individuals and families receiving SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) benefits. The program currently operates in 12 NYS counties with a variety of sites operating in urban, suburban and rural areas. In 2017 we expanded the program to 2 key communities: Dunkirk, NY and Batavia, NY. We continue to operate the program seasonally with the majority of our market partners, however, we also have continued our year-round program outlets with our partner Foodlink and their mobile market program and throughout the winter season with the Elmwood Bidwell Winter Farmers Market. Since May of 2017 we have reached 2,652 NEW participants using the program. Changes/Problems:One noted change in our 2017 Double Up program year was the removal of the North Tonawanda Farmers Market as a participating site. This was due to the lack of program compliance on the part of the farmers market. Several corrective actions were communicated to the market, however, the market did not comply. The removal of this participating program site freed up resources for us to expand the program to 2 key program areas: Dunkirk, NY farmers market and Batavia NY farmers market. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We published our 2016 Double Up program report in May 2017 and disseminated it to funders, key stakeholders, state level policymakers and decision makers. It is also available on our program website: www.doubleupnys.com and our organization's website: www.fieldandforknetwork.com. In addition, we sent the report out to our listserv of more than 4,200 customers, advocates, supporters, donors, and stakeholders. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We are planning to launch our 2018 Double Up program season in 2018 on June 30, 2018 at our participating seasonal farmers markets which will run for 18 weeks through the end of October 2018. In addition, we plan to launch our loyalty card pilot at 2 healthy corner stores and 3 farmers markets by mid-2018.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Double Up Food Bucks NY program achieved significant growth from 2016 to 2017 including program expansion into an additional county - we now operate the program in 12 counties throughout Western NY and the Finger Lakes. Goal #1:Improve access to and affordability of fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income consumers (SNAP recipients) in the 11 county region at the identified food access points. Results from May 2016 through April 2017 The program operated at 15 seasonal farmers markets and 1 mobile market for 18 weeks and 1 mobile market fleet (3 trucks) year-round visiting more than 70+ sites per month and another farmers market that operates during the winter months. The participating sites covered 15 counties. SNAP sales (value of tokens/coupons distributed): $177,321 Double Up distributed (value of tokens/coupons distributed): $155,841 Total SNAP transactions: 15,724 Total Double Up transactions: 14,851 Number of new customers using the program: 2,652 229 Customer Surveys were completed and 3 focus groups with a total of 26 participants were completed. Results: 82% of Double Up shoppers reported that the amount of fresh fruits they bought increased as a result of program participation. 85% of Double Up shoppers reported that the amount of fresh vegetables bought increased as a result of program participation. 96% of Double Up shoppers said their families are eating more fresh fruits and vegetables as a result of program participation. 90% of Double Up shoppers said they are more confident in their ability to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables since using the program. 29Market Managers and staff attended the annual Double Up training. Goal #2:Increase business opportunities and revenue for small and mid-size farmers selling through food access points. Results from May 2017 through April 2018 SNAP spent at participating sites: $170,437 Double Up spent at participating sites: $141,963 200+ farmers participated in the Double Up program 98 farmer vendors completed surveys. Results: 55% of Double Up farmers said they are making more money as a result of participating in the program. 58% of Double Up farmers said they are selling more fruits and vegetables since joining the program. 66% of Double Up farmers reported havinga new customer base as a result of participating in the program. Goal #3: Develop and test effective and efficient technologies for benefit redemption at point of sale that are scaleable and replicable by others. We are continuing to move forward with utilizing the loyalty card based app technology developed and tested by Fair Food Network in Flint, MI. Much of our work in 2017 was planning related - working with corner store owners and a select number (3)of surrounding farmers markets to get them ready for a launch of the pilot in mid-2018. The delay in launching the pilot was largely due to due diligence by FNS on behalf of the Office of Temporary Disability Assistance in New York State. We are hopeful that a launch is imminent by June 2018.
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Progress 05/15/16 to 05/14/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The Double Up Food Bucks nutrition incentive program targets individuals and families receiving SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) benefits. The program operates in over 11 counties in Western New York State with a variety of sites located in urban, suburban and rural areas. In 2016, we expanded geographically but also expanded our work with two key partners that allow us to operate the program year-round - the Curbside Market - a robust mobile market program through Foodlink which visits more than 75+ sites across 5 counties per month and the Elmwood Winter Market - a continuation of the seasonal Elmwood Bidwell Farmers Market. This expansion to go beyond our normal 18 week season has been an impactful way to reach more folks on SNAP, particularly folks in rural areas and disabled individuals. Since May 2016we have reached a total of 2,400+ new participants in the program. Changes/Problems:As noted above, the biggest change in our approach has been relative to the technology development component of our project. Upon doing research and due diligence on other existing technologies being tested at the point of sale, it was concluded that the team would move forward with utilizing with existing technology developed by Fair Food Network in Flint, MI. We hope to pilot the technology beginning at 2 healthy corner store retail sites and 3-4 surrounding farmers markets. Applied Sciences Group will be the system integrator and technical support. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We are still finalizing our 2016 program report which should be completed by May 15, 2017. Once the report is finalized, it will be available on both the doubleupnys.com and fieldandforknetwork.com websites. We will also be sending out a link to the report in our upcoming quarterly newsletter which goes to stakeholders, partners, donors, customers, and funders. We will also have printed versions of the report available to give to team members and partners. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?One of our primary focuses for the upcoming season is to do more robust program promotion and outreach. We plan to accomplish increased awareness of the program through community partnerships. -Build our network of partnerships with other agencies and programs that serve the SNAP population. We aim to train staff, provide flyers and posters explaining the program(currently translated into 5 languages: English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Russian, and Burmese - we will be adding Somali and Arabic this season too) and provide logos and press release language they can use. By targeting SNAP populations through other programs and service providers, we hope to increase the number of new participants in the program.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Western NY Double Up Food Bucks program achieved significant expansion and impact in 2016. The program grew to reach participants in more than 11 counties and we were able to expand with 2 new partners offering the program year-round, beyond our seasonal 18 weeks.We also launched our customer-facing website: www.doubleupnys.com, which has a program site locator feature where customers can locate a Double Up site using their zip code. Goal #1:Improve access to and affordability of fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income consumers (SNAP recipients) in the 11 county region at the identified food access points. Results from May 2016 through April 30, 2017: The program operated in 15 seasonal farmers markets and one mobile market program for 18 weeks; one mobile market program that operates year-round and visits more than 70+ sites per month and another farmers market that operates during the winter/spring months. The participating sites covered 11 counties. SNAP Sales (value of tokens/coupons distributed): $117,975 Double Up Distributed (value of tokens/coupons distributed): $101,722 Total SNAP transactions: 9,584 Total Double Up transactions: 9,084 Number of New Customers using the program: 2,365 151Customer Surveys were completed. Results: 92% of Double Up shoppers reported an increase in purchasing fresh fruits & vegetables 90% of Double Up shoppers said their families are eating more fresh fruits & vegetables 89% of Double Up shoppers reported they are purchasing more fresh fruits & vegetables for snacks since using the program 83% of Double Up shoppers said they are more confident in their ability to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables since using the program 35 market managers and staff attended a Double Up training Focus Groups have not been completed and are still in-progress EatSmart SNAP nutrition educators reported: 580 "direct" contacts (did a little lesson and filled out demographic information;), and 6,558 "indirect" participants (briefly engaged at a table) at our participating Double Up sites. Goal #2:Increase business opportunities and revenue for small and mid-size farmers selling through food access points. Results from May 2016 through April 30, 2017: SNAP spent at participating sites: $112,433 Double Up spent at participating sites: $95,817 185 farmers participated in the program 79 farmer/vendor surveys were completed and 9 interviews conducted. Results: 61% of farmers said they are making more money as a result of the program 67% of farmers said they are selling more fruits and vegetables since joining the Double Up program 67% of farmers reported having a new customer base as a result of participating in the Double Up program Goal #3: Develop and test effective and efficient technologies for benefit redemption at point of sale that are scaleable and replicable by others. The project team (including our technology partner Applied Sciences Group)conducted research including a site visit to Flint, MI to see Fair Food Network's technology pilot that allows SNAP customers to earn and redeem Double Up wherever they shop (inter-operable between farmers markets & retail), where it was determined that this technology was appropriate to move forward with rather than spending unnecessary time and resources developing our own technology. The intention is to bring this iPad based technology to Western NY retail and farmers market sites in late spring/early summer 2017. The retail sites will include two healthy corner store sites located on the east side of Buffalo along with 3-4 surrounding farmers markets.
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