Recipient Organization
MICHIGAN PHYSICAL FITNESS, HEALTH AND SPORTS FOUNDATION, INC.
1213 CENTER ST STE D
LANSING,MI 48906
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Michigan Farm to Family is an innovative Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) incentive program to increase sales and consumption of culturally appropriate, locally produced fruits and vegetables among SNAP participants accessing emergency food in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Through this FINI Pilot Project, up to 100 CSA half shares from the West Michigan Growers Group will be purchased up front on behalf of the Access of West Michigan pantry network. These CSA half shares will be marketed direct-to consumer at five EBT-authorized food pantries in underserved, low food access communities, FINI-subsidized at the point of purchase (75% off sale price), and enhanced with science-based Michigan Harvest of the Month™ nutrition education. Up to 2,200 unique SNAP participants and their households will make first-time CSA share purchases during the duration of the pilot.Michigan Farm to Family is based on Michigan Fitness Foundation's statewide formative evaluation, which demonstrated high unmet demand for locally-grown fresh produce among Michigan's 3,100+ pantries due to insufficient cold storage capacity, limited funding, and low-income consumers' lack of familiarity with fresh produce. By pairing "just-in-time delivery" with subsidized EBT redemptions, Michigan Farm to Family offers a streamlined, scalable process for reaching SNAP-participants at emergency feeding organizations - a nearly $122.5 million underserved market - statewide.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of Michigan Farm to Family is to pilot a direct-to-consumers sales marketing model employing small-scale, direct market farmers and food pantries serving SNAP recipients who purchase new subsidized CSA shares, the increase in which will serve as the primary measure of effectiveness of the pilot.By April 2017 (or the estimated end of the grant cycle), we propose to meet the following goals/SMART objectives, which directly contribute to achievement of the primary FINI goals, "increasing the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers participating in SNAP by providing incentives at the point of purchase":1. At least 100 and up to 2,200 unique SNAP recipients accessing emergency food will purchase CSA half shares from participating pantries;2. At least 25% of SNAP recipients who have purchased one CSA half share at participating pantries will purchase at least one additional CSA half share; 73. Participating CSA farmers will report an increase in the number of new SNAP recipient CSA shareholders above the 2015 growing season baseline;4. Participating farmers will report an increase in SNAP sales above the 2015 growing season baseline;5. Access of West Michigan pantries will sell at least 95% of available CSA half shares to SNAP recipients; and6. Via convenience sampling, 25% of SNAP recipients who have purchased at least one CSA half share will report an improvement in one or more short-term outcomes or six constructs related to related to fruit and vegetable consumption (i.e., perceived benefits to eating fruit & vegetables; perceived control; self-efficacy; readiness to eat more fruit; readiness to eat more vegetables; perceived diet quality) over the course of the 6-month implementation period.
Project Methods
At the beginning of the 2016 growing season, Grand Rapids Growers Group farmers will plant to accommodate up to an additional 100 half shares for Michigan Farm to Family participants. MFF will pay the farmers directly for these half shares in advance of the growing season with non-federal funds. Over the ensuing 22 week CSA season, SNAP participants at one of five participating EBT-authorized food pantries will purchase shares for $3.41/week ($75/season), 25% of the original half share price of $13.64/week ($300/season).The transaction would feel to participants like a "75% off" point of purchase incentive. Because a CSA operates on advanced purchase, the up-front financial component is covered by MFF. This still allows the farmers to obtain advance capital to plant to meet demand, while accommodating SNAP participants' limit to paying only two weeks in advance, per current SNAP regulations.Unlike a traditional CSA, where the same shareholders engage for a whole season, this pilot allows a pool of between 100 and 2,200 participants (the same individuals or different each week) to participate in a retail transaction at local pantries on a first-come, first-served basis. This model accommodates the transient nature of this new market (low-income, food insecure households), using onsite marketing to promote sale of the half shares. Access of West Michigan will assist these pantries (via non-FINI funds) to supplement the CSA shares with other complementary foods, thereby improving the relevance and buy-in from low-income SNAP participants. Lastly, participating Access of West Michigan pantries (with the assistance of MFF and MDHHS) will increase sales through direct marketing to SNAP participating neighbors which are not accessing the pantry, but are seeking a neighborhood location to access fresh produce.In order to improve the farmer's ability to determine price elasticities with low income consumers and avoid falloff from what would, in effect be a 75% price increase for participants leaving the "subsidized" phase of the project to purchase full priced shares in the future, we will survey participants to determine what they would actually be willing to pay for this box of produce in the future without a subsidy, then price the boxes at the farmer's required price and subsidize the difference between the desired price and the actual share price. While free introductory CSA shares or similar "freemium" plans for SNAP participants hold promise with this market, MFF and its partners have chosen not to adopt this tactic for the initial FINI Project Pilot. CSA farmers currently serving SNAP and food-insecure shareholders in other parts of the state, and with whom we will likely seek to scale the initiative, have expressed concern based on past experience that unless low-income shareholders "buy-in" at some payment level, they tend to miss pick up of their CSA shares.Launch (Upon Award)Dec 2015-Feb 2016: MDHHS and Access of West Michigan will work to expedite installation of EBT machines at five participating Michigan Farm to Family pantries.Jun, 2016: Participating Access of West Michigan pantries must have completed the USDA FNS authorization process to accept SNAP EBT and have readers installedApr/May, 2016:Print marketing and nutrition education materialsDistribute brief pilot pre-survey to prospective pilot SNAP participants to determine their baseline fruit and vegetable preferences, purchasing and consumption (dollar value, quantity, and variety).MFF directly pays farmers in the West Michigan Growers Group to leverage an additional 100 CSA half shares on behalf of SNAP recipientsMichigan Department of Health and Human Services and participating Access of West Michigan pantries will distribute marketing materials to Kent County SNAP participants (including those accessing emergency food) which advertise the reduced-price sharesImplementationJun -Oct (Weekly): West Michigan Growers Group farmers will deliver CSA half shares on a weekly basis to Access of West Michigan Pantries for onsite purchase and pickup by pilot SNAP participants. (Any shares not picked up will be logged for evaluation purposes and distributed via the pantry on another day to non-participating emergency food recipients.)Jun-Oct (Weekly): SNAP participants will use their SNAP EBT cards to purchase their incentivized half shares at one of five, an authorized EBT retailer.Jun-Oct (Weekly): Up to 100participants per distribution will receive evidence-based Michigan Harvest of the Month™ and/or "VeggieBooks: Quick Help for Meals" nutrition education materials at the point of purchase to emphasize the value and ease of preparation for featured produce, incentivizing current and future consumption.Jun-Dec (Weekly): - Process Evaluation (Farmer, Pantry, and Educator)Monthly: MFF site visitsPost ImplementationDec, 2016: A brief pilot post-survey will be distributed to pilot SNAP participants to determine their current fruit and vegetable preferences, purchasing and consumption (dollar value, quantity, and variety).Mar/Apr, 2017: Full pilot Process Evaluation and Grant Report will be completed by grant partners.Mar/Apr 2017: West Michigan Growers Group farmers adapt their product mix to suit the expressed cultural, dietary, and physiological preferences of pilot SNAP participants for the 2017 growing season.Process evaluation is at the core of any pilot project. MFF has extensive experience with conducting process evaluation, especially in SNAP-Ed. MFF values process evaluation's essential contribution to both fine-tuning program activities as well as ensuring fidelity of established programs. Demographic data, program activity elements such as access and purchase patterns, the program's pace and flow, and user and partner perspectives will contribute to a picture of the pilot program's community relevance, economic viability and practicality.A robust process evaluation will be conducted throughout the funding period to document and assess the process, challenges, and success of the four phases of the pilot: 1) planning; 2) implementation; 3) monitoring and evaluation; and 4) sustainability and scaling.