Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Our first target audience is the gardeners at the Sunshine Community Garden. These individuals and families were recruited through a variety of outreach activities to returning gardeners, Head Start, WIC, Conectando, and Jeffco Prosperity Partners (JPP) families, as well as through Denver Urban Gardens and Jefferson County Public Health's communications. Many of the families who participated in the garden were either current or past participants in WIC or Head Start, and therefore they could be considered economically disadvantaged. The participants received a great deal of informal, hands-on education about gardening - crop selection and planning, planting seeds and seedlings, weed and pest management, harvesting, protecting plants from the cold, and winterizing plots - from the garden coordinator and other peer gardeners. The garden coordinator, some peer gardeners, and Denver Urban Gardens also provided more formal education in the form ofworkshops (on seed starting and composting) as well as articles and videos shared via social media and email. Gardeners were encouraged to both share questions and to contribute to responding to others' questions about gardening and managing plots in order to build and grow from the knowledge of the community of gardeners, both in person and via social media. A subgroup of this audience is the Garden Advisory Committee which was formed during the 2020 gardening season and grew during 2021 and 2022. All gardeners were invited to participate in each of the meetings of this group whose purpose is to help steer decision making for the garden, including direction for educational and community-building offerings and garden growth. While some people only participated in one of these meetings, a core group of garden committee members-most of whom also regularly participated in the garden work days-has developed. Participating in this committee provides an opportunity for gardeners to learn more about gardening as well as to participate in the leadership of this community and thereby build leadership skills. Our second target audience, which overlaps to some degree with the first, is people who shopped at the GoFarm mobile market. These individuals and families became aware of the market through a partner organization, including Head Start, WIC, JPP, Conectando, and Culture of Wellness in Preschools, through past participation in GoFarm programming, through yard signs and banners or by driving by and seeing the mobile market truck, or through word of mouth. GoFarm sent out weekly emails, and these communications served to remind participants about the market and let them know what produce items would be available. Our yard signs, banners, and market flyers, as well as our weekly emails, were available in both English and Spanish to help us reach more of our community members. Those who attended the market had opportunities for informal education from market staff about types and varieties of produce, including identification, flavor and texture profile, differences between varieties, a great deal of information about prepping, cooking, and storing the items, as well as written recipes. Additionally, there was a volunteer at our markets every other week who provided cooking demonstrations and samples, thereby increasing the educational opportunities. Market staff also provided informal education about the farmers who grow the produce, their growing practices, and more broadly about the local food system through both signage and conversations. Our Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison was onsite at nearly every market, ensuring we would be able to provide the same breadth and depth of informal education to families who speak Spanish. Our third target audience includes the three paid interns and one full-time staff member (Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison) who worked for GoFarm during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. These community members were provided with a wide variety of educational opportunities, both formal and informal. The interns participated in an orientation, which included education about GoFarm, the Community Food Access Program, details about the market, and food safety training. The GoFarm internship has an educational focus, and the interns participated in a weekly team meeting that included time to work through challenges and to celebrate accomplishments, as well as ongoing education about new produce items and other changes that would occur that week. This group of staff members also participated in GoFarm's educational/professional development workshops. They also received a great deal of on-the-job training in order to run the market, and each market presented an opportunity for informal education about produce, food safety, market setup and display, the local food system, federal nutrition programs, and community engagement and outreach. The Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison also participated in a number of educational opportunities during the 2021-2022, and 2022-2023 winters, including conferences, webinars, trainings, and staff-wide racial equity discussions and activities. And starting inthe 2022 season, she assumed more responsibility and leadership of market operations. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 impacted the project throughout. While we were able to do many more activities in person and in groups over time - always in a COVID safe manner - and we saw initial decreases followed by eventual increases in attendance at markets. WIC staff saw clients remotely rather than at their on-site facility for much of the project and Head Start had to close for periods of time, and Head Start enrollment continues to be far less than what it was prior to COVID. All of these factors meant that access to families continued to be limited. Additionally, with staffing changes and pivots as well as the necessary focus on keeping school open and keeping kids and staff safe, Head Start staff's capacity for things outside of this was limited for portions of the project. In spite of these ongoing challenges, the project team was able to host a large number of markets and reach a significant number of community members. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Sunshine Community Garden offered several workshops and demonstrations on topics including seed starting, planting, and composting over the course of the project. These were led by Master Gardeners, Master Composters, and gardeners from the Sunshine Community Garden. Two of these workshops were the garden planting days, when the garden coordinator and other gardeners provide hands-on help to fellow gardeners with planning and planting their gardens. GoFarm's seasonal interns were offered professional development workshops during the season. All year-round GoFarm staff - including the Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison and the Community Food Access Program Director - were also invited to participate, and the workshops covered a variety of topics, including: Medicine Wheel Group Activity, Nonprofit Management, and Grant Writing Denver Area Local Food System Agricultural Workers' Rights Trauma-Informed Care The interns, Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison, Community Food Access Program Director also received hands-on food safety training. The interns, Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison, Community Food Access Program Director, and other staff members were invited to participate in tours of several farms with whom GoFarm partners. The seasonal interns were also invited to participate in some workshops through our Farmer Support & Development program, as well as meetings of coalitions and councils of which GoFarm is a member, such as Hunger Free Golden and the Jefferson County Food Policy Council. Finally, they were encouraged to seek out additional learning opportunities that fit their interests, which included 3 GoFarm interns attending the 2021 Women, Food, and Agriculture Network (WFAN) Conference. The Community Food Access (CFA) Program Director participated in a variety of professional development opportunities during this reporting period. These included: 2020 Women, Food, and Agriculture Network Annual Conference 2020 Hungry for Change Summit - Hunger Free Colorado 2020 Nourish Colorado Deep-Dive Webinar on Healthy Food Incentives Served as a panelist for GoFarm's 2021 Market Farming workshop on SNAP for Farmers Transforming White Organizational Culture workshop series - Center for the Study of White American Culture 2021 Mobile Market Summit 2021 Women, Food, and Agriculture Network Annual Conference Facilitated the "Values, Mission, & Vision" session of GoFarm's strategic planning 2022 Food Bill Action Team meetings - participated in many of these throughout the year 2022 Hollaback's Resilience: This Moment and Beyond Virtual Workshop 2022 University of Buffalo's Veggie Van Mobile Market Webinar: Transitioning from Donation to Retail 2022 Food Solutions New England's Winter Webinar Series: Racial Equity Leadership 2022 Full Frame Initiative's Amplifying Staff Wellbeing in the Workplace Virtual Workshop 2022 Coursera's Emotional and Social Intelligence course from University of California-Davis 2022 Hunger Action Day 2022 Mobile Market Summit (virtual) 2022 Bloomerang's Staff Burnout: How To Promote Mental Health and Increase Retention Webinar Along with the rest of the GoFarm team, participated in the 2022 Food Solutions New England 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, including engaging with the daily prompts and weekly facilitated staff discussions 2022 Nonprofit Learning Lab's Trauma Informed Facilitation course 2022 Right to Be's Bystander Intervention to Stop Disrespect in the Workplace training Facilitated 2022 workshop on Values, Mission, Vision, & Goals for GoFarm's Whole Farm Planning Course During the project, the Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison, Evelyn Gutierrez, assumed greater responsibility and leadership of the markets, with the CFA Program Director taking a step back from personally managing every market. Ms. Gutierrez also participated in a variety of other professional development opportunities during this reporting period including, but not limited to: 2020 Hungry for Change Summit - Hunger Free Colorado 2020 Nourish Colorado Deep-Dive Webinar on Healthy Food Incentives 2021 Nourish Colorado Deep-Dive Webinar on Healthy Food Policy 2021 Mental Health First Aid Training 2021 Mobile Market Summit 2021 Women, Food, and Agriculture Network Annual Conference 2021 Community Language Coop - Language Justice Interpretation Training 2022 University of Buffalo's Veggie Van Mobile Market Webinar: Transitioning from Donation to Retail 2022 Food Solutions New England Winter Webinar Series: Cooperatives; Racial Equity Leadership; Universal Human Rights Legislation; Narrative Strategy 2022 Latino Advocacy Week Webinar Series: Advocacy Training; Preserving the Past, Advocating for Cultura; DREAM Act; Letting Communities of Color Lead: Latino Conservation Policy 2022 Food Solutions New England Racial Equity Challenge Facilitators Training Workshop 2022 Mobile Market Summit (in person) Along with the rest of the GoFarm team, participated in the 2022 and 2023 Food Solutions New England 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, including engaging with the daily prompts and weekly facilitated staff discussions How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The primary mechanism for publicly sharing results so far has been via online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. GoFarm will also be including information on the project in our 2023 annual report which reaches thousands of community members. Results have also been shared with partners directly and through Jefferson County Head Start's Health Advisory Committee meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In its 2016 Community Food Assessment, the City of Arvada identified SE Arvada as an area of the City with significant barriers to healthy food access for residents. Community input gathered as part of the assessment process identified a desire for more community gardens and farmers markets to address these barriers. Our project, Building A Healthy Neighborhood Local Food Environment In SE Arvada, CO increases food security and addresses barriers to healthy eating for low-income households, while also building community and supporting the local food economy. During the project, the Sunshine Community Garden grew to a total of 32 community plots, with 3-7 learning garden plots shared by Head Start classrooms, as well as community spaces including a shade structure with a roof, a pumpkin patch and perennial and herb gardens. Garden members participated in 24 garden work days, 13 advisory team meetings, multiple workshops and hands-on demonstrations, and community events, as well as engaged in an online platform to share ideas, gardening tips and coordinate on garden caretaking. During the Colorado growing season, GoFarm hosted weekly low-cost community markets at the Head Start location, selling exclusively Colorado-grown products primarily from small scale urban farmers in the Front Range. Sales totaled over $20,000 and included over $10,000 in WIC, SNAP and other incentives. Survey results of market participants showed that over two-thirds of customers reported that their families increased their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as a result of shopping at the market. To run the market operations, GoFarm hired and trained 3 to 5paid interns each year as well as developed a full-time position for our bilingual staff member who joined the team part-time in 2020 after being a market customer for several years, originally connected to us through WIC. Through these activities, we are engaging community members in SE Arvada to address food insecurity through increased opportunity to grow food, as well as access to affordable locally and sustainably grown produce. We are strengthening the local food economy by leveraging Federal nutrition programs (SNAP and WIC), and increasing the consumption of local, healthy food among low-income families. Goal/Objective 1.1: Improved wellness and healthy eating among project participants, who grow, prepare and consume more locally grown, fresh produce. The synergy resulting from the activities of the project, combined with the focus on healthy eating and nutrition inherent in WIC programming, as well as the focus on healthy eating demonstrated by Head Start's commitment to scratch cooking will help to enhance the culture around healthy eating for Jefferson County Head Start and WIC families and the community at large. 1) 32 community garden plots were filled by community members. Garden members participated in 24 garden work days, 13 advisory team meetings, multiple workshops and hands-on demonstrations, and community events. 69 low-cost Community Markets were also hosted on site, with incentives for purchases by SNAP, WIC and Head Start participants. 2) Over 70% of Community Market survey respondents said they purchased more Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables, and over 70% reported that the market made it easier for them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. 3) Similarly, over 70% of survey respondents reported that their families ate more fruit as a result of the market, and over three-quarters of survey respondents reported that their families ate more vegetables as a result of the market. Goal/Objective 1.2 Food equity will be addressed through improved access to affordable, healthy, local produce for SE Arvada community members, especially Head Start and WIC families. 1) GoFarm is a participant in Colorado's Double Up Food Bucks Program and as such offers a 50% discount on local produce purchased with SNAP benefits. In partnership with Jefferson County Public Health WIC, we also offer $5 off any purchase of $10 or more for WIC participants, and a $5 incentive for Head Start families if they are not already receiving SNAP or WIC incentives. We also partnered with LiveWell Colorado and Jefferson County Public Health to offer weekly market credit to selected WIC participant families. 2) Data was collected with every market visit, including purchase amount, incentive amount and method of payment. 3) over 50% of customers who made purchases at the market used some sort of incentive, and nearly 60% of sales were tied to incentives. 4) Due to COVID-19, the reach of the community market was significantly less than expected, with a total of over 1,500 total market visits. In general, attendance was severely impacted by closures and decreased enrollment at Head Start as well as remote-only operations at WIC due to COVID-19. Goal/Objective 1.3 1) Community Garden plots were available to 32 community members, as well as workshop training, community building events such as the Pizza & Weed Pulling Party and the Harvest Festival, and leadership experience as part of the Garden Advisory Committee, an opportunity that is open to all Sunshine Community Gardeners. GoFarm hired up to 5 paid interns annually and further developed the full-time position for our Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison, as well as utilizing 3 regular volunteers for market operations and cooking demonstrations. The markets sold exclusively local produce. 2) Data was collected related to participation in the community garden and at the market, as well as purchase/sales data at the market. 3) Over 30 community members participated in community garden trainings and events, up to 8 participated annually in the Garden Advisory Committee, and 4 community members received training and income as a result of being hired to assist with project operations. Additionally, local farmers received over $20,000 through produce sales at the community market. 4) The garden has been expanded and developed throughout the years of this project, presenting many more opportunities for gardeners to build community and gain new skills.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Our first target audience is the gardeners at the Sunshine Community Garden. These individuals and families were recruited through a variety of outreach activities to returning gardeners, Head Start, WIC, Conectando, and Jeffco Prosperity Partners (JPP) families, as well as through Denver Urban Gardens and Jefferson County Public Health's communications. Many of the families who participated in the garden were either current or past participants in WIC or Head Start, and therefore they could be considered economically disadvantaged. The participants received a great deal of informal, hands-on education about gardening - crop selection and planning, planting seeds and seedlings, weed and pest management, harvesting, protecting plants from the cold, and winterizing plots - from the garden coordinator and other peer gardeners. The garden coordinator, some peer gardeners, and Denver Urban Gardens also provided more formal education in the form of workshops (on seed starting and composting) as well as articles and videos shared via social media and email. Gardeners were encouraged to both share questions and to contribute to responding to others' questions about gardening and managing plots in order to build and grow from the knowledge of the community of gardeners, both in person and via social media. A subgroup of this audience is the Garden Advisory Committee which was formed during the 2020 gardening season and grew during 2021 and 2022. All gardeners were invited to participate in each of the meetings of this group whose purpose is to help steer decision making for the garden, including direction for educational and community-building offerings and garden growth. While some people only participated in one of these meetings, a core group of garden committee members-most of whom also regularly participated in the garden work days-has developed. Participating in this committee provides an opportunity for gardeners to learn more about gardening as well as to participate in the leadership of this community and thereby build leadership skills. Our second target audience, which overlaps to some degree with the first, is people who shopped at the GoFarm market. These individuals and families became aware of the market through a partner organization, including Head Start, WIC, JPP, Conectando, and Culture of Wellness in Preschools, through past participation in GoFarm programming, through yard signs and banners or by driving by and seeing the mobile market truck, or through word of mouth. GoFarm sent out weekly emails, and these communications served to remind participants about the market and let them know what produce items would be available. Our yard signs, banners, and market flyers, as well as our weekly emails, were available in both English and Spanish to help us reach more of our community members. Those who attended the market had opportunities for informal education from market staff about types and varieties of produce, including identification, flavor and texture profile, differences between varieties, a great deal of information about prepping, cooking, and storing the items, as well as written recipes. Additionally, there was a volunteer at our markets every other week who provided cooking demonstrations and samples, thereby increasing the educational opportunities. Market staff also provided informal education about the farmers who grow the produce, their growing practices, and more broadly about the local food system through both signage and conversations. Our Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison was onsite at nearly every market, ensuring we would be able to provide the same breadth and depth of informal education to families who speak Spanish. With this market, GoFarm is working to reach community members with low incomes, and in 2022, 40% of market participants were enrolled in SNAP and/or WIC, and 59% of sales were through SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks or WIC discounts and incentives. Our third target audience includes the three paid interns and one full-time staff member (Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison) who worked for GoFarm during the 2022 season. These community members were provided with a wide variety of educational opportunities, both formal and informal. The interns participated in an orientation, which included education about GoFarm, the Community Food Access Program, details about the market, and food safety training. The GoFarm internship has an educational focus, and the interns participated in a weekly team meeting that included time to work through challenges and to celebrate accomplishments, as well as ongoing education about new produce items and other changes that would occur that week. This group of staff members also participated in GoFarm's educational/professional development workshops. They also received a great deal of on-the-job training in order to run the market, and each market presented an opportunity for informal education about produce, food safety, market setup and display, the local food system, federal nutrition programs, and community engagement and outreach. The Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison also participated in a number of educational opportunities during the 2021-2022 winter, including conferences, webinars, trainings, and staff-wide racial equity discussions and activities. And during the 2022 season, she assumed more responsibility and leadership of market operations. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 continued to have an impact on the project during this reporting year. While these effects were smaller than in prior years, there was still a significant impact. WIC staff continued to primarily see clients remotely rather than at their on-site facility, decreasing foot traffic from these families. General staffing shortages and challenges have continued to alter the capacity of many organizations. While this has affected several of our objectives, the area it has impacted the most is in SNAP and WIC enrollment. GoFarm and our partner organizations have not had the capacity to dedicate to this area, though we plan to focus on this in the upcoming year. During this project year we made several positive changes to help us reach more community members and create more access to affordable food at our markets. With our partners, we added more ways to reach out to folks to promote the market, and we increased the frequency of our outreach. For example, GoFarm created a new Instagram page for our mobile market and Head Start staff reached out weekly to staff and families with reminders about the markets. With input from Head Start and WIC staff, we decided to change the time of our market from midday to later in the afternoon to help us reach more parents/guardians as they were picking up their children from Head Start, and also at the end of the school day for parents with older children. Finally, we implemented a flexible-pricing or sliding scale pricing model at our market. While GoFarm has always charged affordable prices at our market, we recognize that the food may not be affordable for everyone. The flexible pricing model offers three levels of pricing, and each customer self-identifies which level they want to use each time they come to the market. This is done discreetly and respectfully, allowing everyone to choose the level that works best for them and reinforcing that all levels of pricing help support local farmers, contribute to the community, and help us continue hosting markets. The response to this pricing model was very positive, with customers appreciating the option to get more food for their money or to pay it forward if they are in a position to do so. Another notable change to project activities was once again around how GoFarm hires community members to assist with market operations. As we have moved through the project, we decided to create a full-time employment role for our Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison (MC), the Head Start and WIC parent and long-time GoFarm customer who was hired in 2020 to assist with market operations and help reach Spanish-speaking families. She came on full-time in March of 2021, and we have seen the incredible impact to our organization, this partnership, and the advancement of this project's objectives that she has created in this full-time position. During the 2022 season, her role shifted as she assumed greater responsibility for market operations. With the role of the CFA Program Director shifting away from her being onsite at most of the markets, the MC took on more leadership at the markets, including guiding the work of the interns and volunteers. With the development of a more robust volunteer program, we were also able to have regular volunteers help at the market with operations and cooking demonstrations. This created more opportunities for community members to be involved in our work and to build more relationships with their neighbors. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Sunshine Community Garden offered one virtual and three hands-on workshops and demonstrations on topics including seed starting, planting, and composting during the 2022 season. These were led by Master Gardeners, Master Composters, and gardeners from the Sunshine Community Garden. GoFarm's seasonal interns were offered professional development workshops during the season. All year-round GoFarm staff were also invited to participate, and the workshops covered a variety of topics, including: ? Medicine Wheel Group Activity, Nonprofit Management, and Grant Writing ? Denver Area Local Food System ? Agricultural Workers' Rights ? Trauma-Informed Care The interns, Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison, Community Food Access Program Director also received hands-on food safety training. The interns, Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison, Community Food Access Program Director, and other staff members were invited to participate in tours of several farms with whom GoFarm partners. The seasonal interns were also invited to participate in some workshops through our Farmer Support & Development program, as well as meetings of coalitions and councils of which GoFarm is a member, such as Hunger Free Golden and the Jefferson County Food Policy Council. Finally, they were encouraged to seek out additional learning opportunities that fit their interests, which included 3 GoFarm interns attending the 2021 Women, Food, and Agriculture Network (WFAN) Conference. The Community Food Access (CFA) Program Director participated in a variety of professional development opportunities during this reporting period. These included: ? 2021 Women, Food, and Agriculture Network Annual Conference ? Facilitated the "Values, Mission, & Vision" session of GoFarm's strategic planning ? 2022 Food Bill Action Team meetings - participated in many of these throughout the year ? 2022 Hollaback's Resilience: This Moment and Beyond Virtual Workshop ? 2022 University of Buffalo's Veggie Van Mobile Market Webinar: Transitioning from Donation to Retail ? 2022 Food Solutions New England's Winter Webinar Series: Racial Equity Leadership ? 2022 Full Frame Initiative's Amplifying Staff Wellbeing in the Workplace Virtual Workshop ? 2022 Coursera's Emotional and Social Intelligence course from University of California-Davis ? 2022 Hunger Action Day ? 2022 Mobile Market Summit (virtual) ? 2022 Bloomerang's Staff Burnout: How To Promote Mental Health and Increase Retention Webinar ? Along with the rest of the GoFarm team, participated in the 2022 Food Solutions New England 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, including engaging with the daily prompts and weekly facilitated staff discussions ? 2022 Nonprofit Learning Lab's Trauma Informed Facilitation course ? 2022 Right to Be's Bystander Intervention to Stop Disrespect in the Workplace training ? Facilitated 2022 workshop on Values, Mission, Vision, & Goals for GoFarm's Whole Farm Planning Course During the 2022 season, the Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison, Evelyn Gutierrez, assumed greater responsibility and leadership of the markets, with the CFA Program Director taking a step back from personally managing every market. Ms. Gutierrez also participated in a variety of other professional development opportunities during this reporting period including: ? 2021 Women, Food, and Agriculture Network Annual Conference ? 2021 Community Language Coop - Language Justice Interpretation Training ? 2022 University of Buffalo's Veggie Van Mobile Market Webinar: Transitioning from Donation to Retail ? 2022 Food Solutions New England Winter Webinar Series: Cooperatives; Racial Equity Leadership; Universal Human Rights Legislation; Narrative Strategy ? 2022 Latino Advocacy Week Webinar Series: Advocacy Training; Preserving the Past, Advocating for Cultura; DREAM Act; Letting Communities of Color Lead: Latino Conservation Policy ? 2022 Food Solutions New England Racial Equity Challenge Facilitators Training Workshop ? 2022 Mobile Market Summit (in person) Along with the rest of the GoFarm team, participated in the 2022 Food Solutions New England 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, including engaging with the daily prompts and weekly facilitated staff discussions How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The primary mechanism for publicly sharing results so far has been via online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. GoFarm will also be including information on the project in our 2022 annual report which reaches hundreds of community members. Results have also been shared with partners directly and through Jefferson County Head Start's Health Advisory Committee. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In addition to what is outlined in the agency-approved application, we will address the issues we have encountered during this reporting period by: Continuing to shift events and activities to virtual or hybrid as appropriate. This may include in-person events (following public health guidelines) with smaller groups and more time slots. If COVID-19 restrictions persist, additional resources will be created and shared that utilize a variety of technologies to make these resources engaging and accessible. Continuing to pursue options for increased distribution via our mobile market during Year 4. We will continue to explore ways to increase our distribution, such as partnering with other organizations, diversifying our methods of promotion and doing more to promote the market more broadly, and trying different distribution models. We may add more WIC market credits as funding is available, and potentially do more credits following this model with other partners. We will be doing more around community engagement, including listening sessions and modifying our programming based on what we learn from the community in these sessions and potentially adding folks who are interested to our community/garden advisory groups. Reevaluating our ability to operate a market during the winter based on produce availability. Continuing to prioritize full-time hiring of community members in Year 4 because we see a greater value in our full-time, year-round position rather than several part-time, seasonal positions to further advance the project objectives. See changes/problems section for more details. Creating a plan for surveying gardeners in Year 4 to ensure we're meeting our objectives regarding gardeners' experiences Working with Colorado State University to create a plan to evaluate the economic impact of the project and/or adding a community-based evaluation component to the project Ensuring adequate time, funding, and other resources are provided to support the further development of the Garden Advisory Committee Working with our partners during the beginning of Year 4 to develop a solid plan to address the project objectives concerning WIC and SNAP enrollment. We will connect with our WIC and Head Start contacts early in Year 4 to discuss the project and make plans for the coming season. While we do not know how and for how long we will all be dealing with the impact of the pandemic, we know that everyone's capacity and in-person activities may continue to be affected. Additionally, we know that the need for the support provided by SNAP and WIC to families is going to remain high during and post-pandemic. We will create a plan with that in mind and focus on helping families as much as possible.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Our project increases food security and addresses barriers to healthy eating for low-income households, while also building community and supporting the local food economy. During the 2022 growing season, the Sunshine Community Garden included a total of 32 community plots, with 3 learning garden plots shared by 2 Head Start classrooms, as well as community spaces including a shade structure with a roof, a pumpkin patch and perennial and herb gardens. Garden members participated in 5 garden work days, 2 advisory team meetings, 4 workshops and hands-on demonstrations, and 5 community events, as well as engaged in an online platform to share ideas, gardening tips and coordinate on garden caretaking. During the Colorado growing season, GoFarm hosted weekly low-cost community markets from our mobile market truck at the Head Start location, selling exclusively Colorado-grown products primarily from small scale urban farmers in the Front Range. During this market season, GoFarm began using a three-tiered flexible pricing/sliding scale model for the produce to make the food more affordable for everyone. Sales totaled over $8,100 and included nearly $4,800 in WIC, SNAP and other incentives. Survey results of market participants showed that 64% of customers reported that their families increased their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as a result of shopping at the market. To run the market operations, GoFarm hired and trained 3 paid interns as well as continuing to develop and refine the full-time position created for our Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison, who joined the team part time in 2020 after being a market customer for several years, originally connected to us through WIC. GoFarm also formalized and developed our volunteer program, with 3 regular volunteers assisting with market operations and providing cooking demonstrations and samples. Through these activities, we are engaging community members in SE Arvada to address food insecurity through increased opportunity to grow food, as well as access to affordable locally and sustainably grown produce. We are strengthening the local food economy by leveraging federal nutrition programs (SNAP and WIC), and increasing the consumption of local, healthy food among low-income families. Goal/Objective 1.1 The synergy resulting from the activities of the project, combined with the focus on healthy eating and nutrition inherent in WIC programming, as well as the focus on healthy eating demonstrated by Head Start's commitment to scratch cooking will help to enhance the culture around healthy eating for Jefferson County Head Start and WIC families and the community at large. 1) For the 2022 season, 32 community garden plots were filled by community members, with 3 learning plots tended by 2 Head Start classrooms. Garden members participated in 5 garden work days, 2 advisory team meetings, 4 workshops and hands-on demonstrations, and 5 community events. 21 low-cost Community Markets were also hosted on site, using a flexible pricing/sliding scale model with incentives for purchases by SNAP and for WIC participants. 2) Data was collected on market visits and purchases, and a survey was conducted of market customers. 3) 92% of Community Market survey respondents said they purchased more Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables, and 92% reported that the market made it easier for them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, 71% of survey respondents reported trying a new type of produce or a new recipe from the market this year. 4) A key outcome was that 64% of survey respondents reported that their families ate more fruits and vegetables as a result of the market. Goal/Objective 1.2 The GoFarm Community Market will serve as a convenient (on-site), low-cost option for purchasing fresh, locally-grown produce. SNAP and WIC will be leveraged to increase affordability through Double Up Food Bucks and WIC incentives. Increasing enrollment in both SNAP and WIC will increase families' purchasing power, as well as incentivize spending on healthy options that have local economic benefits. 1) GoFarm is a participant in Colorado's Double Up Food Bucks Program and as such offers a 50% discount on local produce purchased with SNAP benefits. In partnership with Jefferson County Public Health WIC, we also offer 50% off any purchase for WIC participants. Additionally, we partnered with Nourish Colorado and Jefferson County Public Health to offer weekly market credit to 21 selected WIC participant families. 2) Data was collected with every market visit, including purchase amount, incentive amount and method of payment. 3) 59% of purchases at the market used some sort of incentive, and of the total market sales of $8,100, 59% of sales ($4,800) were tied to incentives. In total, there were 483 market visits over the course of the season. 4) In 2022, the GoFarm Community Market reached a total of 161 market participants who made 483 total market visits over the 21 days of market operations. These numbers represent growth over the prior two seasons, though the reach of the market continued to be affected by COVID-19. GoFarm also partners with the Arvada Veggie Van, a non-profit that brings high quality, freshly picked local produce to select areas of the city - mainly, those identified by the City of Arvada and Jefferson County as priority 'food deserts,' which are located primarily in SE Arvada. Each week of Veggie Van's season, GoFarm donates some of the remaining food at the end of market to them for their distributions. This partnership helps us provide access to affordable, healthy, local produce to even more community members with over 500 pounds donated during the 2022 season. Please note, this project also intends to focus on increasing enrollment in WIC and SNAP among Head Start families, however we were once again very limited in these efforts in 2022 due to COVID-19. The progress made in this area this year included the fact that WIC staff continue to be able to assist with SNAP enrollment, and this has and will continue to greatly benefit the families.See changes/problems section for more details. Goal/Objective 1.3 1) Community Garden plots were available to 32 community members, as well as workshop training, community building events such as the Pizza & Weed Pulling Party and the Harvest Festival, and leadership experience as part of the Garden Advisory Committee, an opportunity that is open to all Sunshine Community Gardeners. GoFarm hired 3 paid interns and further developed the full-time position for our Market Coordinator/Bilingual Community Liaison, as well as utilizing 3 regular volunteers for market operations and cooking demonstrations. The markets sold exclusively localproduce. 2) Data was collected related to participation in the community garden and at the market, as well as purchase/sales data at the market. 3) 32 community members participated in community garden trainings and events, 6 participated in the Garden Advisory Committee, and 4 community members received training and income as a result of being hired to assist with project operations. Additionally, local farmers received over $8,100 through produce sales at the community market. 4) The garden has been expanded and developed throughout the years of this project, presenting many more opportunities for gardeners to build community and gain new skills. 5) Key outcomes for the project in year three for this objective are limited as the project has been affected in many ways by COVID-19. In later years of the project, we plan to do more evaluation of the project.We have received a no-cost extension for our project, and we will focus more on this aspect of the project during year 4.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Our first target audience is the gardeners at the Sunshine Community Garden. These individuals and families were recruited through a variety of outreach activities to returning gardeners, Head Start, WIC, and Jeffco Prosperity Partners (JPP) families, as well as through Denver Urban Gardens and Jefferson County Public Health's communications. A majority of the families who participated in the garden were either current or past participants in either WIC or Head Start. The participants received a great deal of informal, hands-on education about gardening - crop selection and planning, planting seeds and seedlings, weed and pest management, harvesting, protecting plants from the cold, and winterizing plots - from the garden leader, Master Gardeners who were onsite during a total of 8 planting days and workdays, and other peer gardeners. The garden leader, some peer gardeners, and Denver Urban Gardens also provided more formal education in the form of workshops - on seed starting, garden planning, composting, and garlic planting - as well as articles and videos shared via social media and email. Gardeners were encouraged to both share questions and to contribute to responding to others' questions about gardening and managing plots in order to build and grow from the knowledge of the community of gardeners, both in person and via social media. A subgroup of this audience is the Garden Advisory Committee which was formed during the 2020 gardening season and grew during 2021. All gardeners were invited to participate in each of the monthly meetings of this group whose purpose is to help steer decision-making for the garden, including direction for educational and community-building offerings and garden growth. While some people only participated in one of these meetings, a core group of garden committee members - most of whom also regularly participated in the garden workdays - has developed. Participating in this committee provides an opportunity for gardeners to learn more about gardening as well as to participate in the leadership of this community and thereby build leadership skills. Our second target audience, which overlaps to some degree with the first, is people who participated in the GoFarm market. These individuals and families became aware of the market through a partner organization, including Head Start, WIC, JPP, Conectando, and Culture of Wellness in Preschools, through past participation in GoFarm programming, through yard signs and banners, or by driving by and seeing the mobile market truck, or through word of mouth. GoFarm sent out weekly emails, and these communications served the dual purposes of outreach - to remind participants about the market and let them know what produce items would be available - and of education, as each email contained information about local farmers and the local food system, as well as recipes. Our yard signs, banners, and market flyers, as well as our weekly emails, were available in both English and Spanish to help us reach more of our community members. Those who attended the market had opportunities for informal education from market staff about types and varieties of produce, including identification, flavor and texture profile, differences between varieties, a great deal of information about prepping, cooking, and storing the items, as well as written recipes. At the market, staff also provided informal education about the farmers who grow the produce, their growing practices, and more broadly about the local food system. Our Bilingual Community Liaison helped staff nearly every market, ensuring we would be able to provide the same breadth and depth of informal education to families who speak Spanish. With this market, GoFarm is working to reach community members with low incomes, and in 2021, 51% of market participants were enrolled in SNAP and/or WIC, and 60% of sales were through SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks or WIC discounts and incentives. Our third target audience includes the three paid interns and one full-time staff member (Bilingual Community Liaison) who worked for GoFarm during the 2021 season. These community members were provided with a wide variety of educational opportunities, both formal and informal. The interns participated in an orientation, which included education about GoFarm, the Community Food Access Program, details about the market, and food safety training. The GoFarm internship has an educational focus, and the interns participated in a weekly team meeting that included time to work through challenges and to celebrate as well as ongoing education about the produce that would be newly featured that week. This group of staff members also participated in GoFarm's monthly educational/professional development workshops, which were designed with an equity lens. They also received a great deal of hands-on job training in order to run the market, and each market presented an opportunity for informal education about produce, food safety, market setup and display, the local food system, federal nutrition programs, and community engagement and outreach. The Bilingual Community Liaison also participated in a number of educational opportunities during the 2020-2021 winter, including conferences, webinars, trainings, and staff-wide racial equity discussions and activities. Changes/Problems:COVID-19 continued to impact the project during this reporting year. While we were able to do many more activities in person and in groups - always in a COVID safe manner - and we saw increased attendance at markets, the pandemic still greatly impacted the project. WIC staff continued to see clients remotely rather than at their on-site facility, Head Start frequently had to close for periods of time, and Head Start enrollment continues to be far less than what it was prior to COVID. All of these factors meant that access to families continued to be limited. Additionally, with staffing changes and pivots as well as the necessary focus on keeping school open and keeping kids and staff safe, Head Start staff's capacity for things outside of this remained limited. Our overall progress on this project will be delayed, though we believe we will be able to accomplish the project's goals with an extension of an additional year to meet the objectives. While this has affected several of our objectives, the area it has impacted the most is in SNAP and WIC enrollment. In spite of these ongoing challenges, the project team was able to partner on a lot of great events and outreach activities that reached many families. There was a general feeling of appreciation for being able to safely gather, build community, and learn and grow together again. During this project year, GoFarm purchased and began using a custom-built mobile market truck. This truck greatly increases our efficiency, food safety, visibility, capacity, and creates a more engaging customer experience. We spent much of the project year experimenting with our market operations in this new truck, and we will continue to solidify operations during future years of the project, streamlining our operations and providing a further improved customer experience. This was not a problem, but it was a significant change to our model and operations. Another notable change to project activities is around how GoFarm hires community members to assist with market operations. As we have moved through the project, we decided to create a full-time employment role for Evelyn, the Head Start and WIC parent and long-time GoFarm customer who was hired in 2020 to assist with market operations and help to reach Spanish-speaking families. She came on full-time in March, and we have seen the incredible impact to our organization, this partnership, and the advancement of this project's objectives that Evelyn has created in this full-time position. We chose to focus on this role rather than creating several very part-time, seasonal roles. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During part of this project year, the Community Food Access Program Manager continued meeting weekly with an inclusive leadership coach to foster learning and growth around anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. These coaching sessions resulted in increased clarity, thought partnership, and action to move the CFA program, including this project, further toward equity and justice. The Sunshine Community Garden offered two virtual and two hands-on workshops and demonstrations on topics including seed starting, garden planning, composting, and garlic planting during the 2021 season. These were led by Master Gardeners and gardeners from the Sunshine Community Garden. Master Gardeners were on site at the garden during planting days and work days to offer hands-on training and answer questions to help gardeners build their knowledge on everything from planning to planting to dealing with pests. GoFarm's seasonal interns were offered monthly professional development workshops throughout the season. All year-round GoFarm staff - including the Bilingual Community Liaison and the Community Food Access Program Manager - were also invited to participate, and the workshops covered a variety of topics, including: Nonprofit Management and Grant Writing Farm Bill, Food Access, and Federal Food Assistance Programs Agricultural Workers Rights Movements, Past and Present Becoming an Advocate in the Food and Farming System The interns also received hands-on food safety training, which was also available to year-round GoFarm staff. The interns, Bilingual Community Liaison, Community Food Access Program Manager, and other staff members toured several farms with whom GoFarm partners. The seasonal interns were also invited to join meetings of coalitions and councils of which GoFarm is a member, such as Hunger Free Golden and the Jefferson County Food Policy Council. They met as a group with the GoFarm Executive Director to connect with her and learn more about her role and the organization, as well as with the Chair of the GoFarm Board of Directors to learn more about the role of a nonprofit board and how they work with staff. Finally, they were encouraged to seek out additional learning opportunities that fit their interests. The Community Food Access Program Manager participated in a variety of professional development opportunities during this reporting period. These included: 2020 Women, Food, and Agriculture Network Annual Conference 2020 Hungry for Change Summit - Hunger Free Colorado 2020 Nourish Colorado Deep-Dive Webinar on Healthy Food Incentives Served as a panelist for GoFarm's 2021 Market Farming workshop on SNAP for Farmers 2021 Transforming White Organizational Culture workshop series - Center for the Study of White American Culture 2021 Mobile Market Summit Along with the rest of the GoFarm team, participated in the 2021 Food Solutions New England 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, including engaging with the daily prompts and weekly facilitated staff discussions The Bilingual Community Liaison also participated in a variety of professional development opportunities during this reporting period. These included: 2020 Hungry for Change Summit - Hunger Free Colorado 2020 Nourish Colorado Deep-Dive Webinar on Healthy Food Incentives 2021 Nourish Colorado Deep-Dive Webinar on Healthy Food Policy 2021 Mental Health First Aid Training 2021 Mobile Market Summit Along with the rest of the GoFarm team, participated in the 2021 Food Solutions New England 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge, including engaging with the daily prompts and weekly facilitated staff discussions How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?During this reporting period, results dissemination has continued to be rather limited. The primary mechanism for publicly sharing results so far has been via online platforms such as Facebook. GoFarm will also be including information on the project in our 2021 annual report. Results have also been shared with partners directly and through Jefferson County Head Start's Health Advisory Committee meetings. In addition, Jefferson County Extension made this video about the collaboration with Master Gardeners at the Sunshine Community Garden, and it was posted on YouTube and shared through emails and social media. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In addition to what is outlined in the agency-approved application, we will address the issues we have encountered during this reporting period by: Continuing to shift events and activities to virtual or hybrid as appropriate. This may include in-person events - following public health guidelines - with smaller groups and perhaps more time slots. If COVID-19 restrictions persist, additional resources will be created and shared that utilize a variety of technologies to make these resources engaging and accessible. Continuing to pursue options for increased distribution via our mobile market during Year 3. We will explore options for additional sites within the SE Arvada area that will enable us to reach more families than we have so far. We will also continue to explore other ways to increase our distribution, such as partnering with other organizations, adjusting our schedule, and trying different distribution models. Reevaluating our ability to operate a market during the winter based on produce availability. Hiring fewer community members in Year 3 because we see a greater value in our full-time, year-round position rather than several part-time, seasonal positions to further advance the project objectives. See changes/problems section for more details. Creating a plan for surveying gardeners in Years 3 and 4 to ensure we're meeting our objectives regarding gardeners' experiences Working with Colorado State University to create a plan to evaluate the economic impact of the project Ensuring adequate time, funding, and other resources are provided to support the further development of the Garden Advisory Committee Working with our partners during the beginning of Year 3 to develop a solid plan to address the project objectives concerning WIC and SNAP enrollment. There have been many staffing transitions, including with our main contact at Head Start. We will connect with our new main contact there early in Year 3 to discuss the project and make plans for the coming season. While we do not know how and for long we will all be dealing with the impact of the pandemic, we know that everyone's capacity and in-person activities may continue to be affected. Additionally, we know that the need for the support provided by SNAP and WIC to families is going to remain high during and post-pandemic. We will create a plan with that in mind and focus on helping families as much as possible. ?
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Our project, Building A Healthy Neighborhood Local Food Environment In SE Arvada, CO increases food security and addresses barriers to healthy eating for low-income households, while also building community and supporting the local food economy. Over the past year, the project expanded the Sunshine Community Garden to include a total of 32 community plots, 7 learning garden plots for Head Start classrooms and children, as well as community spaces including a shade structure with a roof, a pumpkin patch and perennial and herb gardens. Garden members participated in 11 garden workdays, 7 advisory team meetings, 8 days where Extension Master Gardeners were on hand at the garden to answer questions and provide hands-on education, 4 workshops and hands-on demonstrations, and 5 community events, as well as engaged in an online platform to share ideas, gardening tips and coordinate on garden caretaking. In March, GoFarm received our new mobile market truck which greatly increases our efficiency, food safety, visibility, capacity, and creates a more engaging customer experience. During the season, GoFarm hosted weekly low-cost community markets from our mobile market truck at the Head Start location, selling exclusively Colorado-grown products primarily from small-scale urban farmers in the Front Range. Sales totaled over $7,650 and included over $4,650 in WIC, SNAP and other incentives. Survey results of market participants showed that 67% of customers reported that their families increased their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as a result of shopping at the market. To run the market operations, GoFarm hired and trained 3 paid interns as well as developed a full-time position for our bilingual staff member who joined the team part-time in 2020 after being a market customer for several years, originally connected to us through WIC. Through these activities, we are engaging community members in SE Arvada to address food insecurity through increased opportunity to grow food, as well as access to affordable locally and sustainably grown produce. We are strengthening the local food economy by leveraging Federal nutrition programs (SNAP and WIC), and increasing the consumption of local, healthy food among low-income families. Goal/Objective 1.1: 1) For the 2021 season, 32 community garden plots were filled by community members and 7 learning plots were tended by Head Start classrooms or other children who are connected to the garden. Garden members participated in 11 garden workdays, 7 advisory team meetings, 8 days where Extension Master Gardeners were on hand at the garden to answer questions and provide hands-on education, 4 workshops and hands-on demonstrations, and 5 community events. 21 low-cost Community Markets were also hosted on-site, with incentives for purchases by SNAP and for WIC and Head Start participants. 2) Data was collected on market visits and purchases, and a survey was conducted of market customers. 3) 100% of Community Market survey respondents said they purchased more Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables, and 100% reported that the market made it easier for them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Additionally, 83% of survey respondents reported trying a new type of produce or a new recipe from the market this year. 4) A key outcome was that 67% of survey respondents reported that their families ate more fruits and vegetables as a result of the market. Goal/Objective 1.2: 1) GoFarm is a participant in Colorado's Double Up Food Bucks Program and as such offers a 50% discount on local produce purchased with SNAP benefits. In partnership with Jefferson County Public Health WIC, we also offer 50% off any purchase for WIC participants, and a $5 incentive for Head Start families if they are not already receiving SNAP or WIC incentives. Additionally, we partnered with Nourish Colorado and Jefferson County Public Health to offer weekly market credit to 16 selected WIC participant families. 2) Data was collected with every market visit, including purchase amount, incentive amount and method of payment. 3) 65% of purchases at the market used some sort of incentive, and of the total market sales of $7,650, 60% of sales ($4,650) were tied to incentives. In total, there were 378 market visits over the course of the season. 4) In 2021, the reach of the community market continued to be affected by COVID-19, with a total of 130 market participants making 378 total market visits over the 21 days of market operations. Attendance was severely impacted by closures and decreased enrollment at Head Start as well as remote-only operations at WIC due to COVID-19. We were, however, able to draw in more neighbors with our highly visible truck, and we placed banners and yard signs onsite advertising the market. We invited gardeners to the market with a Facebook post and by chatting with people about it during the Garden Advisory Committee meetings and in-person at garden events. Our Bilingual Community Liaison also presented about the market to WIC staff and at a Conectando meeting. Please note, this project also intends to focus on increasing enrollment in WIC and SNAP among Head Start families, however we were once again very limited in these efforts in 2021 due to COVID-19. The progress made in this area this year included the fact that WIC staff are now able to assist with SNAP enrollment, and this has and will continue to greatly benefit the families they work with. Additionally, Jefferson County Public Health now has Family Navigators on staff, and one of these navigators reached out to GoFarm staff and set up a booth every other week at market. Her role is to connect families with resources and Jeffco's programs that would be most beneficial to their families. See changes/problems section for more details. Goal/Objective 1.3: 1) Community Garden plots were available to 32 community members, as well as workshop training, community-building events such as the Ladybug Release Party and the Harvest Festival, and leadership experience as part of the Garden Advisory Committee, an opportunity that is open to all Sunshine Community Gardeners. GoFarm hired 3 paid interns and developed a full-time position for our Bilingual Community Liaison. The markets sold exclusively local (Colorado) produce. 2) Data was collected related to participation in the community garden and at the market, as well as purchase/sales data at the market. 3) 32 community members participated in community garden trainings and events, 8 participated in the Garden Advisory Committee, and 4 community members received training and income as a result of being hired to assist with project operations. Additionally, local farmers received over $7,650 through produce sales at the community market. 4) The garden was expanded and developed during this project year, presenting many more opportunities for gardeners to build community and gain new skills. This growth and development will continue in future years of the project. 5) During this project year, GoFarm purchased and began using a custom-built mobile market truck. This truck greatly increases our efficiency, food safety, visibility, capacity, and creates a more engaging customer experience. We spent much of the project year experimenting with our market operations in this new truck, and we will continue to solidify operations during future years of the project, streamlining our operations and providing a further improved customer experience. 6) Key outcomes for the project in year two for this objective are limited as the project has been affected in many ways by COVID-19. In later years of the project, we plan to evaluate the economic impact of the project in partnership with Colorado State University. We will be getting a no-cost extension for our project, and we will focus more on this aspect of the project during years 3 & 4.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Our first target audience is the gardeners at the Sunshine Community Garden. These individuals and families were recruited through a variety of outreach activities to returning gardeners, Head Start and WIC families, as well as through Denver Urban Gardens and Jefferson County Public Health's communications. 15 of the families who participated in the garden were either current or past participants in either WIC or Head Start. The participants received a great deal of informal, hands-on education about gardening - crop selection and planning, planting seeds and seedlings, weed and pest management, harvesting, protecting plants from the cold, and winterizing plots - from the garden leader, Master Gardeners who have their own plots at the garden, and other peer gardeners. The garden leader, Master Gardeners, and Denver Urban Gardens also provided more formal education in the form of workshops and articles and videos shared via social media and email. Gardeners were encouraged to both share questions and to contribute to responding to others' questions about gardening and managing plots in order to build and grow from the knowledge of the community of gardeners, both in person and via social media. A subgroup of this audience is the Garden Advisory Committee which was formed during the 2020 gardening season. All gardeners were invited to participate in each of the monthly meetings of this group whose purpose is to help steer decision making for the garden, including direction for educational offerings and garden growth. While some people only participated in one of these meetings, a core group of gardeners - most of whom also regularly participated in the garden work days - is forming. Participating in this committee provides an opportunity for gardeners to learn more about gardening as well as to participate in the leadership of this community and thereby build leadership skills. Our second target audience, which overlaps to some degree with the first, is people who participated in the GoFarm market. These individuals and families became aware of the market either through a partner organization, including Head Start, WIC, Jeffco Prosperity Partners, and Culture of Wellness in Preschools, through past participation in GoFarm programming, or through word of mouth. GoFarm sent out weekly emails and posted regularly on social media, and these communications served the dual purposes of outreach - to remind participants about the market and let them know what produce items would be available - and of education, as each email contained information about local farmers and the local food system, as well as recipes. Those who attended the market had opportunities for informal education from market staff about types and varieties of produce, including identification, flavor and texture profile, differences between varieties, a great deal of information about prepping, cooking, and storing the items, as well as written recipes. At the market, staff also provided informal education about the farmers who grow the produce, their growing practices, and more broadly about the local food system. With this market, GoFarm is working to reach community members with low incomes, and in 2020, 47% of market participants were enrolled in SNAP and/or WIC, and 57% of sales were through SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks or WIC discounts and incentives. Our third target audience includes the four paid interns and one part-time staff member (Bilingual Community Liaison) hired during the 2020 season. The part-time staff member we hired is a bilingual WIC parent. These community members were provided with a wide variety of educational opportunities, both formal and informal. They all participated in an orientation, which included education about GoFarm, the Community Food Access Program, and details about the market. The GoFarm internship has an educational focus, and the interns participated in a weekly team meeting that included a short educational presentation on a topic relating to farming and the food system by an intern or staff member. The interns were also provided biweekly prompts and resources about racial equity in the food system and encouraged to read/watch these resources and share their reflections with other interns and staff. This group of staff members also participated in GoFarm's monthly educational/professional development workshops. They also received a great deal of hands-on job training in order to run the market, and each market presented an opportunity for informal education about produce, market setup and display, the local food system, federal nutrition programs, and community engagement and outreach. Changes/Problems:The impact of COVID-19 on this project has been substantial. Just as the project team was putting plans in motion for the 2020 season, all plans had to shift to deal with the crisis. Most notably, Head Start and WIC both closed their on-site facilities. Not only was access to families much more limited, but the capacity of all the project partners was severely limited when their top priority became determining how to continue core operations safely. We do still anticipate being able to accomplish the goals of the project, however progress will be significantly delayed. The project may need to continue for an additional school year to meet the objectives. We are, however, proud to have been able to operate the community markets at Jeffco Head Start/WIC, as levels of food insecurity have dramatically increased as a result of the pandemic and GoFarm became a critical resource for families. One other notable change to project activities is in how GoFarm hires community members to assist with market operations. We are currently exploring creating a full-time employment role for Eveyln, the Head Start and WIC parent that was hired to assist with market operations and who has helped in reaching Spanish speaking families. Instead of several very part-time, seasonal employees, we see a greater value in creating a full-time, year-round position to further advance the project objectives. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In 2020, the Community Food Access Program Manager began meeting weekly with an inclusive leadership coach to continue learning and growth around anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion. These coaching sessions have resulted in increased clarity, thought partnership, and action to move the CFA program, including this project, further toward equity and justice. The Sunshine Community Garden offered two hands-on composting workshops during the 2020 season. The first was led by one of the Sunshine gardeners who is a Master Gardener, and the second was led by a Denver Urban Gardens Master Composter. From these workshops, gardeners gained knowledge about how to compost and skills to help manage the garden's compost. GoFarm's seasonal interns and Bilingual Community Liaison were offered monthly professional development workshops throughout the season. All full-time GoFarm staff were also invited to participate, and the workshops covered a variety of topics, including: Farming in Colorado Policy and Food Policy Councils Nonprofit Management and Grant Writing Farmer Panel - 2020 Season, Impact of COVID, and Off Season Work Racial Equity in the Farming and Food System The interns also participated in a farm tour and in helping build low tunnels for crop protection at a local, sustainable farm with whom GoFarm partners. They were also invited to join a meeting of the GoFarm Board of Directors to learn more about the role of a nonprofit board and how they work with staff. Finally, they were sent biweekly prompts from the Food Solutions New England 21-Day Racial Equity Challenge and were encouraged to explore the topics and resources included, reflect, act, and share their reflections and additional resources with other members of the staff. The Community Food Access Program Manager participated in a variety of professional development opportunities during this reporting period. These included: 2019 Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference, Minneapolis, MN 2019 Hungry for Change Summit, Denver, CO 2019 Livewell Colorado HEAL Summit, Denver, CO 2019 Community Food Systems Conference, Savannah, GA Racial Equity Pre-Conference Intensive 2020 Mobile Market Summit, Buffalo, NY (Virtual Event) How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?To date, results dissemination has been limited as we are still at the beginning of the project. The primary mechanism for publicly sharing results so far has been via online platforms such as Facebook. GoFarm will also be including information on the project in our 2020 annual report. Results have also been shared with partners through Jefferson County Head Start's Health Advisory Committee meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In addition to what is outlined in the agency-approved application, we will address the issues we have encountered during this reporting period by: Shifting monthly events to virtual or hybrid as appropriate. This may include in-person events, following public health guidelines, with smaller groups and perhaps more time slots. Some events may also be moved from a time-specific event to one that gardeners and community members can access as they are available. If COVID-19 restrictions persist, additional resources will be created and shared that utilize a variety of technologies to make these resources engaging and accessible. GoFarm will be implementing a mobile market in our Community Food Access Programming during the 2021 market season. We will begin exploring options for increased distribution via this mobile market in Year 2 rather than Year 3 as outlined in our application. We will explore options for sites within the SE Arvada area, such as the local library, that will enable us to reach more families than we did in Year 1. We will reevaluate our ability to operate a market during the winter based on produce availability. GoFarm will likely hire fewer community members in Year 2 because we see a greater value in creating a full-time, year-round position rather than several part-time, seasonal positions to further advance the project objectives. See changes/problems section for more details.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In its 2016 Community Food Assessment, the City of Arvada identified SE Arvada as an area of the City with significant barriers to healthy food access for residents. Community input gathered as part of the assessment process identified a desire for more community gardens and farmers markets to address these barriers. Our project, Building A Healthy Neighborhood Local Food Environment In SE Arvada, CO increases food security and addresses barriers to healthy eating for low-income households, while also building community and supporting the local food economy. Over the past year, the project expanded the Sunshine Community Garden to include a total of 31 community plots as well as community spaces such as a pumpkin patch and a strawberry and watermelon patch. Garden members participated in 8 garden work days, 4 advisory team meetings, and 2 composting workshops, as well as engaged in an online platform to share ideas, gardening tips and coordinate on garden caretaking. During the Colorado growing season, GoFarm hosted weekly low-cost community markets at the Head Start location, selling exclusively Colorado-grown products primarily from small scale urban farmers in the Front Range. Sales totaled over $6,200 and included over $3,600 in WIC, SNAP and other incentives. Survey results of market participants showed that over 70% of customers reported that their families increased their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables as a result of shopping at the market. To run the market operations, GoFarm hired and trained 4 paid interns and one part-time staff member who is a bilingual WIC parent. Through these activities, we are engaging community members in SE Arvada to address food insecurity through increased opportunity to grow food, as well as access to affordable locally and sustainably grown produce. We are strengthening the local food economy by leveraging Federal nutrition programs (SNAP and WIC), and increasing the consumption of local, healthy food among low-income families. Goal/Objective 1.1: Improved wellness and healthy eating among project participants, who grow, prepare and consume more locally grown, fresh produce. The synergy resulting from the activities of the project, combined with the focus on healthy eating and nutrition inherent in WIC programming, as well as the focus on healthy eating demonstrated by Head Start's commitment to scratch cooking will help to enhance the culture around healthy eating for Jefferson County Head Start and WIC families and the community at large. 1) For the 2020 season, 31 community garden plots were filled by community members. Garden members participated in 8 garden work days, 4 advisory team meetings, and 2 composting workshops. 27 low-cost Community Markets were also hosted on site, with incentives for purchases by SNAP, WIC and Head Start participants. 2) Data was collected on market visits and purchases, and a survey was conducted of market customers. 3) 100% of Community Market survey respondents said they purchased more Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables, and 100% reported that the market made it easier for them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. 4) A key outcome was that 70% of survey respondents reported that their families ate more fruit as a result of the market, and 76% of survey respondents reported that their families ate more vegetables as a result of the market. Goal/Objective 1.2 Food equity will be addressed through improved access to affordable, healthy, local produce for SE Arvada community members, especially Head Start and WIC families. The GoFarm Community Market will serve as a convenient (on-site), low-cost option for purchasing fresh, locally-grown produce. SNAP and WIC will be leveraged to increase affordability through Double Up Food Bucks and WIC incentives. Increasing enrollment in both SNAP and WIC will increase families' purchasing power, as well as incentivize spending on healthy options that have local economic benefits. 1) GoFarm is a participant in Colorado's Double Up Food Bucks Program and as such offers a 50% discount on local produce purchased with SNAP benefits. In partnership with Jefferson County Public Health WIC, we also offer $5 off any purchase of $10 or more for WIC participants, and a $5 incentive for Head Start families if they are not already receiving SNAP or WIC incentives. We also partnered with LiveWell Colorado and Jefferson County Public Health to offer weekly market credit to selected WIC participant families. 2) Data was collected with every market visit, including purchase amount, incentive amount and method of payment. 3) 53% of customers who made purchases at the market used some sort of incentive, and of the total market sales of $6,200, 58% of sales ($3,600) were tied to incentives. In total, there were 296 market visits over the course of the season. 4) Due to COVID-19, the reach of the community market was significantly less than expected, with a total of 76 market participants making 296 total market visits over the 27 days of market operations. Attendance was severely impacted by the closure and subsequent remote-only operations of both WIC and Head Start due to COVID-19. Please note, this project also intends to focus on increasing enrollment in WIC and SNAP among Head Start families, however we were very limited in these efforts in 2020 due to COVID-19. See changes/problems section for more details. Goal/Objective 1.3 Self-reliance among project participants will increase through training and experience, as well as increased income resulting from food sales and employment. 1) Community Garden plots were available to 31 community members, as well as workshop training, community building events such as the Harvest Festival, and leadership experience as part of a community advisory team. GoFarm hired 4 paid interns and one part-time staff member who is a WIC parent to staff the community markets. The markets sold exclusively local (Colorado) produce. 2) Data was collected related to participation in the community garden and at the market, as well as purchase/sales data at the market. 3) 31 community members participated in community garden trainings and events, and 5 community members received training and income as a result of being hired to assist with project operations. Additionally, local farmers received over $6,200 through produce sales at the community market. 4) Key outcomes for the project in year one for this objective are limited as the project is still very new. In later years of the project, we plan to evaluate the economic impact of the project in partnership with Colorado State University.
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