Progress 09/01/19 to 12/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience of our program direct implementation included customers participating in SNAP and stakeholders in the local food system in the mountainous, mostly rural counties of Western NC, including Ashe, Buncombe, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania and Watauga Counties. More populous cities in this region include Asheville and Hendersonville; the remainder of the region is dotted with variously sized towns. SNAP participation is over 10% in all counties. Demographically, the region and our participants are more than 94% white; and per capita income across all counties is lower than the state average. Social services, public health agencies and other nonprofit organizations, such as the regional food bank and local food and farming groups, were invaluable community partners for program promotion and implementation. The eight Public Health departments in NC PH Region 1 that comprise MountainWise partnership formed the core of our health education efforts. The DSS agencies in all counties of service helped promote the program to their SNAP participants.We establishedpartnerships with MANNA Food Bank topromote our program through their Food Helpline and distribution network. We collaborated withwith Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project to offer SNAP nutrition incentive programming at different sites, to ensure availability in as many counties as possible. We worked directly with farmers markets, food hubs and small grocery businesses to implement the program. Over the course of the project we expanded from foursites to 18, adding new farmers markets, a food hub and an additional brick and mortar site. Wesecured match funding from county and regional community foundations, a credit union, and a health care organization. In year 4 of the project we hired a Communication Specialist to support the project. She updated and created new promotional materials for SNAP-eligible customers in all counties of our program, increased our social media presence, updated our website and continued newsletter promotion. We also partnered with Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, to secure ongoing GusNIP funding fora larger number of counties.Double Up Food Bucks is transforming to the WNC Regional Double SNAP Network in 2024, building on the efforts of this project. Changes/Problems:The limited staff funded by and involved for the majority of the project - 0.6 FTE Coordinator and 0.2 FTE Administrative/Financial - werea challenge. A total of 0.8 FTE is not idealto handle all logistical, reporting, technical assistance, communications, program planning, engagement and other desired aspects of a successful project taking place across a large region. As a result of limited staffing, the project staff focused more on the implementation and evaluation than to additional promotion, engagement and education, relying on partnerships with farmers market managers,site operators and other nonprofit partners. In year 4 funding was secured to add a Communications Specialist partially devoted to this project, which added some capacity.Turnover of the DUFB Coordinator in 2021-22 led to some loss of institutional knowledgethat would not have resulted had more staff been involved in project implementation, although we were able to complete all of our deliverables. The impact of COVID19 on our project is also reflected in the implementation of the project. Initial public health restrictions and uncertainty affected food shopping and disrupted the project's planning right as it was supposed to launch in early 2020. It dominated the public's (and our public health partners') focus, relegating nutrition and fruit and vegetable consumption to a lesser priority. It impacted event planning and required a shift away from in-person events expected to take place, including health fairs, public meetings, conferences and frequent project site visits. However, its economic impacts contributed to an increasing awareness of the status of food security and the importance of the SNAP program, which benefitted our customers and sites. The potential for DUFB to improve food security appeared to become a bigger focus than its impact on health. Emergency SNAP allotments and stimulus checks notably increased spending at our sites; spending at farmers markets decreased in the 2023 season, when those additional benefits ended. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project provided our staff and site partners the opportunity to participate in nutrition incentive project conferences organized by Nutrition Incentive Hub, annual meetings with USDA, annual Business of Farming/Farmers Market Summit conferences by regional partnerAppalachian Sustainable Agriculture and the annual Sustainable Farming conference Carolina Farm Stewardship Organization. An especially valuable conference included the Mini-Convening in Philadelphia in April 2023 on Scaling Statewide Nutrition Incentive Programs. This allowed our staff to connect with similar staff from other states, learn best practices and engage in a new southeastern community of practicegroup that sprang from attendees of this convening. The resources and communities of practice through the Nutrition Incentive Hub were valuable, particularly for brick and mortar resources. The project strengthened the collaboration between farmers markets in the region and across the state. Our DUFB Coordinator was instrumental in helping found and expand the NC Farmers Market Network, serving on the Steering Committee in 2021-22 and then its inauguralBoard in 2022-23, drafting nonprofit application documents in 2023, and connecting with other nutrition incentive projects across the state. Hosting monthly calls on a variety of topics allowed farmers market managers, including most of the managers in our DUFB project, had monthly opportunities to network and share best practices. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Grant reports to match funders and annual reports to Nutrition Incentive Hub and USDA have been important opportunities to report on progress and results. Social media, our website and our monthly newsletter to our MountainWise stakeholders (public health, food system and social services partners across the region) were also important avenues. A monthly or as-needed newsletter or online meeting withfarmers market managers and site partnersalso helped provide updates, progress, training opportunities and feedback sessions to take back to local communties. The WNC Food Justice Collaborative of food system partners across 18 counties was founded in 2019 and held monthly meetings, either full group or committees; our staff served on the leadership team 2020-2021 and we participated in its regional food council. And we participated in county-specific collaborative groups, including Haywood Food Security Network, Jackson County Food Council, Macon County Food Council and Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council, to provide updates. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Over the course of the four year project we implemented the Double Up Food Bucks program as logistically plannedat farmers markets, brick and mortar sites and two onlinefood hubs in Western NC. We successfully performedthe SNAP matching for customers using a variety of methods, including tokens, coupons, POS based systems, and discount models, depending on the site.We used multiple data tracking and reporting systems,including Googlesheets, Smartsheets and the Nutrition Incentive Hub portalover the course of the project for tracking SNAP and DUFB distribution andreimbursement and other data points. Overall, we expanded the reach and diversity of our program model from four sites in 3 countiesto 18 sites across 12 counties, exceeding our goal of 13 sites. We used GusNIP funding and match funding to implement shared marketing materials, trainings, outreach and educational opportunities. Examples included cooking demos, videos, a new website, handouts, social media andflyers. A total of $2,826,262 in SNAP was spent at brick and mortar sites over the course of the project; with an additional $272,048 in incentives spent on fresh fruits and vegetables. A total of $263,189 in SNAP was spent at farm direct sites (i.e. producer only farmers markets and online food hubs/farmers markets), with an additional $130,165 spent on locally grownfresh fruits and vegetables. 2022 survey results showed a statistically significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption for first-time participants versus non-first-time participants, and food security impact was also evident. Operating through COVID, during years 1-3 of our projectposed both challenges and opportunities for the project. Challenges included the public health restrictions that limited farmers market vendors, shopping, event-planning andsurveying. Opportunities included the increase in SNAP benefits among all participants and the promotion of farmers markets as safe and pleasant gathering spaces and local food systemsas dependable, healthy and virtuous.
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The primary target audience of our program includes customers participating in SNAP in the mountainous, mostly rural counties of Western NC, includingAshe, Buncombe, Cherokee, Graham,Haywood, Henderson, Jackson,Macon, Madison,Mitchell, Rutherford,Swain, Transylvania andWataugaCounties. More populous cities in this region include Asheville and Hendersonville; the remainder of the region is composed of variously sized towns. SNAP participation is over 10% in all counties. Social services, public health agencies and other organizations, such as the regional food bank and other nonprofits, are valuable community partners. We work directly with farmers markets, food hubs and small grocery businesses to implement the program. In this reporting period we secured funding from new sources, including community foundations and a health care organization. During this reporting period we hired a Communication Specialist to support programming. She updated and created new promotional materials for SNAP-eligible customers in allcounties of our program, increased our social media presence, updated our website and continued newsletter promotion.Wealso established a new partnership with MANNA Food Bank to promote our program through their Food Helpline and secured funding from new organization. We partnered with our 18site partners (farmers market operators, brick and mortar store managers, food hub staff) to conduct annual surveys during the summer, reaching hundreds of customers and fully completing more than 150 surveys. We added onenew partner firm sites in 2022: The Produce Market & Country Store in Graham County, which serves a large proportion of rural, elderly SNAP customers. We also completed site visits of of our sites this season, engaging with customers, vendors/staff and others on site. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Our Program Coordinator attended an in-personconvening hostedby the Gretchen Swanson Center and Fair Food Network in Philadelphia in April 2023 to support scaling incentive programs statewide. This was a valuable networking and learning opportunitythat led to the creation of Southeastern US regional technical assistance group of other nutrition incentive project operators. We meet regularly by Zoom to share best practices in topics ranging from evaluation to fundraising. We hired a new Communications Specialistin March 2023to support Double Up Food Bucks and other MountainWise projects and she is funded in-kind by other grants. This has increased our capacity to support DUFB Communications for our project andall of our sites no cost to the grant. Our Program Coordinator hosted 4virtual site partner meetings for our partner market managers and retail managersto support survey efforts, discuss fundraising and other project needs. Our Program Coordinator was elected tothe Interim board of the NC Farmers Market Network. This new 501(c)3 supports farmers markets across the state and nutrition incentive programs are a priority interest area. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In this reporting year we have communicated with site contacts, agency/community partners, project participants, the general public and funders. We increased our social media presence on Facebook and Instagram with dramatic increasesin engagement by followers. We improved our website and newsletters and created new promotional and fundraising materials,thanks to the support of a new Communications Specialist.We created specific promotional and/or fundraising campaigns at key moments this year, especially in March 2023 when SNAP benefits were reduced statewide.We communicated with participants via our market managers/retail managers as well as in-person through survey administration efforts. We continued to build awareness and support for DUFB through monthly market manager calls with the NC Farmers Market Network. We partnered with Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) in spring 2023 to write a new GusNIP proposal to expand nutrition incentives to 21 counties across WNC, sharing data and learning from our project to support the proposal. Funding was awarded to ASAP with MountainWise as a subawardee. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our project end date was extended from 8/31/23 to 12/31/23 to allow for time to complete the market seasons and final reporting and a transition period to the new grant beginning in 2024. We do not anticipate scaling up or adding additional activities, but will continue DUFB project services through the end of market seasons or the calendar year, depending on the site. We are implementing a "Token Round-Up" campaign to ensure project supplies and funds are expended before the end of the market seasons, and notifying customers.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting year we added a new partner sitein our region:The Produce Market and Country Store in Graham County, open seasonally from April to November.This has enabled access to Double Up Food Bucks incentives to SNAP customers in the most rural, isolated county in our region. Community feedback among partners including the Senior Center, Health Department and local Methodist church, and customers, has been very positive; this site is frequented by many low-income seniors. We now partner with 18 food retail/market sites across 13 counties, including 12 farmers markets, 4 brick and mortar sites and 2 food hubs (noted in Goals as online distribution retailers). We hired a Communications Specialist in spring 2023 who created new branded materials for project promotion and fundraising, ramped up social media activity on Facebook and Instagram, sent monthlye-newslettersand updated our website. This was a new position funded through other funds that substantially added to our project capacity. We launched a comprehensive fundraising effort and secured new match funding from Community Foundation of WNC, Wellcare (Medicaid Managed Care organizaton, Self Help Credit Union, and Ashe County Community Foundation to support our growing DUFB incentives needs. We met our participant survey sample size goals despite interruptions due to having to find a new IRB partner. More than $160,000 in DUFB incentives were redeemed during this reporting period, up from $121,525 in the previous year. This is in spite of the end of the COVID Emergency Allotment SNAP benefits in March 2023, which reduced benefits for all SNAP customers and the amount they had to spend at our sites.
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period we updated or generated new promotional materials for SNAP-eligible customers in Cherokee, Haywood, Henderson, Macon, Swain and Transylvania Counties. We partnered with public health and social services departments in these counties for distribution to their clientele. Though it is difficult to provide an exact count of or description of customers reached, these customers are generally rural and lower-income residents of WNC who receive SNAP. We partnered with our 16 site contacts (farmers market operators, brick and mortar store managers, food hub staff)to conduct annual surveys during the summer, reaching hundreds of customers and fully completing ~200 surveys.We added 3 new partner firm sites in 2022: Murphy Farmers Market (Cherokee County), Hendersonville Farmers Market and Mills River Farm Market (Henderson County). We also completed site visits of 9 of our sites this season, engaging with customers, vendors/staff and others on site. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We hired a new program coordinator in April 2021 after the departure of our previous coordinator and she participated in TA sessions/training calls with Gretchen Swanson Center staff after onboarding. She also attended the annual convening hosted by the Gretchen Swanson Center and Fair Food Network. We had the opportunity to host Gretchen Swanson Center staff for site visits in summer 2022, a great opportunity to promote our program sitesand engage with our staff and TA providers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?In this reporting year we have communicated with site contacts and agency partners, including public health and social services staff. We will be increasing our outreach in the coming year. We will also explore the feasibility of adding new sitesas we have received some interest from additional brick and mortar sites (Bryson City IGA in Swain County, Produce Market in Graham County) and one additional farm/food aggregator (Darnell Farms in Swain County). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In November 2022 we launched our first monthly newsletter to promote ongoing programs, news, and events. We will use this, in conjunction with social media (Facebook/Instagram) to expand program promotion. We will proceed with intake efforts with new sites pending confirmation that our budget will allow them.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this reporting year we added three new partnering sites in our region: Murphy Farmers Market, Hendersonville Farmers Market Mills River Farm Market. This has generatedalmost $6,000 inDouble Up Food Bucks to SNAP customers from theseason openingin April-May 2022 through August 2022 and increased program awareness among partners and residents in Cherokee and Henderson Counties. We launched our updated website in May 2022 and updated promotional materials to reflect the new QR code/link, providing new flyers and brochures to several county agencies. Our records show$121,525 in Double Up Food Bucks spending at our 16 sites, an increase from the previous year.
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience during year one of the project was SNAP beneficiaries residing in counties where Double Up Food Bucks programs continued or were launched in 2020. This includes Buncombe, Haywood, Jackson, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Ashe, and Madison counties. Changes/Problems:We had to adjust our timeline due to delays in our administrative review and GusNIP funding dissemination. The release of funds for the USDA-NIFA grant were not approved until April 9, 2020 with an approximate turnaround time of 2-3 weeks for disbursement of funds. This ultimately caused delays in launching new sites and our capacity to establish robust data collection processes. The onset of COVID-19in March 2020 also caused significant delays and challenges for participating sites. Farmers markets were forced to delay their opening date, change operational models, and cut down on the number of vendors allowed to sell at the market. By downsizing markets and minimizing customer capacity, DUFB was slow to start and this likely is the reason why we did not meet our incentive redemption goal. Changes in markets also caused us to have to change marketing/promotion materials & methods. Outreach was delayed due to the evolving changes markets underwent in early Spring. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?No training and professional development opportunities were provided. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have not been disseminated to communities of interest due to delay in surveying. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will be disseminating surveys to program participants to assess behavior/knowledge change related to the program this Fall (2020). Retailers will also be surveyed to assess increase in local inventory, produce sales, and knowledge of the program. Results from the surveys along with quantitative data will be put into an annual report and disseminated to the communities of interest in the format of a newsletter. MountainWise is continuing to work with the additional retailers not included in Year 1 to have them launched by the end of Year 2. The Program Coordinator will troubleshoot with program sites to determine ways to increase incentive redemption to meet our goal of at least 75%.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
? At least 1,700 low income shoppers will access free fresh produce through the DUFB program by the end of the 4 year grant period. 834 SNAP participants used the program in Year 1. ? At least 6 farmers markets across 4 counties in Western North Carolina will offer the DUFB program to SNAP customers by the end of the 4 year grant period. Haywood, Jackson, Rutherford, Mars Hill, Ashe, Asheville City, Transylvania Farmers Markets (7 markets in 7 counties) ran a DUFB program in Year 1. ? At least 4 grocery stores across 3 counties in WNC will offer the DUFB program to SNAP customers by the end of the 4 year grant period. French Broad Food Coop & West Village Market (2 stores in 1 county) ran DUFB in Year 1. ? At least 2 online local food markets serving 4 counties will offer DUFB to SNAP customers by the end of the 4 year grant period. High Country Food Hub (1 market serving 2 counties) ran DUFB in Year 1. ? At least 1 online/mobile local food market serving 1 county will offer DUFB to SNAP customers by the end of the 4 year grant period. 0 online mobile markets were launched in Year 1. ? A maximum of $384,800 of incentives will be distributed by the end of the 4 year grant period. $51,984.17 of incentives were distributed in Year 1. ? At least 75% ($288,600) of incentives will be spent on qualifying produce by the end of the 4 year grant period. $27,513.96 of incentives were redeemed in Year 1 (53% of incentives distributed). ? All participating grocery stores will report at least a 10% increase in local produce inventory by the end of the 4 year grant period. This data was not collected in Year 1 due to Covid. ? 80% of surveyed DUFB participant customers will report an increase in fresh fruit and vegetable consumption as a result of their participation in the DUFB program. ? 60% of surveyed DUFB participant customers will report an increase in overall health as a result of their participation in the DUFB program. ? 80% of surveyed participant farmers will report an increase in their produce sales as a result of the DUFB program. ? 80% of staff at participating sites will report having increased knowledge of the DUFB program and be adequately trained on implementing the program on site. ? 100% of participating sites will report an increase in SNAP produce sales as a result of the DUFB program. DUFB participants and retailers have not yet been surveyed. Surveys will be distributed in November 2020 to assess Year 1.
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