Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience: Food costs continue to increase with inflation and they have a significant influence on diets and contribute to many of the social inequities of health (Darmon & Drewnoski, 2015). The effects of this are clear: Over 90% of under-resourced Coloradans do not eat the recommended servings of produce (CDPHE, 2017). Today, 33% of Coloradans report food insecurity, with 43% of non-white Latinx Coloradans continuing to report that they struggle to put food on the table (Hunger Free Colorado, 2021). Federal food assistance programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) help to address food insecurity, but often do not provide enough assistance for individuals and families to purchase the healthy food they need: SNAP shoppers do not receive enough in produce benefits per month. What's more, grocery bills have increased by nearly 11% over the past 12 months (Williams, 2022). The cost to east the USDA recommended servings of fruits and vegetables per day is $2-2.50, which totals nearly $70/month (Stuart, 2017). What's more, our federal food assistance system is piecemeal and difficult and time consuming to navigate. Our current structures and systems do not support the most vulnerable in achieving the health benefits of healthy diets--or local food systems and small under-represented growers and farmers, whose businesses support resilient food systems and recirculate dollars in local communities (Gallo, 2019). It is difficult for small- and mid-sized farmers in the U.S. to remain economically viable. They often do not have access to conventional resources (e.g., investment research, lending, and insurance). Overall, farm income has decreased for farms of all sizes--and is expected to decrease by nearly 16% from 2022-2023. The development of the modern food system has also built tremendous inequities into the supply chain, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color farmers, as well as others, often women, who experience deep economic disadvantages. The target audience for Double Up includes SNAP participants and local producers and markets/retailers.? Changes/Problems: The end of the 2021 and beginning of the 2022 seasons included some staff transitions that impacted programmatic activities. The transitions mostly impacted the outreach and engagement for Double Up, as the Outreach Manager transitioned to the Double Up Manager. Additionally, the Director of Healthy Food Incentives, who established the Double Up program in 2016, left Nourish Colorado for a new opportunity out of state. Because the team was still relatively new in 2023 and the vacated positions did not include comprehensive succession plans, the team continued to experience some challenges with program delivery. However, overall the 2023 season was much more streamlined and we made substantial progress in creating administrative processes and procedures that will assist in any future staff transitions. Another challenge the program has faced over the past two years includes clearing a large number of incentives at large grocery store chains. We have found that working with larger stores includes additional administrative time since these corporations often require multiple positions, including legal and marketing staff, to review and approve programmatic decisions. This process takes longer and there is less flexibility to try new outreach and engagement activities at these stores. As part of our new 2023 GusNIP grant, we are piloting an expansion into several Safeway stores in the Denver metro area and will continue to work with large retailers to increase incentive redemption.? What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nourish Colorado provides training and professional development to participating market managers and community outreach partners throughout the year. The Double Up Program Manager offered three in-person and five virtual trainings for new and returning markets before the kick off of the 2023 Double Up season. She also recorded the trainings so that markets and partners could access them at any time and to streamline the program. She also conducted many technical assistance trainings to address specific issues at markets. Examples of training and technical assistance offered to market managers and partners in 2022-2023 include: Double Up New Market Training. Markets new to the program have the opportunity to learn about program logistics and best practices for a successful Double Up program based on other market managers' tips and experiences. Double Up Returning Market Training. Returning markets have the opportunity to learn and reflect on the previous market season and develop a peer group for markets to share information via Drop Box. This training was also held separately for retail and CSA settings to address the unique assets and challenges at these venues when offering Double Up. Technical Assistance. The Double Up Program Manager helps troubleshoot issues that arise while running the program and meets individually with markets to discuss how to market the program run as successfully as possible in urban, rural, and suburban communities. Specific examples include training on TotilPay and point of sale training for farmers markets. Additinally, the Community Outreach & Navigator Manager conducted 15 trainings with community outreach partners, community members, and Navigators on community outreach for Double Up Food Bucks.? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Following each Double Up season, Nourish Colorado produces an evaluation report. The 2022 Double Up report is currently available and was distributed to market partners and a variety of program stakeholders throughout the state. The reports are available on the Nourish Colorado and Double Up websites. A summary of evaluation results is shared at each market training, the Colorado Farmers Market Association annual meeting, the Department of Human Services County Directors' meeting, and any Double Up convening.? What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The next reporting period will cover the final three months of this project. The project was originally intended to end in August 2023, but we requested and received an extension until August 2024. We anticipate achieving all of our goals and expending the entirety of the grant by December 31, 2023 and will provide a final report at the close of the program. While many of the activities and objectives will remain the same until the end of the grant, we made the following changes last year to move the program forward and will continue to implement them until the end of the grant project: While reviewing end-of-year results and goals, we recognize that we were not going to hit our goal to incorporate Double Up in 25 small and medium-sized retailers. The goal was not achievable with the capacity of the program. Instead, in 2023, we focused on strengthening connections with our partners and onboarding more BIPOC partners and small retailers that provide food to immigrant and BIPOC communities to offer Double Up. We also evaluated the areas with the highest levels of food insecurity, SNAP enrollment, and lack of access to fresh nutritious foods. We are committed to expand our food print in 2024. Prior to the kick-off of the 2023 season, we revised the Double Up application process to make it more inclusive and we started recruiting farmers and markets from outside the cohort of partners already involved in the program. This has allowed us to recruit more partners, and specifically more new, beginning, and BIPOC farmers. Pre-season trainings were very time consuming. To address this, the Program Manager developed pre-recorded trainings for new and beginning markets based on the category of the retailer (for example, CSA, new market, and returning market). The trainings also include a toolkit with frequently asked questions/answers, and other tools to troubleshoot issues, as well as an evaluation component to ensure that the trainings are effective. Streamlining the trainings significantly increased the capacity of the program staff prior to the 2023 season, who had been spending the first quarter of each year traveling to deliver trainings. In 2023, we received funding to hire a part-time program staff person, who increased the capacity of the program. The position assisted in tracking Double Up reimbursements through a monthly process and worked with farmers and markets to submit requests more regularly. We partnered with Hunger Free Colorado's SNAPeas program. The program provides local SNAP outreach and enrollment. We equipped them with information about Double Up and Double Up materials so they could promote the program to potential participants at the point of signing up for SNAP. In 2023, we renewed contracts with five Community Food Navigtors, as well as contracted with one new member of the team. We also parntered with a regional non-profit to pilot the Regional Community Food Navigator program in southwest Colorado, subcontracting with three new Community Food Navigators in that region.?
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Since 2016, Double Up program has resulted in a significant increase of sales--not just through the incentive but from SNAP as well--at Double Up partner sites, including: 2016 - SNAP Dollars, $92,587; Double Up, $67,772; Total, $160,359 2017 - SNAP Dollars, $188,176; Double Up, $145,898; Total, $334,074 2018 - SNAP Dollars, $198,044; Double Up, $165,357; Total, $363,401 2019 - SNAP Dollars, $223,686; Double Up, $222,757; Total, $446,443 2020 - SNAP Dollars, $599,566; Double Up, $341,044; Total, $940,600 2021 - SNAP Dollars, $885,918; Double Up, $466,872; Total, $1,352,790 (current GusNIP grant) 2022 - SNAP Dollars, $1,073,624; Double Up, $1,056,346; Total, $2,129,970 (current GusNIP grant) 2023 (as of October 31, 2023) - SNAP Dollars, $1,436,557; Double Up, $1,014,215; Total, $2,450,772 OBJECTIVE 1. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption and long-term healthy eating among SNAP recipients. Percentage of Double Up participants report an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption in year four (goal: 80%). 93% of participants reported that they ate vegetables at least three times a week (including salad, fried potatoes, beans, and raw vegetables). When we excelude fried potatoes, 91% reported eating vegetables more than three times a week. When we only consider salads and raw vegetables, 80% reported eating vegetables more than three times a week. Percentage of Double Up participants report trying a new vegetable in year four (no data collected on this question) (goal: 65%). Integrated nutrition education messaging into Double Up outreach including 0 SMS texts, 0 Facebook posts, and 0 website recipes a year (at least one message or post per month for the entire year) (goal: 12 SMS texts, 12 Facebook posts, and 12 website recipes). In 2023, the Double Up Food Bucks team shifted programmatic marketing goals. The team participated in a program through which they created a comprehensive social media campaign, "We Are #ProProduce/a Favorde Frutas y Verduas" that included over 30 partners participating in the campaign and numerous likes and shares on Instagram and Facebook. The goal of the campaign was to support produce incentives and SNAP in the next Farm Bill as well as to spread the word about Double Up. Integrated nutrition education into Double Up implementation by offering market or retail tours at 28 of 98 total sites for a percentage of 29% of all Double Up sites, reaching nealry 425 Double Up participants (goal: 30%). OBJECTIVE 2. Increase Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables in retail sites offering Double Up. Establish a baseline of Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables currently stocked at participating large retailer sites (established in 2020). (goal: establish a baseline). Established a baseline of Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables stocked at participating small- and mid-sized corner stores and retailers (established in 2020) (goal: establish a baseline). Established strong relationships with colorado produce distributors and food hubs, including one local food hub and one statewide broadline distributor (established in 2020 and continued fostering relationships in 2021 and 2022) (goal: at least one local food hub and one statewide broadline distributor). Piloted the Farm to Corner Store Produce Delivery Pilot (established in 2021) (goal: establish a pilot). In 2021, Nourish Colorado contracted with the East Denver Food Hub to assist with establishing a pilot. In 2022, Nourish Colorado hired a part-time Value Chain Coordinator to continue building off of this pilot. The position was written into the 2023 GusNIP proposal and is now funded through 2025. OBJECTIVE 3. Reach more SNAP shoppers and increase program participation through innovative outreach and promotion that is geographically, linguistically, and culturally relevant and accessible. Implemented a broad communications plan, including 188,798 mailers, 60,000 bilingual flyers, and 3,800 branded promotional items (chip clips, lip balm, jar openers, carabiners, spatulas, pens, bags, and stickers) (goal: 190,000 mailers, 2,894 text contacts (one message per month), 50,000 bilingual flyers, 500 bilingual posters, 5,000 door hangers, and 800 canvas bags, as well as website and social media outreach. Integrated program outreach with 170 partner organizations across the state through the Double Up Outreach Toolkit of newsletter templates, social media posts, presentations, and other tools (goal: 150 partner organizations). Partnered with 25 county human services offices to distribute Double Up materials to promote the program to SNAP participants (goal: 25 human services offices). Created a toolkit for neighborhood grocery store Double Up party events in the Denver metro area (goal: create toolkit). OBJECTIVE 4. Expand retail partnerships through technology innovation. Launched Double Up in two Safeway stores to pilot and learn about working with Safeway (goal: launch in one additional supermarket). We are also working with 3 Save A Lot stores throughout the Front Range. Maintained Double Up in eight urban stores and eight rural grocers (goal: launch in five urban stores and five rural grocers). Made the Double Up Incentives App available to no small- to mid-sized retailers (goal: five small- to mid-sized retailers. We transitioned to a new technology partner in 2022, so the Fresh Incentives app is no longer available for use. We are now partnering with TotilPay and one retailer are using the technology. In 2024, we will be partnering with the Colorado Department of Human Services to pilot the eHIP program in Colorado and will be moving away from TotilPay.?
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience: Decades of inequitable housing policies and practices and employment and education restrictions among communities of color have resulted in a society in which we see great disparities in wealth, health outcomes, food security, and education. This, alongside a weak safety net system for those experiencing joblessness and certain disabilities, result in stark and unacceptable health outcomes, that were further exacerbated by COVID-19 (COVIDView, Centers for Disease Control, 2020). The importance of consuming healthy food cannot be overstated-particularly to boost immune systems and long-term health. Pre-COVID-19, 14% of the population of Colorado was food insecure and there were typically about 500,000 SNAP recipients in a typical month (Analysis of FY2015 SNAP). The food insecurity rate climbed past 30% during the pandemic. While the rate of food security has decreased, the pandemic highlighted major flaws in our food system. Due to inequitable systems in the U.S., SNAP-participating households disproportionally represent children (54% have children versus 30% of non-SNAP households), poverty (44% live in poverty versus 8%), and limited annual incomes (an average of $25,000 versus $69,000) (Profile of SNAP Households, 2017). Most SNAP participants do not receive enough money to buy food for an entire month. The effects of this are clear: over 90% of low-income Coloradans do not eat the recommended servings of produce (CDPHE, 2013). Meanwhile, it is difficult for small- and mid-sized farmers to remain economically viable as they often do not have access to conventional agricultural resources. Farm income has decreased for farms of all sizes over the past several years (USDA Economic Research Service, 2018). The COVID-19 crisis will likely hit small- to mid-sized farmers particularly hard as they will be impacted by policies on social distancing because they rely on selling directly to consumers, schools, restaurants, and farmers markets-many of which closed during the pandemic and created massive challenges for small farmers to distribute their products. It is estimated that farmers lost between 10-25% of annual revenue during the pandemic (National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, 2020). Additionally, small- to mid-sized farmers are not eligible for the same kinds of government programs as larger farmers.? The target audience for Double Up includes SNAP participants and local producers and markets/retailers. We were not able to compile demographic information for the 2021 season. We collect this information through participant and partner surveys. In 2020, we were not able to collect surveys due to social distancing rules. In 2021, we were able to resume participant survey evaluation and 148 Double Up customers completed a survey. Changes/Problems: As noted, we experienced some challenges in evaluating the Double Up program in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges were specifically related to our ability to distribute surveys to participants due to social distancing policies. As a result, we were not able to collect demographic data or changes in purchasing and consumption habits. While the 2021 season was more normal and many of the markets were back in-person, we experienced additional challenges regarding program capacity. The end of the 2021 and beginning of the 2022 seasons included some staff transitions that impacted programmatic activities. The transitions mostly impacted the outreach and engagement for Double Up as the Outreach Manager transitioned to the Double Up Manager. Additionally the Director of Healthy Food Incentives, who established the Double Up program in 2016, left Nourish Colorado for a new opportunity out of state. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to train the Double Up Program Manager who spent most of the 2022 season learning about the program and implementation. The vacant positions did not include comprehensive transition plans. In 2023, we are working to develop transition plans for all positions that assist with program implementation. We are excited the program is fully staffed and growing. Many of the issues that we encountered in 2021 and 2022 have been addressed and the program continues to be impactful. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nourish Colorado provides training and professional development to participating market managers and community outreach partners throughout the year. The Double Up Program Manager offered 33 in-person and virtual trainings for new and returning markets before the kick off of the 2022 Double Up season. She also conducted many technical assistance trainings to address specific issues at markets. Examples of training and technical assistance offered to market managers and partners in 2021-2022 include: Double Up New Market Training. Markets new to the Double Up opportunity have the opportunity to learn about program logistics and best practices for a successful Double Up program based on other market managers' tips and experiences. Double Up Returning Market Training. Returning markets have the opportunity to learn and reflect on the previous market season and develop a peer group for markets to share information via Drop Box. This training was also held separately for retail and CSA settings to address the unique assets and challenges at these venues when offering Double Up. Technical Assistance. The Double Up Program Manager helps troubleshoot issues that arise while running the program and meets individually to discuss how to make the program run as successfully as possible in urban, rural, and suburban communities. Specific examples include training on TotilPay and point of sale training for farmers markets. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Following each Double Up season, Nourish Colorado produces an evaluation report. The 2021 Double Up report is currently available and was distributed to market partners and a variety of program stakeholders throughout the state. The reports are available on the Nourish Colorado and Double Up websites. A summary of evaluation results is shared at each market training, the Colorado Farmers Market Association annual meeting, the Department of Human Services County Directors' meeting, and at any Double Up convening. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? The next reporting period will cover the final year of this project. While many of the activities and objectives will remain the same, we have identified the following changes that will continue to move the program forward. While reviewing end-of-year results and goals, we recognize that we are not going to hit our goal to incorporate Double Up in 25 small and medium-sized retailers. The goal is not achievable with our current capacity. However, we are planning a pilot program at a large supermarket chain that couldinclude 20 stores in the Denver metro area. We are revising the Double Up application process to make it more inclusive and recruiting farmers and markets from outside the current cohort of partners. This will allow us to recruit more partners-and specifically BIPOC partners. Pre-season trainings are time consuming. The Double Up Program Manager is developing pre-recorded trainings for new and beginning markets based on the category of retailer (for example, CSA, new market, and returning market). The trainings will also include a toolkit with frequently asked questions/answers and other tools to troubleshoot issues as well as an evaluation component to ensure that the trainings are effective. Streamlining these trainings will significantly increase the capacity of program staff, who typically spend the first quarter of the year traveling and delivering trainings. We have hired a part-time program support staff person, who will significantly increase the capacity of the program. This position will assist in tracking Double Up reimbursements on a monthly process and working with farmers and markets to submit requests more regularly. We will be partnering with Hunger Free Colorado's SNAPeas program. This program provides local SNAP outreach and enrollment. We will be equipping them with information about Double Up and Double Up materials so they can promote the program to potential participants at the point of signing up for SNAP. Regarding the Community Food Navigator program, the Outreach Manager is currently developing clear goals and job descriptions for Navigators as well as a frequently asked question reference manual for Navigators that has information about Nourish Colorado as well as community outreach questions and ideas. Additionally, we received funding to establish a Regional Navigator in southwest Colorado and will be piloting the Regional Navigator model in that region during the 2023 Double Up season.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Please note: Nourish Colorado started spending GusNIP funds in April 2021. We will not have final results for the 2022 Double Up season until mid-2022. However, we will report on the 2019 evaluation results and some of the 2021 evaluation results. Unfortunately, our 2020 evaluation activities were interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were not able to collect any surveys in 2020. In 2020, Double Up distributed $541,954 in Double Up Food Bucks and $597,068 in SNAP dollars (for a total of $1,139,022 in SNAP + Double Up) (goal: $805,000). In 2021, SNAP participants spent $885,919 in SNAP and $466,872 in Double Up for a total of $1,352,791 in incentives. The 2022 season will not end until December 2022 and final numbers will be available in 2023. Additionally, in 2021, the Double Up Food Bucks Colorado: Comprehensive Expansion Project: OBJECTIVE 1. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption and long-term healthy eating among SNAP recipients. Percentage of Double Up participants report an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption in year three (no data collected on this question) (goal: 80%). 70% of participants reported they ate vegetables at least three times a week, 75% reported eating more salads, and 75% reported that the program helped decrease the burden of food expenditures. Percentage of Double Up participants report trying a new fruit and vegetable in year three (no data collected on this question) (goal: 65%). Integrated nutrition education messaging into Double Up outreach including 0 SMS texts, 12 Facebook posts, and 12 website recipes per year (at least one message or post per month for the entire year) (goal: 12 SMS texts, 12 Facebook posts, and 12 website recipes). Text messaging was not utilized in 2021 due to a lack of programmatic staff capacity. Integrated nutrition education into Double Up implementation by offering market or retail tours at 43 of 81 total sites for a percentage of 53% of all Double Up sites (goal: 30%). OBJECTIVE 2. Increase Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables in retail sites offering Double Up. Established a baseline of Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables currently stocked at participating large retailer sites (established in 2020) (goal: establish a baseline). Established a baseline of Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables stocked at participating small- to mid-sized corner stores and retailers (established in 2020) (goal: establish a baseline). Established strong relationships with Colorado produce distributors and food hubs, including one local food hub and one statewide broadline distributor (established in 2020 and continued fostering relationship in 2021) (goal: at least one local food hub and one statewide broadline distributor). Piloted the Farm to Corner Store Produce Delivery Pilot (established in 2021) (goal: establish pilot). In 2021, Nourish Colorado contracted with the East Denver Food Hub to assist with establishing the pilot. In 2022, Nourish Colorado hired a part-time Value Chain Coordinator to continue building off of this pilot. OBJECTIVE 3. Reach more SNAP shoppers and increase program participation through innovative outreach and promotion that is geographically, linguistically, and culturally relevant and accessible. Implemented a broad communications plan, including 176,000 mailers, 0 text contacts, 40,000 bilingual flyers, 3,500 door hangers, and 6,000 branded promotional items (chip clips, lip balm, jar openers, carabiners, spatulas, pens, bags, and stickers) (goal: 190,000 mailers, 2,894 text contacts (one message per month), 50,000 bilingual flyers, 500 bilingual posters, 5,000 door hangers, and 800 canvas bags, as well as website and social media outreach. Integrated program outreach with 250 partner organizations across the state through the Double Up Outreach Toolkit of newsletter templates, social media posts, presentations, and other tools (goal: 150 partner organizations). Partnered with 15 county human services offices to distribute Double Up materials to promote the program to SNAP participants (goal: 25 human services offices). Created a toolkit for neighborhood grocery Double Up block party events in the Denver metro area (toolkit created in 2020) (goal: create toolkit). OBJECTIVE 4. Expand retail partnerships through technology innovation. Preparing to launch Double Up in one additional supermarket (goal: launch in one additional supermarket). We have been working with Save A Lot to launch Double Up in one additional store, however this has been delayed because Save A Lot is addressing technology issues. We hope to launch the program in the additional store in early 2023. We are also discussing a pilot program with another large supermarket chain, which will establish Double Up in 20 stores in the Denver metro area in 2023. Maintained Double Up in three urban stores and six rural grocers (goal: launch in five urban stores and five rural grocers). By the end of the grant period, we have a goal to establish Double Up in 15 small to medium-sized retailers. Made the Double Up Fresh Incentives App available to no small- to mid-sized retailers (goal: five small- to mid-sized retailers). We transitioned to a new technology partner in 2022, so the Fresh Incentives app is no longer available to use. We are now partnering with TotilPay and five retailers are using the technology. We have a goal of expanding TotilPay to at least five more retailers by the 2023 Double Up season.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The COVID-19 public health and economic crisis has created many challenges for communities throughout Colorado that were already struggling with the high cost of living in the state, including significant housing burdens (Soergel, 2018). In Colorado, housing is unaffordable for 66% of those living below the Self-Sufficiency Standard. Households paying over 30% of their income on rent/utilities are considered housing-cost burdened (Pearce, 2018). Prior to the crisis, Colorado had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the county at 2.5%. By July 2020, the unemployment rate spiked to 10.5%--the sharpest increase in unemployment in the country and this rate is expected to continue to rise. Pre-existing conditions that make some communities more vulnerable to the disease and the economic impacts of social distancing. Decades of inequitable housing policies and practices and employment and education restrictions among communities of color have resulted in a society in which we see great disparities in wealth, health outcomes, food security, and education. This, alongside a weak safety net system for those experiencing joblessness and certain disabilities, result in stark and unacceptable health outcomes, further exacerbated by COVID-19 (COVIDView, Centers for Disease Control, 2020). The importance of consuming healthy food cannot be overstated--particularly to boost immune systems and for long-term health. Pre-COVID-19, 14% of the population of Colorado was food insecure and there are nearly 500,000 SNAP recipients in a typical month (Analysis of FY 2015 SNAP). Currently, food insecurity rates have climbed past 30% of Coloradans who report being food insecure. Due to inequitable systems in the in the U.S., SNAP-participating households disproportionally represent children (54% have children versus 30%of non-SNAP households), poverty (44% live in poverty versus 8%), and limited annual incomes (an average of $25,000 versus $69,000) (Profile of SNAP Households, 2017). Most SNAP participants do not receive enough money to buy food for an entire month. The effects of this are clear: over 90% of low-income Coloradans do not eat the recommended servings of produce (CDPHE, 2013). Meanwhile, it is difficult for small- and mid-sized farmers to remain economically viable as they often do not have access to conventional agricultural resources. Farm income has decreased for farms of all sizes over the past several years (USDA Economic Research Service, 2018). The COVID-19 crisis will likely hit small- to mid-sized farmers particularly hard as they will be impacted by policies on social distancing because they rely on selling directly to consumers, schools, restaurants, and farmers market--many of which continue to be closed. It is estimated that farmers will lose between 10-25% of annual revenue (National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, 2020). Additionally, small- to mid-sized farmers are not eligible for the larger amounts of the government's response to the economic crisis. Economists are predicting a significant decline in sales across key regional markets (farmers markets, institutions, and restaurants)--up to $1.32 billion form March-May 2020 in total loss to the economy. The target audience for Double Up includes SNAP participants and local producers and markets/retailers. We have not compiled demographic information for the 2021 season at this time. We collect this information through participant and partner surveys. In 2020, we did not collect surveys due to social distancing policies. Changes/Problems:As noted in the answers above, Double Up did experience some problems in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were not able to distribute surveys to participants or markets in 2020 due to social distancing policies. Unfortunately, we will not have demographic data or information about changes in purchasing and consumption habits. We are collecting surveys and conducting other evaluation activities in 2021. Additionally, we had planned to distribute SMS text messages. However, we are partnering with Cooking Matters Colorado on this project and we have not received messaging from them to complete the project. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Nourish Colorado provides training and professional development to participating market managers and community outreach partners throughout the year. Examples of training and technical assistance offered to market managers and partners in 2020-21 include: Double Up New Market Training: Markets new to the Double Up program have the opportunity to learn about program logistics and best practices for a successful Double Up program based on other market managers' tips and experience. Double Up Returning Market Training. Returning markets have the opportunity to learn and reflect on the previous market season and develop a per group for markets to share information via Drop Box. This training was also held separately for retail and CSA settings to address the unique assets and challenges at these venues when offering Double Up. Welcoming and Inclusive Market Session: Nourish Colorado hosted a webinar about setting up welcoming and inclusive markets with seven participants and posted the webinar online. The Double Up manager offered six sessions with 45 markets. Technical Assistance: Every market associated with Double Up is assigned a technical assistance provider (a Double Up staff member or a CFMA staff member). The TA provider visits the market over the summer, helps troubleshoot issues that arise while running the program and meets individually to discuss how to make the program run as successfully as possible in urban, rural, and suburban communities. Additionally, the Program Manager has trained three Community Food Advocates about outreach and promotion of the program as well as an Outreach Coordinator, who will take over trainings of Advocates. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Following each Double Up season, Nourish Colorado produces an evaluation report, which is distributed to market partners and a variety of program stakeholders throughout the state. The reports are available on the Nourish Colorado and Double Up websites. A summary of evaluation results is shared at each market training, the Colorado Farmers Markets Association, the Department of Human Services County Directors' meeting, and at any Double Up convening. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The evaluation results from 2020 revealed that the Double Up program continues to have positive self-reported results for both SNAP participants and the vendors/retailers participating in the program. SNAP participants report buying and eating more fruits and vegetables and also trying new varieties of fruits and vegetables. Vendors and retailers also reported economic gains from increased produce sales and new customer bases. SNAP participants spent over $1.1 million in SNAP plus Double Up incentives in 2020.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Please note: Nourish Colorado started spending GusNIP funds in April 2021. We will not have final results for the 2021 Double Up season until mid-2022. However, we will report on the 2019 evaluation results and some of the 2020 evaluation results. Unfortunately, our 2020 evaluation activities were interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We were not able to collect any surveys in 2020. In 2020, Double Up distributed $541,954 in Double Up Food Bucks and $597,068 in SNAP dollars (for a total of $1,139,022 in SNAP + Double Up) (goal: $805,000). Additionally, in 2020, the Double Up Food Bucks Colorado: Comprehensive Expansion Project: OBJECTIVE 1. Increase fruit and vegetable consumption and long-term healthy eating among SNAP recipients. We were not able to collect any participant or partner surveys in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing policies. Unfortunately, we will not be able to report on these objectives again until the 2021 season is completed. Percentage of Double Up participants report an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption in year one (not reported) (goal: 80%). Percentage of Double Up participants report trying a new fruit or vegetable because of the program in year one (not reported) (goal: 65%). Integrated nutrition education messaging into Double Up outreach, including 0 SMS texts, 12 Facebook posts, and 12 website recipes per year (at least one message or post per month for the entire year) (goal: 12 SMS texts, 12 Facebook posts, and 12 website recipes). Integrated nutrition education into Double Up implementation by offering market or retail tours at percentage of all Double Up sites (this activity was not conducted in 2020 due to social distancing policies) (goal: 30%). OBJECTIVE 2. Increase Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables in retail sites offering Double Up. Established a baseline of Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables currently stocked at participating large retailer sites (goal: establish a baseline). Established a baseline of Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables stocked at participating small- to mid-sized corner stores and retailers (establish a baseline). Established strong relationships with Colorado produce distributors and food hubs, including one local food hub and one statewide broadline distributor (goal: at least one local food hub and one statewide broadline distributor). Piloted the Farm to Corner Store Produce Delivery Project (goal: establish pilot). OBJECTIVE 3. Reach more SNAP shoppers and increase program participation through innovative outreach and promotion that is geographically, linguistically, and culturally relevant and accessible. Implemented a broad communications plan, including 182,000 mailers, 2,911 text contacts, 65,000 bilingual flyers, 2,500 door hangers, 2,500 canvas bags, and 200 Double Up market signs (goal: 190,000 mailers, 2,894 text contacts (one message per month), 50,000 bilingual flyers, 500 bilingual posters, 5,000 door hangers, 800 canvas bags, and 750 Double Up market signs, as well as website and social media outreach. Integrated program learnings from the Farmers Market Promotion Program project around outreach to diverse communities in Colorado. Integrated program outreach with 250 partner organizations across the state through the Double Up Outreach Toolkit of newsletter templates, social media posts, presentations, and other tools (goal: 150 partner organizations). Partnered with 30 county human services offices to distribute Double Up materials to promote the program to SNAP participants (goal: 25 human services offices). Created a toolkit for neighborhood grocery Double Up block party events in the Denver metro area (goal: create toolkit). OBJECTIVE 4. Expand retail partnerships through technology innovation. Launched Double Up in three supermarkets (goal: launch in one additional supermarket). Launched Double Up in three urban stores and two small rural grocers (goal: launch in five urban stores and five rural grocers). Made the Double Up Fresh Incentives App available to 10 small- to mid-sized retailers (goal: five small- to mid-sized retailers).
Publications
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