Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The Coalition continues to serve the target audiences of low-income families, seniors, and rural populations. Programs supported by GusNIP funds operated in 33 counties in FY23. Thirty of the counties served by the Coalition have poverty rates higher than the 11.6% national average, and ten have poverty rates higher than 20%. ? Changes/Problems:The program saw unprecedented growth during the pandemic and that affected the Coalition's approach to program management. Now that the pandemic has passed, and SNAP benefits have been reduced to pre-pandemic levels, the approach must change to continue to put food in the hands of consumers and dollars into the hands of producers. Some existing firms have reported a decrease in participation levels. This coming year will have a greater focus on increasing the number of firms operating in the state. Additional efforts to raise awareness and market the program to SNAP users will occur at SNAP Stretch locations. This process will include a reevaluation of markets' Individual Outreach Plans. These plans will include new marketing materials where appropriate, community outreach where appropriate, and assistance with events planning at market sites in the coming year. The Coalition is seeking other income sources at the state level to bolster the level of economic impact achieved in addition to the effort of continuing to expand the program by writing for a large-scale GusNIP project grant in 2024. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Staff turnover resulted in staffing gaps for the Coalition in FY23, which led to a reduction in training and professional development opportunities for Coalition staff. Two staff members attended the Nutrition Incentive Hub's National Convening in Washington, D.C. in June. During FY23, the Coalition began populating an online video training library for participating markets. This approach is intended to ease the pain of one-time, online, group training webinars each year for market managers, allowing them to access the training at their convenience and refer back to them as needed. Breaking training videos into smaller, searchable bites, provides firms with a more functional resource. ? How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Coalition has an active presence on social media and continually updates participants and supporters via a monthly newsletter. These communications feature success stories of participants and accomplishments of the coalition. The coalition makes use of tools such as the Nutrition Incentive Hub's Y3 Impact study, GusNIP NTAE Nutrition Incentive Economic Impact Calculator and photos submitted by firms to populate these posts and newsletters. An article was featured on the NIFA USDA website that highlighted the success of SNAP Stretch in West Virginia. Titled, 'GusNIP efforts Impacting Rural Communities - and Economies,' the article quotes participating families, and representatives from participating firms, about the impact the program has had on their lives and businesses. The Coalition, updated SNAP Stretch one page info sheets with 2022 program data and shared them with community partners to promote further understanding of SNAP Stretch. Info sheets were also shared with new potential firms as a way to show the success of the program and the possible financial impact. Lastly, USDA/NIFA featured the Coalition's SNAP Stretch project in an article in the fall of 2023. See article here: https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/impacts/gusnip-efforts-impacting-rural-communities-economies What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Coalition has multiple projects in progress to address the goal of expanding the number of firms offering SNAP Stretch. In conjunction with WVU FNP the Coalition will evaluate KM@TS locations for SNAP Stretch viability and recruit where appropriate. This past year the Coalition obtained an NIH Capacity Building Grant that includes the goal of recruiting at least 5 new firms that are either BIPOC owned or serve BIPOC communities in 2024. The Coalition will also be working with a local DEI specialist to conduct a self-audit, DEI training, and outreach to identify minority-owned firms for the purpose of recruitment. The Coalition is also part of two projects that will result in the opening of grocery stores that will be SNAP Stretch firms. One market will be in a rural, southern West Virginia community. The other will be located in Charleston's West Side neighborhood. The Coalition has also contracted with a marketing company to create promotional/education videos for the purposes of promoting the program and attracting additional markets to be SNAP Stretch firms in FY24. Improving healthy food access by establishing a presence in new communities through the recruitment of markets to become SNAP Stretch firms continues to be a priority for the Coalition. For Goals 2 and 3, the Coalition will continue its relationship with WVU FNP with the goal of adding more locations to the KM@TS program, and continuing to offer event support at firms throughout the state. This program, which provides free fruits and vegetables for children at these locations, serves as a useful way to provide nutrition education, increase fruit and vegetable intake and make community connections with potential SNAP Stretch firms.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Increase and diversify the number of participating SNAP Stretch sites where customers can utilize SNAP Stretch. Participating markets may include cooperative mobile markets, school/child care-based markets, brick-and-mortar retail establishments, Community Supported Agriculture ( CSA ) models, on-farm stands, farmers markets. The SNAP Stretch Program served a valuable role in our communities throughout the pandemic. The launch of the Coalition's SNAP Stretch expanded project coincided almost perfectly with both the increases to SNAP benefits for existing SNAP users due to the pandemic, and the implementation of additional P-EBT benefits for many who did not previously qualify for SNAP benefits. The response to SNAP Stretch was so strong during the first full year of operation, budget caps for firms were established in FY22 to preserve the longevity of the funding. These caps were carried over into FY23. And, additional EBT dollars for summer feeding led to continued distribution of benefits over the course of the summer. As markets were identified and onboarded, tracked, and capped, pockets of need were identified throughout the state and this shaped the Coalition's approach to expansion. The Coalition focused its energy in areas where the need was high and communities were responsive. Since the implementation of the SNAP Stretch program, 54 firms have participated in 35 different counties. Two new firms were added in FY23 and two firms signed MOUs to return to the program after a hiatus. An average of 15.4% of West Virginia households faced food insecurity between 2017-2019, according to the USDA Economic Research Service. That number was reduced to an average of 14.2% between the years 2020-2022. While the number of actively participating firms went down during FY23, the amount of incentives redeemed grew by more than 6 percent due to the success the program has seen in some of the areas of need identified throughout the state. These partnering firms were able to increase their reach to greater numbers of beneficiaries with higher incentive redemption rates and others, through design of the mobile market model, were also able to reach additional participants in multiple counties. The Coalition distributed $76,964.41 in GusNIP SNAP Stretch incentives in FY23. The program was also supported by GusCRR and other grants during the year. A total of $419,244.48 SNAP Stretch incentives were redeemed by approximately 22,827 households for the year. The GusNIP NTAE Incentive Economic Impact Calculator estimates GusNIP spending resulted in an economic impact of $123,144 in communities with participating markets, and an overall economic impact of more than $670,000 from all sources combined. The Coalition continues to actively recruit firms in order to meet the firm goal outlined in this grant, as well as to recruit firms of various types to serve a broader population. Goal 2: ?Integrate nutrition education into mobile markets, school/child care-based markets, farmers markets, and food retailers via videos, electronic media, on-site demonstrations, and cooking classes. Nutrition education will be evaluated to determine the impacts of different methods at different locations or distribution strategies. WVU FNP will provide nutrition education, and will also assist with evaluation services. The environment at participating SNAP Stretch markets has been lively in FY 23. Not only were there 33 family fun days with coordinated children's activities, and 81 days of live music reported, but there were also 92 total days of reported educational/outreach activity as well. Outreach: There were 19 WIC/Senior Voucher outreach events at seven different markets, 18 WVU Extension outreach events at nine different markets, and 17 SNAP outreach events held at five different markets. Nutrition Education: Five markets hosted a total of 14 on-site cooking demonstrations, nine markets hosted 16 days of gardening instruction, and a total of 8 health fairs were hosted at 3 different markets. WVU Extension FNP surveyed SNAP Stretch and Kids Market at the Store (KM@TS) participants in August. Of those surveyed, 25% reported taking home recipe cards from sites, 17% reported participating in food demonstrations, and 6% reported participating in nutrition classes. Survey participants also reported increases in the ease of preparing fruits and vegetables after participating in educational experiences at the markets. When it comes to the ease of preparing vegetables, a total of 23% of those surveyed changed their response from "Somewhat Easy/Not Easy" to "Easy/Very Easy" following classes. Ten percent of respondents did the same for fruit preparation. Goal 3: SNAP Stretch participants report greater access to fruits and vegetables. Respondents to the WVU FNP survey reported an increase in the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed after participating in the program, showing a 10% increase in the number of participants consuming more than 2 cups of fruits and vegetables.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The Coalition continues to serve the target audiences of low-income families and seniors. In 2022, additional funding was secured from Save the Children to support SNAP Stretch statewide and firm recruiting continued to target markets that serve large amounts of children and families, such as the Doddridge County Farmers Market which combined SNAP Stretch and Kids Market programming. Children also continue to be targeted in the nutrition education portion of the grant, with programs like Kids Market @ the Store helping to support and recruit SNAP Stretch firms while also providing free fruits and vegetables and nutrition education to children across the state. Changes/Problems:Due to the unprecedented need and increased spending during the 2020 and 2021 market seasons due to COVID-19, funding for incentives is limited. Participant demand has been high at currently participating markets, and the Coalition placed spending caps on all firms in 2022 to preserve the longevity of GusNIP funds. However, many firms met their initial funding cap for the year before the end of market season, and even limited their advertising and community outreach out of concern for prematurely meeting their caps. Additionally, some interested new firms chose not to participate in the program due to concerns about limited funding. Due to this, there is concern that funds for incentives will be expended before the Coalition is able to fully onboard all 68 firms, which is an objective in the GusNIP award. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Program staff have had multiple opportunities, both in-person and online, to participate in training and professional development over the last year. Several staff were able to attend the 2022 National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) summer meeting, where they participated in sessions on the 2023 Farm Bill, local and regional food systems, socially disadvantaged farmers and the impacts of climate change. Coalition staff have also had the opportunity to attend a plethora of online trainings and professional development opportunities, including the Nutrition Incentive Hub communities of practice, webinars from the Farmers Market Coalition on racial justice and best practices for markets, and the Food Systems Leadership Network's series of webinars on the Farm Bill. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results are shared with markets, stakeholders and program participants via email listserv and Facebook. In early 2022, one-page info sheets with statistics were created using 2021 program data and shared with community partners and state and local politicians to promote SNAP Stretch and pursue additional funding. Info sheets were also shared with new potential firms as a way to show the success of the program and the possible financial impact. These info sheets incorporated 2021 data about SNAP Stretch spending, SNAP/EBT dollars captured in the local economy, counties served, participating households and economic impact. Additional info sheets were created for each county to provide an at-a-glance review for senators and representatives from those areas. These materials, combined with flyers showcasing success stories and photos from participating markets, were also given to potential partners and funders to raise awareness of the program. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period, the Coalition aims to increase the number of participating SNAP Stretch firms by surveying communities about potential firms in their area and reaching out to recruit firms identified by staff and partners. This will also include offering TA to potential firms not yet accepting SNAP/EBT to assist them in that process and targeting recruitment to counties that do not have any current SNAP Stretch firms and new types of firms that serve a wider population, like mobile markets. To increase availability of nutrition education at SNAP Stretch firms and access to fruits and vegetables,the Coalition and WVU FNP plan to work together to expand the reach of the new Kids Market @ the Store (KM@TS) program, which makes local fruits and vegetables accessible at participating local businesses. This program, which provides free fruits and vegetables for children at these locations, serves as a useful way to provide nutrition education, increase fruit and vegetable intake and make community connections with potential SNAP Stretch firms.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: Since the beginning of this GusNIP grant, 45 firms have participated in SNAP Stretch across 35 counties. This comprises 31 farmers markets and farm stands, 7 brick and mortar locations, 6 mobile markets and 1 CSA program. The Coalition continues to actively recruit firms in order to meet the firm goal outlined in this grant, as well as to recruit firms of various types to serve a broader population. Goal 2: In FY22, 21 firms provided nutrition education activities to SNAP Stretch participants and other market customers. These activities included cooking demonstrations, taste tests, health fairs, Farmacy programs, and nutrition-based gardening instruction along with a variety of other SNAP-Ed programming. Nutrition education was provided mainly through local partnerships with FNP educators around the state, with each of the 21 firms providing at least 2 months worth of nutrition education and some providing up to 11. Goal 3: On participant surveys administered in partnership with SNAP-Ed partners at WVU Extension, 59% of participants utilizing SNAP Stretch for 6 months or more reported food security, compared to 33% of participants utilizing the program for the first time. Participants who had been using SNAP Stretch for more than 6 months reported an increase in fruit and vegetable intake from those who had been using it for fewer than 6 months, from 2.7 cups per day to 2.97.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Providing outreach to school-age youth and seniors throughout the state of West Virginia are two primary audiences for the project. In 2021, we distributed $288,990.91 to families and $129,738.95 to seniors/grandfamilies in SNAP Stretch incentives respectively. Additionally, firms have identified that a growing percentage of families served are a combination of both target populations as a grandfamily structure. Whether that means that families of seniors providing care for their grandchildren or adults caring for both their own children and a parent. Mobile market firms promoting the program have generally chosen to set up their weekly/pop-up markets in areas within their localities where these targeted audiences are living or are receiving other services. These areas include preschool/daycare centers, local campuses, senior living facilities/residences/service providers, and churches. With the introduction of new support to the project, new reach was achieved in four new counties this year. The expansion of project types of firms and areas where firms were previously serving SNAP customers are now providing incentive savings as these firms are in operation consistently throughout the week. Changes/Problems:The need for increased spending at the firm level this year was unexpected. This impacted the rate of project expenditures greatly and in conjunction with the development of the GusNIP CRR project plan. There is concern that funds for incentives will be expended before the Coalition is able to fully onboard all 68 firms, which is an objective in the GusNIP award. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The nationally convened communities of practice as supported by the training and evaluation team with the Gretchen Swanson Center and other coalition partners have proven invaluable. Sessions and conversations have helped in designing and developing resources/responses for new firms who all operate SNAP Stretch differently depending on their business model. Connections with the National Grocer Association and the working group to provide feedback to Point of Sale service providers in tracking nutrition incentive activities. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The Coalition has a listserv that is shared publicly for individuals within the community to receive results from programs and activities regularly, as well as various social media platforms where we share this information. Various partners including WV DHHR, nonprofit organizations, and the firms have received results information. Additionally, information is shared with WVU FNP which can report on to their funders and network. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Coalition and WVU FNP as the data collection and evaluation partners on this project plan to continue to complete surveys surrounding access to and changes in eating habits from individuals as stated in Goal 3. Additional outreach and promotion of the program with partners and the public will be planned and increased to meet our intended outcomes as stated in the goals. These plans include further engagement with new markets and communities by working closely with active firms to provide mentorship and share their own best practices while aiding in the onboarding process.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
In the first year of this project, outcomes were achieved to increase firm involvement to a total of 39 including 26 direct-market farms, 6 mobile markets/CSAs, and 7 food retailers. These mobile markets and food retailers recruited span across four additional counties reaching more than an additional 2,000 households. Integrate nutrition education into markets and at program sites to reinforce messages and evaluate the impact of market programs on fruit and vegetable consumption. WV Food & Farm Coalition partners with West Virginia University Extension Family Nutrition Program (WVU FNP) health educators and nutrition outreach instructors to provide food demonstrations, recipe cards, and samples. WVU FNP educators and nutrition instructors target low-income populations to implement their programming. These education opportunities were coupled with the kids' pop-up markets. In addition to children receiving $4 each market to select their own produce, WVU FNP offered healthy eating education and exercises with the children. It was the hope of the experimental combination of the pop-up markets, WVU FNP programming, and SNAP Stretch available at those markets, that we would see "pester power" in action. "Pester Power" is the idea that the kids influence their parents to participate in SNAP Stretch markets so that the kids can spend their "kids koupons". In addition to the benefits from purchasing fresh produce, children really enjoy counting and paying for products with tokens. At least one firm providing produce for these markets also ran their mobile markets at these locations in the 6 counties served and saw more than an additional $1,500 made in redemptions by the targeted families
Publications
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