Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The main beneficiaries of the project are Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, locally-owned retail sites, and farmers. Nebraska Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) targets low-income individuals who face financial barriers which prevent the purchasing and consumption of FFV, and provides nutrition education to help people find, afford, choose, and use FFV. During year four, DUFB directly served this audience through the continued operation of the program at 26 sites (15 rural and 11 urban): ten farmers markets/farm stands, fifteen grocery stores, and one community supported agriculture (CSA) location. The program expanded during year four into two additional rural grocery stores. Changes/Problems:Our 2024 GusNIP application was not funded, making it challenging to continue expansion and release the earning caps on our high-need, minority population-serving sites. It also created doubt and concern among our local funders who rely on sustainable, impactful programs to invest their community benefit dollars, per their IRS requirements. One major change we continued to work to sustain was the 2023 addition of another incentive technology. This provided better technology/less work for stores to implement and report on DUFB; however, redemption rates were low, indicating potential confusion or lack of knowledge of the program by customers and store staff. We continue to have difficulty getting some smaller stores to implement the program consistently due to staffing issues and concerns over project management and compliance. Register coupons are not always recognized as DUFB by users, so informed cashiers are needed to talk/provide further information about the project. The redemption rates of the register coupons remain low in comparison to other technologies, so further investigation is needed as to whether it is a needs issue or knowledge/awareness of the program issue. The stores (n=11) using the new technology (register coupons) had a redemption rate of 30% during this reporting period, as compared to a 23% redemption rate at stores operating on shopper card technology. The UNL Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR) reported it was challenging to schedule interviews with retailers because they are busy. Depending on the site, there were also multiple points of contact needed to answer some of the questions. The Nutrition Incentive Hub Economic calculator separates sites as either grocery or farm direct with the assumption that farm direct has a higher level of local impact and grocery is more part of a national food system. When asked about our rural grocery stores, single owner, single location, they told us it might be more representative to run our grocery stores as farm direct sites but that it's not perfect because the food in the stores are not all local. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Extension staff attended webinars promoted by the Nutrition Incentive Hub throughout the reporting period. PI and/or project coordinator attended USDA-NIFA FY2023 Community Nutrition Project Directors' Mtg, 2024 National Rural Grocery Summit, 2024 International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference, and the 2023 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food Nutrition Conference and Expo. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Program staff disseminated data and results to multiple communities of interest including but not limited to, healthcare partners, funding and implementation partners, public policy advocates, and the general public. This is done through informal and formal progress reports to funders, interviews with local media, and responding to meeting requests to present about the project. Additionally, an annual DUFB Impact Report is published and shared with internal and external stakeholders. Recurring monthly community meetings were held with stakeholders who were invited to learn about the project. These meetings also functioned as monthly office hours to discuss updates, answer questions, give support to partners, provide space to share new DUFB outreach activities and materials, and provide project results. Program partners used their networks to further disseminate data and information about the program to their networks: https://extension.unl.edu/nebraska%E2%80%99s-double-up-food-bucks-program-cultivates-health-and-community/, https://neappleseed.org/35769, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44hP4JXXbvc, https://www.cfra.org/blog/how-do-snap-and-double-food-bucks-benefit-our-communities. This year, the project presented a poster at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, participated in an oral presentation at the National Rural Grocery Summit, and presented a poster at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Conference. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Stated goals have been met and are ongoing: 1) implement DUFB in rural food access points, 2) train partners and programming sites, 3) streamline materials for ease of use, and 4) continue community conversations to increase participation. The primary goal is to continue to operate current urban and rural DUFB sites during this no-cost extension year. Since our 2024 GusNIP application was not funded, we don't have overarching expansion goals. Successful operation of DUFB in Y5 will be enhanced through increased support activities for both grocery and farmers market implementation partners. In Y4, we conducted customer surveys and store owner interviews which we will use to develop a plan to better support our current sites. The last primary activity for the no-cost extension year is to be good stewards of all current funding streams that support the DUFB program to extend the project at all sites for as long as possible, while continuing to pursue further sustainable funding.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Increase SNAP purchases of GusNIP-qualifying FFV at DUFB sites. 1) Major activities: Expanded into two more sites, implemented register coupon incentive technology, developed outreach and communication products to promote the program, and responded to training and technical assistance needs from sites. 2) Data collected: Transaction data in 1) paper customer logs and receipts from sites using $2 paper check incentives, 2) digital reports from Fresh Incentives platform that Epic Technology hosts for sites using shopper card incentive technology, or 3) digital reports from RDS point of sale (POS) system. Data includes SNAP sales, incentives earned, incentives redeemed, and new customers. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: During Y4, SNAP customers spent $5,182,592 of their benefits at DUFB locations, earned $439,489 in incentives from qualifying purchases, and redeemed $233,309 of those incentives for more FFV. 4) Key outcomes: Incentive redemption rate across all DUFB sites and technologies was 71%, up from 67% in Y3; sites operating register coupon technology brought the overall redemption rate down significantly. This technology was implemented in 10 rural grocery stores and one urban micro market at an average 30% redemption rate, up from 23% in Y3. Paper coupon system redemption rate was consistent with previous year's at around 85% and 90% for the shopper card system. SNAP purchases of GusNIP-qualifying FFV in DUFB sites increased from $377,116 to $439,489. Funding was secured from Medica to implement DUFB at three existing sites and two expansion sites in south central Nebraska for two years starting in Y5. Objective 2: Increase community engagement in, and outreach for, DUFB through health centers, emergency food programs, LPHDs, SNAP-Ed nutrition programs, and participating retailers. 1) Major activities: DUFB promotional materials were disseminated during SNAP-Ed programs at DUFB sites. Nutrition education was provided at select retail DUFB sites. Outreach and education were provided to stakeholders and relevant organizations in print and through website design and promotion. 2) Data collected: Seasonal Nebraska Produce handouts were used for on-site nutrition education. Nebraska Extension personnel and/or University of Nebraska nutrition student interns reported the number of participants, demographic data, handouts used, and provided open-ended feedback. Google Analytics was used to collect data on website traffic. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: Handouts reached 1,166 people (53% female, 59% adults 18+). Overall, 18 recipes were used during nutrition education. The DUFB website had 12,855 views by 5,143 users. The most active page was the home page, followed by the Find a Location page. 4) Key outcomes: Face-to-face education and the handout content was appreciated by the target audience. Shoppers commented that events were appealing because they got to try a new recipe or ingredient, learned how to utilize a unique mix of ingredients, received a free recipe card, learned how to make an easy recipe, and enjoyed the variety, freshness, and flavor of recipes. Select SNAP shoppers voiced their suggestions/opinions of the DUFB program, with comments going to the DUFB State Team. Objective 3: Effectively provide incentives at the point-of-purchase through innovative and efficient technologies. 1) Major activities: Implemented three incentive technologies: 1) paper check system in eleven sites, 2) shopper card digital incentives in three sites, and 3) register coupon system in twelve sites. Implementation, technology training, and technical assistance were provided as needed to staff and/or managers across sites. Collected and analyzed customer and store owner surveys. 2) Data collected: Feedback from retailers and customer surveys. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: Customer survey respondents had favorable views of the program, with 95% rating experiences as positive to very positive. Of the 22 respondents, 16 provided additional comments, several of whom expressed a desire for the program to be continued. Many expressed gratitude and positive sentiments for the program or shared how DUFB has helped them. Some shared the challenges they encountered, which included program awareness, where they can use DUFB, and navigating its different participating markets. They appreciate how DUFB "helps farmers and families," and believe that DUFB "makes a difference," in the lives of those who use it. Survey feedback from rural store owners (n=4) stated they were completely to mostly satisfied with technical assistance and training, mostly satisfied with technology used, somewhat to completely satisfied with the economic impact of DUFB, and mostly to completely satisfied with DUFB overall. 4) Key outcomes: Redemption rates by technology remained steady and/or improved when compared to Y3. DUFB customers are very engaged in the program. They see the value and are willing to take extra time to ensure the program continues. Retailers are willing to spend time in discussions troubleshooting and trying out new ideas. This enthusiasm remains a huge asset to DUFB. Objective 4: Evaluate FIP in all implementation sites and make comparisons between rural and urban DUFB sites. 1) Major activities: DUFB Customer surveys were updated based on assistance from NTAE. Materials were available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Data was collected between July and August 2024. We received NTAE funds for participant survey stipends. During this no-cost extension year, we employed an on-line only survey distribution. For all three previous years, there was an in-person and online survey data collection option. 2) Data collected: Due to data collection thresholds being exceeded in previous reporting periods, a smaller total of 22 adults completed the survey. Survey participants received a $10 stipend for survey completion. DUFB incentives earned and received, and the accompanying redemption rates, were tracked and analyzed each month. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: About half (54.5%) reported receiving EBT, food stamps, or SNAP benefits for more than one year. Nearly one-third (31.8%) have been using DUFB for two to five years. About 30% reported living with low food security and 28.6% experienced very low food security. About half (52.4%) reported their health as good, in general, while one-third (33.3%) reported it as fair, 9.5% as very good, and 4.8% as poor. Most respondents reported having two or more health conditions (57.1%), with 38.1% having only one health condition. Of the specific conditions reported, more respondents (52.4%) reported obesity, followed by depression or an anxiety disorder at 42.9%. Highlights regarding self-reported meal planning, budgeting, and cooking tasks include: 52.4% plan meals ahead of time most of the time, 42.9% cook meals at home using healthy ingredients; 38.1% think about healthy choices when deciding what to eat, 38.1% compare prices of foods to find the best prices on healthy foods most of the time; 33.3% will, most of the time, plan meals to include all food groups, and try a new recipe; 42.9% will, sometimes, use nutrition information panels to make food choices; and 33.3% feel confident about managing money to buy healthy food (33.3%). 4) Key outcomes: Comments were positive regarding the program. Respondents emphasized their increased ability to buy FFV; many shared that the program helped them save money. Several respondents expressed gratitude for the program, while some suggested improvements. Additionally, 15 rural DUFB sites, independent of technology type, saw $69,982 in DUFB redemptions during the reporting period. That is an improved redemption rate of 38% from Y3. Eleven urban DUFB sites, independent of technology type, saw $163,327 in DUFB redemptions during the reporting period. That is a steady redemption rate of 118% when compared to Y3.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:The main beneficiaries of the project are Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, locally owned retail sites, and farmers. Nebraska Double Up Food Bucks (NDUFB) targets low-income individuals who face financial barriers which prevent the purchasing and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV), and provides nutrition education to help people find, afford, choose, and use FFV. During year three, NDUFB directly served this audience through the continued operation of the program at 21 sites (24 total; 21 currently active [12 rural and 9 urban]): seven farmers markets, thirteen grocery stores, and one community supported agriculture (CSA) location. The program expanded during year three into nine grocery stores and one farmers market. One grocery store that was partnered with in year two ceased to operate during year three. The other two sites were onboarded but did not have any transactions during year three. Changes/Problems:Our 2023 GusNIP application was not funded, making it challenging to continue expansion and release the earning caps on our high need minority population serving sites. It also created doubt and concern among our local funders who rely on sustainable impactful programs to invest their community benefit dollars, per their IRS requirements. One major change is the addition of another incentive technology. This provided better technology/less work for stores to implement and report on NDUFB but redemption rates were low, indicating potential confusion or lack of knowledge of the program by customers and store staff. We had difficulty getting smaller stores on board due to staffing issues and concerns over project management and compliance. Register coupons were not always recognized as NDUFB so cashiers were needed to talk/provide further information about the project. The redemption rates of the register coupons are low, so we need to investigate whether it is a need issues or knowledge/awareness of program issue. The stores (n=8) using the new technology that are piloting (register coupons) have a redemption rate of 27% during this reporting period, however reporting is not complete. We had all eight stores report in July, six reported in August, and one in September. The UNL Bureau of Sociological Research (BOSR) reported it was challenging to schedule interviews with retailers because they are busy. Depending on the site, there were also multiple points of contact needed to answer some of the questions. Most store owners made no or minimal improvements to their produce departments. A couple of stores rearranged and added storage to their produce departments but did not know how much time or money this required. The project attempted customer survey recruitment events, but in rural areas there wasn't the same concentration of people for one-time events as in urban locations. We had to develop communication pieces so cashiers could be proxy recruiters (training, instruction, etc.). Some respondents reported that the use of tokens and paperwork makes them self-conscious or hesitant about utilizing the program during busy store hours. The Nutrition Incentive Hub Economic calculator separates sites as either grocery or farm direct with the assumption that farm direct has a higher level of local impact and grocery is more part of a national food system. When asked about our rural grocery stores, single owner, single location, they told us it might be more representative to run our grocery stores as farm direct sites but that it's not perfect because the food in the stores are not all local. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Extension staff attended webinars promoted by the Nutrition Incentive Hub on various topics including, but not limited to, the Economic Impact Calculator, GusNIP External Evaluators Community of Practice focused on Qualitative methods and application processes, and Brick and Mortar technology considerations of a GusNIP proposal. Nebraska program staff attended the NDUFB Customer Survey training (provided by project) in May 2023. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Program staff disseminated data and results to multiple communities of interest including but not limited to, healthcare partners, funding and implementation partners, public policy advocates, and the general public. This is done through informal and formal progress reports to funders, giving interviews with local media, and responding to meeting requests to present about the project. Additionally, an annual NDUFB Impact report is published and shared with internal and external stakeholders. Recurring monthly community meetings were held with stakeholders who were invited to learn about the project. These meetings also function as monthly office hours to discuss updates, answer questions, give support to partners, provide space to share new NDUFB outreach activities and materials, and provide project results. Program partners use their networks to further disseminate data and information about the program to their networks: https://communityrelay.com/double-up-nebraska/, https://lowincomerelief.com/double-up-food-bucks-nebraska/, https://panhandlepost.com/posts/2fdb7f91-ef3a-40d4-9876-f19e77cf6f80, https://www.cfra.org/blog/kearney-area-farmers-market-focuses-access-fresh-foods. This year, the project submitted an abstract to the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Stated Goals have either been completely met or partially met: 1) implement DUFB in rural food access points (RFAPs) - met 2) train partners and programming sites - partially met 3) streamline materials for ease of use - met 4) continue community conversations in additional RFAPs to increase participation - met and ongoing The primary goal is to continue to operate current urban and rural NDUFB sites during this no-cost extension year. Last year's goal was to expand into an additional five communities, and we exceeded that goal by adding an additional 11 communities to our list of sites. Since our 2023 GusNIP application was not funded, we don't have any expansion goals. Successful operation of NDUFB in Y4 will be enhanced through increased support activities for both grocery and farmers market implementation partners. In Y3, we conducted customer surveys and store owner interviews which we will use to develop a plan to better support our current sites. Our goal in Y4 is to conduct vendor surveys and customer focus groups instead of customer surveys to further understand barriers and facilitators for those target audiences. Materials will be redistributed to partner sites and posted in Google Drive to provide access to all partners. Outreach and education materials will be shared through traditional and social media. Cashier/volunteer incentives will be considered to encourage engagement of vendors, cashiers, and customers of NDUFB. The last primary activity for the no cost extension year is to improve redemption rates at our rural expansion sites using the in-register coupon technology. We will work with Retail Data Solutions (RDS), store owners and staff, and customers to learn how to bring those numbers up using a variety of methods including, but not limited to, staff training, customer education, marketing campaigns, and/or software modifications. Currently, we are seeing an overall redemption rate for this technology at 22.8% and our goal is to reach 30% by the end of our no-cost extension year.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1: Increase SNAP purchases of GusNIP qualifying FFV in DUFB sites. 1) Major activities: Expanded into ten more sites, implemented register coupon incentive technology, developed outreach and communication products to explain and promote the program, responded to training and technical assistance needs from Double Up sites. 2) Data collected: Transaction data in the form of either 1) paper customer logs and receipts from sites using the $2 paper check incentive technology, 2) digital reports from the Fresh Incentives platform that Epic technology hosts for those sites using the shopper card incentive technology, or 3) digital reports from the RDS POS system. Data includes unique customers, SNAP sales, incentives earned, incentives redeemed, and new customers. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: During year three of the grant, SNAP customers spent $3,651,031.08 of their benefits at Double Up locations, earned $377,116 of incentives from qualifying purchases, and redeemed $251,857 of those incentives for more fresh fruits and vegetables. Double Up Food Bucks customers spent at least $628,973 on fresh and/or local produce. 4) Key outcomes: The incentive redemption rate in 2022/2023 was 67%, a sharp decline from previous years (2021 increased to a record 96% from 91% in 2020). This drop was due to the very low redemption rate of our newly implemented register coupon technology. This technology was implemented in nine rural grocery stores between January and August 2023 and has just a 22.8% redemption. The redemption rate for the paper coupon system was 85% this year and 97% for the shopper card system. SNAP purchases of GusNIP qualifying FFV in DUFB sites increased from $309,112 to $377,116. We secured a $317,000 grant from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to implement DUFB with a focus on rural expansion. Objective 2: Increase community engagement in and outreach for DUFB through health centers, emergency food programs, LPHDs, SNAP-Ed nutrition programs, and participating retailers. 1) Major activities: NDUFB promotional materials were disseminated during SNAP-Ed programs in communities with program sites. Nutrition education was provided at retail program sites. Outreach and education were provided to stakeholders and relevant organizations both in print and through website design and promotion. 2) Data collected: Evaluation of the Seasonal Nebraska Produce handouts used for on-site nutrition education occurred throughout the spring and summer of 2023. Nebraska Extension personnel and/or University of Nebraska nutrition student interns reported the number of participants, demographic data, handouts used, and provided open-ended feedback. Google Analytics was used to collect data on website traffic. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: Handouts reached 1,325 people (65.4% female, 59.9% adults 18+). Overall, 32 recipes were used during nutrition education. The most popular handout used the Tomato & Cucumber Salad recipe (5 events). The NDUFB website had 11,000 views by 4,200 users. The most active page was the home page, with the second most active page being the Find a Location page. 4) Key outcomes: Face to face education and the handout content is appreciated by the target audience. Shoppers commented that the event was appealing because they got to try a new recipe, learn how to utilize a unique mix of ingredients, receive a free recipe card, learn how to make an easy recipe, and enjoyed the variety, freshness, and flavor of the recipes. Objective 3: Effectively provide incentives at the point-of-purchase through innovative and efficient technologies. 1) Major activities: Implemented three incentive technologies: 1) paper check system in eleven sites, 2) shopper card digital incentives in two sites, and 3) register coupon system in ten sites. Completed 14 training courses: Five site specific implementation training sessions, nine technology training sessions with program staff and/or rural grocery store owners and managers. Collected and analyzed customer surveys and store owner interviews. 2) Data collected: Feedback from retailers and customer surveys. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: Customer survey respondents had overwhelmingly favorable views of the program, with 81% rating their experiences as positive to very positive. Out of the 120 respondents, 32 left a positive comment and/or thanks in an optional comment box and 5 provided suggestions for improvements. Of the suggestions, one was about wanting all produce purchases being available for doubling (not just SNAP purchases), one discussed not being aware of other places to use the program outside of farmers markets (FMs) and a lack of vendors that accept EBT at FMs, and another expressed a desire to expand what counts as qualifying items. Feedback from retail owners and managers mentioned an array of benefits associated with having DUFB at their stores, including increased business and better retention rates, showing customers and the larger community that they care, and giving more the opportunity to eat healthy. 4) Key outcomes: NDUFB customers are very engaged in the program. They see the value and are willing to take extra time to ensure the program continues. 36% of our customer surveys provided optional feedback. Retailers are willing to spend time in discussions troubleshooting and trying out new ideas. This enthusiasm is a huge asset to NDUFB. Objective 4: Evaluate FIP in all implementation sites and make comparisons between rural and urban DUFB sites. 1) Major activities: NDUFB Customer surveys were revised/updated based on assistance from NTAE. Materials were made available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Data was collected between June 2023 through August 2023 at urban and rural sites. We applied for and were selected to be recipients of NTAE funds for participant survey stipends. 2) Data collected: A total of 120 adults completed the survey (81 in-person, 22 via web, 1 via phone, 6 off-site paper surveys, 10 unknown). Survey participants received a $10 stipend for survey completion. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: About two-thirds (66.1%) reported receiving EBT, food stamps, or SNAP benefits for more than one year. About one-fourth (24.0%) of respondents live with very low food security, 30.8% live with low food security. Roughly two-fifths described their health as fair (39.3%), followed by good (37.4%). Roughly one-third (32.4%) reported high blood pressure or hypertension, 29.6% with depression or an anxiety disorder, 21.3% live with diabetes or high blood sugar, and 18.5% have obesity or are overweight. Highlights regarding self-reported meal planning, budgeting, and cooking tasks from survey responses include: 45.9% reported they always compare prices of food to find the best prices on healthy food, 42.6% feel confident about cooking a variety of healthy meals, and 40.4% cook meals at home using healthy ingredients. Another 37.6% always think about healthy choices when deciding what to eat, and 33.3% always make a shopping list before going shopping. Respondents report that they sometimes plan meals ahead of time (45.0%), use Nutrition Information Panels to make food choices (37.6%), feel confident about managing money to buy healthy food (34.9%), change recipes to make them healthier (33.9%), plan meals to include all food groups (33.6%), and try a new recipe (29.5%). 4) Key outcomes: Comments were overwhelmingly positive regarding the program. Respondents emphasized their increased ability to buy fresh fruits and vegetables; many shared that the program helped them save money. Several respondents expressed gratitude for the program, while some suggested improvements for the program, such as being able to use DUFB at more places and inquired about the potential for expanding the program to other foods or forms of payment.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Wielenga, V. Nebraska Double Up Food Bucks capacity building and recruitment . Nebraska Local Food and Healthy Farms Conference, February 2023, oral presentation.
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Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:The main beneficiaries of the project are SNAP recipients, locally owned retail sites, and farmers. Double Up Food Bucks targets low-income individuals who face financial barriers which prevent the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and provides nutrition education to help people find, afford, choose, and use fresh fruits and vegetables. During year two, Double Up Food Bucks directly served this audience through the continued operation of the program at (9) sites: five farmers markets, three grocery store locations, and one community supported agriculture (CSA) location. One grocery store we partnered with in year one ceased to operate during year two. The program expanded during year two into one grocery store and two farmers markets. Changes/Problems:Two changes were made due to problems that were presented over year one. NE DUFB uses two incentive technologies, a check system which allows SNAP recipients to use paper checks in $2 increments to pay for fresh fruits and vegetables AND a shopper card which runs through a secure tablet that is run alongside existing point of sale machines. During year two we discovered that most grocery stores do not want to have additional hardware at their registers. Retailers cited a lack of consistent, skilled labor and fear of compliance issues. Retailers expressed the need for a solution that requires very little of their staff at the point of purchase. Owners also are concerned about the reporting burden of the program. This is why we are working with Retail Data Solutions to pilot the in-register technology. The other change is how incentives are earned throughout the month. Due to budgetary constraints, we approached our two highest volume stores about switching up the expiration date on the incentives and adjusting the earnings rules. So, in year three, all incentives earned on the shopper card through Epic will have a three month expiration date (rolling from the date of earning). Previous expiration was 12 months but that required the program to hold a very large balance to cover the incentives that were on the cards and not yet redeemed. Lastly, customers earning on shopper cards will only be able to earn Double Up during the first half of the month. Customers who spend their SNAP benefits on qualifying items the second half of the month will not earn additional incentives. Customers will be able to spend their incentives the entire month as usual. The reason this is necessary is that these stores are seeing earnings between $12,000 and $15,000 each month which is taking up a significant proportion of our total budget making it impossible to expand into rural areas. We hope that these changes will more evenly distribute the Double Up benefits across communities. Since these changes are managed through technology, changes are implemented instantly and reinforced through email communications and in-store signage. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Extension staff attended a webinar introducing them to the Nutrition Incentive Hub web resources. Rachel Hoh presented the workshop in August of 2022. It was recorded and disseminated to those who were unable to attend live. Attendees were guided to create an account, join communities of practice, and are more familiar with reporting through the website. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Communication and partnership with the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association has helped get the word out about the program to potential rural grocery sites. Meetings to educate policy makers at the local city council level about the program and its impact (Lincoln and Omaha). Internal Extension team meetings to update potential implementation staff about the current funding status and target areas of the program. Six recurring monthly meetings are held with current Double Up site partners and vendors. These meetings function as monthly office hours to discuss updates, answer questions, give support to partners, and give space to share new DUFB outreach activities and materials. Key community contacts and partners assisted with communicating about the program to eligible participants such as healthcare worker referrals, WIC clinics, non-profits, and emergency food distribution sites. Outreach materials such as paper flyers and nutrition education are distributed at partner sites as well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The primary goal is to continue to operate current urban and rural DUFB sites and continue to expand into rural food access points. Last year's goal was to expand Double Up in an additional eight rural counties. During year two we expanded into three rural communities. During year three we hope to expand into at least five communities with a high goal of 10 communities. This goal will be dependent on funding and will be a temporary expansion pending the 2023 GusNIP application results. 2022 GusNIP application was not funded but local ARPA dollars were awarded. These funds will expire on June 30, 2023 so all expansion will be during that time. NE DUFB will increase training efforts for cashiers and community partners. Based on a secret shopper study conducted at the end of year one and beginning of year two, our goal was to reassess and increase training efforts for cashiers and community partners. Small tweaks were made but work is ongoing, and the goal is that in year three, with the help of our NTAE Capacity Building grant, we will have a more concise and streamlined recruiting and onboarding suite of materials and training opportunities. Materials will be redistributed to partner sites, and increased cashier training sessions will be held throughout the year. Cashier/volunteer incentives will be considered to encourage customer engagement and store outreach of Double Up. The last primary activity for year three is to improve technology for implementation at sites. NE DUFB received a grant from the Sherwood Foundation to mitigate problems that are created through using the paper check system by transitioning to a web-based system. In year two, Epic Technology Solutions, Inc. (Epic) helped eliminate the hand recording that was currently happening at our two highest volume stores. Now, these stores use a secure tablet alongside their cash register which allows stores the ability to continue using their existing point-of-sale system without requiring substantial technology upgrades or negotiation with third-party servicers. In year three, the program will pilot using Epic at a farmers market and expand into one other grocery store. Additionally, in year three, we will pilot an in-register solution with Retail Data Solutions (RDS). RDS services over 75% of Nebraska's independent retailers so if this pilot goes well, and funds are available, this will give us the capabilities to be in most Nebraska communities with a small grocery store.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The primary outcome of NDUFB is increased purchases of FFV, with an emphasis on locally grown produce, among SNAP recipients. This year, the program helped over 2,900 SNAP families in seven communities (11 sites) purchase over $605,000 worth of food ($309,000 on SNAP qualifying items, $296,000 of DU on FFV). Other outcomes include the impact on local food systems. During the Y2 months of June, July, and August, 40 farmers accepted DUFB at 6 farmers markets. Customer survey respondents (n=114) reported a positive experience using the program (87%). NDUFB is easy to use as evidenced by a 96% redemption rate, up from 91% last year. Objective 1: Increase SNAP purchases of GusNIP qualifying FFV in DUFB sites. 1) Major activities: Expanded into three new sites, implemented shopper card incentive technology, developed outreach/communication items to explain/promote the program, responded to training and technical assistance needs from partners. 2) Data collected: Transaction data (form: paper logs and receipts, digital reports from the Fresh Incentives platform). Data includes unique customers, SNAP sales, incentives earned, incentives redeemed, and new customers. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: During year two of the grant, SNAP customers spent $1,942,030 of their benefits at DU locations, earned $309,122 of incentives, and redeemed $296,603 of those incentives for more FFV. DUFB customers spent $605,726 on fresh and/or local produce. 4) Key outcomes: The incentive redemption rate in 2021 increased to 96% from 91% in 2020! SNAP purchases of GusNIP qualifying FFV in DUFB sites increased from just over $175,000 to $309,112. We secured an NTAE Capacity Building grant to grow the DU team. Four Nebraska Extension Educators, whose expertise is in economic development, began working with retailers in August 2022. Objective 2: Increase community engagement for DUFB. 1) Major activities: DU materials were disseminated during SNAP-Ed programs in communities with program sites. Nutrition education was provided at retail program sites. Outreach and education were provided to stakeholders in print, presentations, and website design. 2) Data collected: Evaluation of the Seasonal Nebraska Nutrition Education and Activity Kit (handouts) used for on-site nutrition education occurred throughout the spring and summer of 2022. Nebraska Extension personnel and University of Nebraska nutrition interns reported the number of participants, demographic data, handouts used, and provided feedback. Google analytics was used to collect data on website traffic. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: Handouts reached 872 people (71.2% female, 80% adults 18+). Overall, 28 recipes were used. The most popular handout used was one with the Tomato & Cucumber Salad recipe (7 events). Spinach Dip and Summer Vegetable Salad were each used three times. Handouts that weren't used this season include Brussels Sprouts, green beans, okra, potatoes, rhubarb, snap peas, sweet corn, and Swiss chard. The new DUFB website was launched April 2022 and had a total of 1,125 unique users between April and August 2022. These users had a total of 1,636 sessions. The average time spent on the page was one minute and 3 seconds. 4) Key outcomes: Face to face education and handout content is appreciated by the target audience. Shoppers commented that the event was appealing because they got to try a new recipe, learn how to use produce in a new way, learn about the nutrition of produce, the ease of the recipe and all the color, variety, freshness, and flavor. Objective 3: Effectively provide incentives at the point-of-purchase through innovative and efficient technologies. 1) Major activities: Implemented two incentive technologies: 1) paper check system, and 2) shopper card digital incentives. Completed six training courses: Three site specific implementation training sessions, two technology training sessions with program staff, and one program administration training with a partner organization. 2) Data collected: Feedback from retailers, cashiers and customer surveys. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: Customer survey respondents were overwhelmingly favorable, with 59.6% rating their experiences as very positive, and 28.1% rating it as positive. Of the 114 respondents, 30 of them took time to add a positive comment in an optional comment box and 10 provided suggestions for improvements. Of the ten suggestions, three were for the SNAP program, three were statements about expanding to other markets, and one was to expand the qualifying items to include meat. The other three were actionable: two commented on the paper coupon technology - one not liking the expiration date timing and the other wishing it was more discreet. One comment was about a particular site's staff lacking knowledge about the program. Feedback from retail owners and managers indicate that while the shopper card is less burdensome than the paper checks for reporting, it can be just as much work to run the program due to the additional training and hardware/software management. 4) Key outcomes: DU customers are very engaged in the program. They see the value and are willing to take extra time to ensure the program continues. 35% of our customer surveys provided optional feedback. Retailers are willing to spend time troubleshooting and trying out new ideas. This enthusiasm is a huge asset to NDUFB. Objective 4: Evaluate FIP in all implementation sites and make comparisons between rural and urban DUFB sites. 1) Major activities: NDUFB Customer surveys were revised/updated based on assistance from NTAE. Materials were made available in English, Spanish, and Arabic. Data was collected between 07/29/22 and 08/21/22 at urban sites only, as onboarding of rural sites has been slower than anticipated. We received NTAE funds for participant survey stipends. 2) Data collected: 114 adults completed the NDUFB Customer Survey. 35.1% took the survey in-person with someone reading them the questions, 34.2% took the survey in person and read the questions to themselves, 28.1% took the survey at home using an electronic link. Survey participants received a $10 stipend for survey completion. 3) Summary statistics and discussion of results: 66.7% reported receiving SNAP benefits for more than one year. 7.9% reported receiving benefits for three months or less. 25.2% live with very low food security, 42.3% live with low food security, leaving 32.5% to live with high or marginal food security. The most common condition reported was depression or anxiety disorder (31.3%). Additionally, 25% reported high blood pressure or hypertension, followed closely by diabetes or high blood sugar (23.2%). The most common location NDUFB was used to get fruits and vegetables was a grocery store (43.9%), 31.6% used small food stores such as a corner store or a bodega, followed by 24.6% at the farmers market, 3.5% at a mobile farm truck, and less than 1% through a CSA or produce box. Most respondents consumed fruit or fruit juice (64.8%) and vegetables (67.6%) one or more times per day. Highlights regarding self-reported meal planning, budgeting and cooking tasks from responses include: 58% always compare prices to find the best prices on healthy foods; 45.5% reported that they sometimes try a new recipe; 44.6% always cook meals at home using healthy ingredients; 42.9% think about healthy choices when deciding what to eat; 42.9% make a list before shopping; 39.3% feel confident about cooking healthy meals; 39.3% plan meals ahead of time; 33.9% change recipes to make them healthier; and 33.9% always feel confident about managing money to buy healthy food. 4) Key outcomes: Comments were overwhelmingly positive regarding the program. Respondents emphasized their increased ability to buy FFV, and many shared that the program helped them save money. Several respondents expressed gratitude for the program.
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:The main beneficiaries of the project are SNAP recipients, locally owned retail sites, and farmers. Double Up Food Bucks targets low-income individuals who face financial barriers which prevent the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and provides nutrition education to help people find, afford, choose, and use fresh fruits and vegetables. During year one, Double Up Food Bucks directly served this audience through the continued operation of the program at four farmers market locations, three grocery store locations, and one community supported agriculture (CSA) location. Using a streamlined application process that was developed in year one, the program expanded to three new locations chosen because of the retail sites commitment to stocking local and healthy Fruits and Vegetables and/or a sites commitment to serving BIPOC and other underserved populations residing in nutrition deserts. Eight additional farmers markets and grocery stores in rural communities, identified as having capacity and need by Nebraska Community Foundation and their partners, were also targeted during year one and are currently undergoing the onboarding process. Additional groups that were targeted to aid in the promotion and marketing of the program include health care groups, non-profits, and emergency food distribution groups. Changes/Problems:Two changes were made due to problems that were presented over year one. NE DUFB uses a single currency, check system which allows SNAP recipients to use paper checks in $2 increments to pay for fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to any cash/tokens as applicable, and check endorsement by certified retailers who deposit them into their bank for payment. Budgetary modifications were made due to an unexpected change in the financial institution that assisted in the printing out of these paper checks for the program. In addition, technological needs, staff capacity, and evaluation requirements are barriers for stores and Farmers Markets to participate in DUFB using paper checks. This is evidenced by a 23% error rate in our NE DUFB transaction data across participating sites from 2017-2019. Typical errors included incorrectly recorded or missing 5-digit EBT IDs, incorrectly distributed checks, and incorrectly recorded or missing check numbers. To decrease the error rate of our transaction data across participating sites, Nebraska DUFB implemented a pilot project using Epic Technology Solutions, Inc. (Epic) to provide incentives at the point-of-purchase at NE DUFB's highest volume sight through improved technology. Training sessions were held with site managers and cashiers in August of year one. The technology will be fully operational at the pilot site at the beginning of year two. Double Up Nebraska received a grant from the Sherwood Foundation to continue expanding this technology to every site in Nebraska. The expansion process and a more in-depth description around Epic is outlined in Box #4 of the accomplishments section. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Extension and outreach directed at year one's target audience include radio ads, flyers distributed at the point of purchase, on-site posters/signs, outdoor banners, social media posts, interviews with local news outlets, webpage design and promotion. Key community contacts and partners also assisted with communicating about the program to eligible participants such as healthcare worker referrals. Partner groups that aided in the dissemination of information include 1) community and local implementation partners also aid in the distribution of outreach materials in their local communities. Partners are reached through emails, listservs, and community meetings. There are two DUFB listservs, one for the entire Double Up Food Bucks Nebraska partner network. Six recurring monthly meetings are held with community partners, sites and vendors representing 29 Nebraska counties. These meetings function as monthly office hours to discuss updates, answer questions, give support to partners, and give space to share new DUFB outreach activities and materials. Outreach materials such as paper flyers and nutrition education are distributed at partner sites as well. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The primary goal is to continue to operate current urban and rural DUFB sites and continue to expand into rural food access points. Double Up will be implemented in an additional eight rural communities. The second goal is to continue community conversations in additional rural food access points to increase participation. Third, NE DUFB will increase training efforts for cashiers and community partners. Based on a secret shopper study conducted at the end of year one and beginning of year two, Nebraska DUFB will reassess and increase training efforts for cashiers and community partners. In year two, a partner retreat for implementation groups will be held to go over the program, train the trainer style. Materials will be redistributed to partner sites, and increased cashier training sessions will be held throughout the year. The last primary object for year two is to improve technology for implementation at sites. NE DUFB received a grant from the Sherwood Foundation to mitigate problems that are created through using the paper check system by transitioning to a web-based system. Epic Technology Solutions, Inc. (Epic) will eliminate the hand recording that is currently happening. Epic developed their innovative platform specifically for DUFB to address many of the barriers-to-entry for grocery retailers and Farmers Markets, as well as providing reliable and secure reporting of transaction earning and spending data. Stores will use a secure tablet alongside their cash register which allows stores the ability to continue using their existing point-of-sale system without requiring substantial technology upgrades or negotiation with third-party servicers. The largest volume program sites will switch over first, being locations where training, implementation, and customization options will be fine-tuned. These efforts will decrease participation burden for rural retailers and communities, thus increasing access to DUFB for NE SNAP participants. Additionally, through improved technology, increase the efficiency and accuracy of data collection and reporting.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Double Up reduces barriers for SNAP recipients to support local farmers and grocery stores. The 2017 Rural Poll showed that many people drive to the nearest big box store for groceries, even when they have a local grocery store in their neighborhood. Price is almost always the reason why. Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) allows grocers and farmers to get a fair price for their produce AND SNAP customers still get to stretch their food dollar while eating healthfully. DUFB helps participating SNAP farmers markets, community supported agriculture, and grocery and convenience stores reduce financial barriers for low-income individuals to consume fresh fruits and vegetables [FFV], and provides nutrition education to help people find, afford, choose, and use FFV. DUFB provides the following for participating SNAP retail sites and SNAP recipients: 1) formal support to sites to stock FFV and help recipients find FFV and buy local produce when possible; 2) dollar-for-dollar matches on qualifying purchases to help recipients afford FFV; 3) support to create culturally appropriate environments to help recipients choose FFV; and 4) tools and resources for DUFB sites to offer in-store nutrition education, food demonstrations, promotion and marketing, training, and assessment to help recipients use FFV. DUFB also supports local business and farmers through increased purchases of FFV and addresses Nebraska's need for a stronger food economy and a more connected local food system, which will positively impact food security. The overarching goal of this project is to reduce financial barriers and improve the diet quality and health of Nebraska Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants through providing point-of-purchase incentives and nutrition education offered through the expansion of the DUFB program. The goals of Year 1 was to: 1) implement DUFB in rural food access points (RFAPs); 2) train partners and programming sites; 3) streamline materials for ease of use; and 4) continue community conversations in additional RFAPs to increase participation. Major activities completed to: expand DUFB in rural areas include: a) the addition of Kearney Area Farmers Market starting in August 2021; b) Conversations and the initiation of the onboarding process with eight additional grocery stores. train partners and programming sites include: a) three site specific Grocery Store and Farmers Market training sessions held on July 29th, August 6th, August 9th for Grocery Store and farmers market managers, cashiers, and volunteers. b) Two general grocery store training sessions for managers and staff were held on June 9th and June 22nd; c) three videos were created for informational and training purposes targeting 1) implementation partners in our participating communities; 2) community partners working with grocery stores and grocery store managers that are in the onboarding and implementation process; and 3) community partners working with farmers markets and farmers market managers and volunteers that are in the onboarding and implementation process; d) Six meetings were held through the months of April and May to train implementation partners to onboard local sites; e) Two Epic training courses were held for staff members. Epic is an enhanced payment network to help shoppers consume more Fresh Food. These training courses were held prior to piloting the technology. streamline materials for ease of use include: a) A public Google Folder accessible to all partners and sites with DUFB resources was created. The folder includes resources specific for farmers markets, grocery stores and implementation partners. Materials are expanded on in the products section. continue community conversations in additional RFAPs to increase participation include a monthly recurring meeting with community partners that represent 27 rural areas. Data collected: A DUFB customer survey was created to evaluate the impact of the NE DUFB program. The Customer Survey was completed by SNAP customers at participating DUFB sites from mid-June through the end of August. A total of 122 people participated in the survey. The most common length of time using DUFB was three months (39.3%), followed by four to six months (18.9%). 16.4% of respondents reported that the day they took the survey was their first time using the program, and the remaining 25.4% had been using the program for 7 months or more. The most common location for respondents to use the program was a small food store (68.9%), with 25.4% also using grocery stores, and 20.5% using farmers markets. Respondents had overwhelmingly favorable views of the program, with 56.6% rating their experiences as very positive, and 36.9% rating it as positive (93.5% combined). More than half of respondents "always think about healthy choices when deciding what to eat" (57.0%), "feel confident about managing money to buy healthy food" (54.5%), "cook meals at home using healthy ingredients" (62.8%), and "feel confident about cooking a variety of healthy meals" (62.0%). Nearly three quarters (73.6%) said they compare prices of foods to find the best prices on healthy foods. Respondents in the program for 1-2 years or more were more likely to think about healthy choices when deciding what to eat, while those in the program for 4-6 months or less were more likely to report that they never thought about that. Respondents in the program 10-12 months or more were more likely to report that they felt confident about cooking a variety of healthy meals. Respondents in the program for 2-5 years were more likely to compare prices of foods to find the best prices on healthy food. Respondents who reported it was their first time in the program (n=20) were the most likely to report running out of money for food. More than half (51.2%) of respondents reported never running out of money for food. Respondents had the opportunity to share comments about the program which were overwhelmingly positive. Respondents emphasized their increased ability to buy FFV with the help of this program. Many respondents shared that their children had healthier food to eat with the DUFB program. Several respondents suggested that more places should work with the program to accept the vouchers, especially smaller grocery stores, specialized ethnic food stores, and individual farmers. One respondent stated that although they were new to the program, they love it so far, and they've shared their experience with their friends who also use EBT. Reach statistics across events, training sessions, meetings, listserv/MailChimp, and website views were collected. There are two DUFB listservs, one for the entire Nebraska DUFB partner network consisting of over eighty members, and one for participating sites to receive site specific information consisting of 16 members. These listservs have a 31% open rate. Six recurring monthly meetings are held with community partners, sites and vendors representing 29 counties. On average, each meeting consists of four to eight people. The DUFB website received a total of 4,538 unique page views during year one. The average time spent on the page was one minute and 16 seconds. This shows that community members are engaged and actively participating in the expansion of the program. Data on sales transaction and coupon redemption rate was collected. A total of $153,243.00 GusNIP incentives were issued to 4,361 customers averaging a total of $35.14 per customer from September 2020 through August 2021. A total of $175,897 incentives were distributed to customers in year one therefore the coupon redemption rate for year one was around 87%. This is much higher than the usual 40-50% redemption rate that is average for paper coupon incentive programs. A Total of $134,950 incentives were redeemed at Brick and Mortar sites and another $16,614 were redeemed at Farm Direct sites.
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