DOUBLE UP FOR HEALTH: NOURISHING NEW MEXICO THROUGH SNAP INCENTIVES FOR LOCAL FOODS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1027346
• Grant No.: 2021-70030-35719
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $3,292,364.00
• Proposal No.: 2021-06418
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2021
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2025
• Grant Year: 2021
• Program Code: [FLSP]- FINI Large Scale Project

Recipient Organization
NEW MEXICO FARMERS MARKETING ASSOCIATION
731 MONTEZ ST
SANTA FE,NM 87501

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
OVERVIEW"Double Up for Health: Nourishing New Mexico through SNAP Incentives for Local Foods" seeks to increase the consumption of locally produced fruits and vegetables for low-income New Mexicans through a 65% expansion of its Double Up Food Bucks program (Double Up). Carried out by the New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association along with numerous partners, Double Up is the singular SNAP incentive program in the state, providing dollar-for-dollar incentives for New Mexico grown produce purchased with SNAP at over 100 farmers' markets, grocery stores, farm stands,vetc. The vast majority of SNAP purchases will be produce, and the project builds on six years of steady growth in all areas of the Double Up program. It also introduces new key activities, including:? Expanding eligible items to include canned, dried, frozen, and lightly processed New Mexico grown fruits and vegetables to increase availability of Double Up items year-round and provide entrepreneurial opportunities for NM food producers? Piloting focused interventions in four targeted "Double Down" communities through concentrated outreach and engagement activities including a "Market Ambassador" program, amplified direct-to-consumer marketing, and new community partner engagement.? Increasing awareness and availability of Double Up-eligible items in grocery stores through the development of Double Up-branded meal kits.? Targeting families with teens/young adults through a social media "influencer" campaign.? Providing extensive nutrition education through our GoodFoodNM mobile messaging and working with outlets to explore online ordering/delivery options.The project comes at a critical time in which food security in NM is at an all-time low. The project givesthose most in need access to healthy food and promotes economic growth by putting more dollars in the pockets of local farmers, food producers, and retailers.BACKGROUNDNew Mexico's great economic need, long-held agricultural traditions, and the full spend-down of our last FINI grant puts our state at a critical crossroads. With economic uncertainty and lingering effects of the pandemic ahead, New Mexicans are likely to continue suffering from unemployment, sagging incomes, and food insecurity. At the same time, the positive changes in peoples' cooking and eating habits, along with the momentum for growth shown over six successful years of Double Up project implementation, make this a critical time to continue and expand the availability of SNAP incentives.New Mexico often appears at the bottom of many national health rankings: 50th in food insecurity, 49th in highest poverty level, 47th in unemployment, and 40th in diabetes. It is not surprising, therefore, that its low-income population is highly vulnerable to changes in the economy and, as one would expect, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the state hard. According to a study by a University of Illinois professor, New Mexico was one of five states whose food insecurity levels were most dramatically impacted by the pandemic.Further, Feeding America projects that in 2020 the number of New Mexicans experiencing food insecurity has increased nearly 25% to 434,570.2 This means that one in five New Mexicans currently do not have adequate access to food, and that now nearly one in three (30%) of children suffer from food insecurity.While 2020 was devastating on the health and well-being of many New Mexicans, it was at the same time a banner year for sales of local fruits and vegetables at NM food outlets, especially those that participate in the state's Double Up Food Bucks Program (Double Up) which provides dollar-for-dollar incentives for SNAP purchases of New Mexico-grown fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets, farm stands, grocery stores, CSAs, and mobile markets. During the last year, SNAP and Double Up sales nearly doubled, increasing from roughly $969,000 in 2019 to $1,547,000 in 2020. The pandemic has led to more meals cooked at home, and the Double Up program has helped many low-income New Mexicans afford more New Mexico-grown produce to include in those home-cooked meals. Of nearly 700 Double Up participants surveyed last year, 73% reported that the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables they eat had increased due to the program.This comes at a time when the local food system is ramping up to meet growing needs. New Mexico has a rich agricultural history and annual gross receipts from farming are $3 billion, yet 97% of products leave the state. However, direct-to-consumer sales and state procurement programs are growing. The local food system is at a pivotal stage as witnessed by local food hub growth, more young farmers, and recent philanthropic investment in farm infrastructure--all of which are helping to build capacity and meet growing demand.Double Up plays an important role in stimulating the local food system. Our sales data indicate that SNAP and Double Up account for about 10% of the $12 million in direct-to-consumer sales of local produce. Over the last six years the Double Up program has put more than $5.6 million dollars into the pockets of NM farmers, many of whom also qualify as low-income and/or historically underserved. In fact, 74% of farmers' market vendors say they have a new customer base and are making more money because of the Double Up program. This is an essential income stream for New Mexico's small and medium sized farms who operate on tiny profit margins, especially since COVID-19 has slowed farm-to-institution and farm-to-restaurant sales.Direct-to-consumer sales are now even more critical for these farmers and the predominantly low-income communities they live in (poverty rates in rural NM are 19.6% v. 16.4% in urban areas). The USDA ERS research shows that SNAP spending creates at least a 1.8 economic multiplier, meaning that every SNAP/Double Up dollar spent brings an additional $1.80 or more into the local economy--essential when many of the state's other industries such as hospitality have been drastically impacted by the pandemic.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
704	6099	3010	100%

Knowledge Area
704 - Nutrition and Hunger in the Population;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;

Keywords

double up food bucks

local food

new mexico

snap

farmers markets

nutrition incentives

Goals / Objectives
The goal of the project is to promote healthy eating through the increased consumption of locally grown fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers in NM by providing dollar-for-dollar incentives for New Mexico-grown fresh, frozen, dried, canned, and lightly processed fruits and vegetables at farmers' markets, grocery stores, farm stands, CSAs, and mobile markets.Outcome 1: Increase SNAP/Double Up purchases of locally grown produce at NM food outlets to total annual sales of nearly $2.3 million by 2025. This includes a 107% increase in Double Up sales at grocery stores. Justification--Double Up sales grew substantially nearly every year between 2015 and 2020, and they increased fastest during 2020. We expect the program will continue to grow significantly, with an estimated average annual increase of 13.25%. Growth projections are based on expanded access at grocery stores (including both number of stores and quantity of NM product available at stores), the addition of frozen/dried/canned offerings, increased community partner engagement, new marketing strategies, continued "institutional" knowledge of the program, and the continued and/or expanded demand from economically depressed SNAP households.Outcome 2: Each year Double Up will benefit approximately 15,840 ethnically, racially, culturally, and geographically diverse New Mexicans, resulting in 2.57 million servings of produce per year, or 3 additional servings per person per week. Justification--Based on current Double Up sales data from our automated reporting software, we estimate that Double Up shoppers each spend an average of $125 per year at farmers' markets, farm stands and/or grocery stores, which when divided into the projected annual average Double Up and SNAP sales of $1.98 million, translates into a total of 15,840 shoppers. This outcome is also based on the estimate that each dollar translates into about 1.3 servings of fruits and vegetables.Outcome 3: Double Up incentives will be accessible to a wider range of SNAP participants, including senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and those with limited time for shopping, resulting in at least 20% of total surveyed customers (by 2025) indicating that they self-identify as members of these categories. Justification--Increasing the availability of Double Up eligible products at grocery stores, piloting new options for online ordering/delivery, and the "Market Ambassador" programs aimed to help overcome physical and social barriers to Double Up participation will help diversify program participant demographics.

Project Methods
The project will be achieved by delivering incentives to SNAP participants to purchases NM-grown fruits and vegetables, fresh, frozen, dried, and lightly processed. This will take place at New Mexico farmers' markets, grocery stores, farm stands, and CSAs. All incentives are given as a 50% discount on eligible items, meaning that 100% of incentives are triggered by produce purchases. While farmers' markets allow all SNAP transactions to trigger incentives, we estimate that 90% of vendors sell exclusively fruits and vegetables, indicating that the vast majority of SNAP purchases will be produce.The project will:Maximize direct incentives. The Double Up brand is established and is building traction, meaning we can derive maximum impact with minimum investment in administration; this is buffeted by the breadth of community partners who assist with outreach at little or no cost. Finally, one of the activities of this grant is to lower administrative costs through protocol and technology solutions. In sum, these efficiencies ensure that maximum funds can be used for incentives--60% the total project budget.Timerame: This varies by outlet, but a number of the outlets operate year round.Additionally, most grocery stores are open full day and evening hours.This project expands categories of eligible items to also include NM-grown canned, dried, or frozen whole or cut fruits and vegetables without added sugars, fats, oils or salt.Incentive Amounts: Double Up provides dollar-for-dollar incentives for SNAP users. There is no daily limit at any outlet.How the program works: All farmers' markets that accept SNAP use wooden tokens whereby SNAP shoppers receive wooden tokens equal to the dollar amount charged to their SNAP card. To ensure that Double Up incentives are only used for fruits and vegetables, distinct metal tokens are used, and vendors are instructed that these tokens can only be used for produce. Farm stands, grocery stores, mobile markets, and CSAs provide a 50% discount on all NM-grown fruit and vegetables purchased with SNAP at the cash register.How information is tracked: we track participation via sales (cash register and EBT terminals), website analytics, surveys & GoodFoodNM sign-ups.Nutrition Education: The project provides nutrition education through the GoodFoodNM mobile messaging platform and more.Where the project will take place: The project will take place in 26 counties in New Mexico and two Tribal Nations located within the state.A Diversity of firms: Double Up is widely available at grocery stores, farmers' markets, farm stands, CSAs and mobile markets statewide, including numerous rural outlets, two Tribal Nations, and urban outlets. Many retailers (including in highly rural areas), offer extended hours and are open most days of the year.Community partners: They include food banks, food pantries, religious organizations, various NGOs, state agencies, and others. This project could not be accomplished without strong partnerships.Methods of Outreach: Use direct-to-consumer sales marketing has been, and will continue to be, the primary marketing style used for the program, and it will be fine-tuned based on information gathered over the last six years.Innovative Strategies/technologies: The program will test several innovative strategies/technologies including:i. The Double Up Meal Kits pilot creates unique value chain relationships, increases availability of Double Up items at grocery stores, raises program visibility, and presents the possibility for a long-term revenue stream for the program. Sales will be measurable and the program replicable.ii. GoodFoodNM text messaging is an innovative, evidence-based social marketing strategy, and combined with grocery store promotions, we will conduct A/B message testing with store shopping cart data evaluation.iii. New digital geo-targeted advertising campaigns will create targeted program awareness to connect people to regionally and culturally appropriate foods; data analytics will provide measurement.iv. The Social Media influencer campaign capitalizes on the growing impact of social media to target younger consumers, while keeping ad dollars in the low-income communities served. Metrics available.v. The Market Ambassador pilot is a testing ground for innovative strategies that make farmers' markets more accessible to a wider range of SNAP participants. Customer evaluations will help measure outcomes.vi. We will be exploring possible technologies for allowing Double Up payments through online ordering.Provide locally produced/culturally appropriate fruits and vegetables: Double Up is exclusively used forNM-grown produce. Further, our value chain coordination helps to connect local growers to Double Up outlets and our expansion into frozen, dried, and canned produce will help to make eligible local products available outside of the prime growing season. Many of these products--such as chicos, pinto beans, frozen chile, etc.--are cultural staples of the state, and geo-targeted ads plus GoodFoodNM mobile messaging will help to ensure that people know about where to get products most culturally relevant to their community.Provide services to underserved communities: The NMFMA and partners are deeply connected in the state's numerous underserved communities and have conducted significant community-based research projects and program evaluations to ensure that our programs are fulfilling the needs of these populations. Additionally, 16 of the 26 counties where Double Up outlets are located contain Opportunity Zones.Offer supplemental services in high-need communities: Several Double Up partners are mobile grocers and home delivery CSAs who bring healthy food to those most in need. Also, one key project activity is to work with partners in four high-need communities to pilot projects that offer such supplemental services.Build upon the NMFMA's track record: This program continues to build upon the foundation of other food access programs supported by the NMFMA including the WIC and Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition programs.

Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary tarrget audience is SNAP participants, or 1 on 5 New Mexicans, including families with children and seniors.These New Mexicans are expeirencing food and nutrition insecurity. Other key audiences include: - Double Up Food Bucks firms (farmers' markets, farm stands, CSAs, mobile markets, and grocery stores) - Farmers who participate in the program by sellingfruits and vegetables to participating firms - Community partners including food banks, food pantries, health clinics, public health offices, religious organizations, and others - Other stakeholdersincluding private foundations, state agencies, state lawmakers, etc. who help support the program Changes/Problems:Several challenges either continued or were new this year: • Lack of large-scale grocery store participation: As mentioned in Outcome Number 1 (reduced sales during this grant period), our continuedlack of a large statewide grocery store partner continues to be a challenge. After many years of working with Lowe's (22 stores across the state) during 2021, they stopped being a Double Up partner due to changes in their POS system. We then began negotiations with Albertsons, and after several years of hard work of connecting them with local fresh food producers,they said they couldn't commit to a Double Up contract due to internal issues. Their merger with Kroger fell apart in December of 2024. The lack of access at major grocery stores continues to be a loss for shoppers across the state, and it has continued to impactsales and this projected outcome. • Reduced amount of local produce in Northern New Mexico. Again, as mentioned in Outcome #1, there was a reduced amount of local produce available in northern New Mexico (Taos, San Miguel and Mora counties)dueto the ongoing repurcussions of thelarge Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire that burned more than 341,000 acres during the summer of 2022. There is nothing predictable or controllable about this kind of natural disaster, but it did have an impact on sales in northern NM. • Inability to distribute branded meal kits: The challenge of this activity has been connected to the thefirst problem of not having our original grocery store partner. When we wrote the grant, Lowe's had agreed to purhcase and sitribute Double Up Food BUcks branded meal kits such as salads and soups. We have not found a willing partner among our current independent grocers, though we are still hopeful we can create a small pilot next year with our food bank partner in Albuquerque wthat operates a "Food Pharmacy" type of retail operation. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There were numerous opportunities for professional development for Double Up partners and stakeholders that took place during this grant period. These include: - Online training for all farmers who are vendors at farmers' markets. This is to improve program compliance and create statewide consistency in training more than 700 vendors- In-person partner opportunities for greater program understanding - Annual in-person training workshops for all farmers market managers, farm stand operators, and other firms - In-person, on-site training by the Program Manager for any grocery store firm or other new firm that cannot attend the annual training - Online community of practice information sharing with federally qulaified health clinics - And NMFMA program staff receive professional development and training from the NTAE, the Fair Food Netowrk, and other online resources How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?-Results are communicated via the NMFMA's annual conference and other in-person training opportunities - Via annual fact sheets for parnters, funders, legislators, and monthly reporting to a statewide dashboard - Results are also aggregated and disseminated via NTAE partners - Evaluation study results are shared on our website's research and evaluation hub: newmexicofma.org/research.php - Results have also been shared during annual USDA GusNIP Project Director meetings What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Some of things we will do during the next reporting period: - We will sponsor a statewide Food is Medicine Summit in conjunction with the Governor's Office and the Nm Healthcare Authority (who administers SNAP) to create depper programmatic awareness of the program among helathcare and state agency partners - We will begin a renewed effort to increase state funding support for the following fiscal year by attending summer Interim legislative hearings and reporting on the Double Up Food Bucks program - We will work with a nonporfit "Voices for Children" to create a white paper about the benefits of state funding for Double Up Food Bucks and related programs that can be used at the next legislative session - We will seek out new partners who can assist with community outreach efforts - We will produce a research study into Double Up marketing activities to get a more evidenced-based understanding of what the are the best tools for creating program awarness and preference among SNAP participants - We will continue to improve and expand marketing activities to increase program awareness and participation - We will continue to try and attract new grocery store partners -- likely independents --as the chains do not seem interested or have the ability to participate - We will support our small grocers with expanded marketing support - We will continue to support our Market Ambassadors and Double Down communities to gain momentum in target communities - We will continue to support social media "influencers" who have created outstanding social media videos for the SNAP community - We will try and coordinate with our state agency to partner with SNAP Ed grantees to increase outreach - We will continue to educate our firms on ADA compliance and other program training needs - A final attempt will be made to llauch the Double Up branded meal kits with one or two small independent grocers since our original grocery partner dropped out and Albertsons did not sign a contract

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Outcome 1: During this grant period, SNAP/Double Up sales only reached $1,728,134, down from $2,049,786* the previous year during this same time period. The reason for this drop of $321,652 in sales is likely due to several factors including: 1) A reduced amount of SNAP funding available to customers on their cards compared to the previous years which included increased Covid-related funds; 2) the unexpected lack of a statewide grocery store partner after long negotiations with Albertsons fell through; 3) A reduced amount of local produce in northern New Mexico dueto the lasting repurcussions of thelarge Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire that burned more than 341,000 acres during 2022; and 4) a lower than usual total number offarmers' market customers (as collected in separate data by the NMFMA). (Note: *Last year's SNAP/Double Up sales were incorrectly reported at $2.6M versus the correct $2M.) Outcome 2: During this grant period we estimate that 86,406 individuals in SNAP households benefited from the program. This is based on the total Double Up sale ($1.7 million divided by the average shopping transaction ($42), which means there were approximately 41,146 SNAP shoppers, and with an average SNAP household size of 2.1 individuals, it equates to 86,406 program beneficiaries during this period. Based on the geography of sales, we also know that nearly all counties in the state are participating in the program, thus ensuring a diverse population of program participants. Statewide radio ads, local food directories, socail media, and other partner outreach programs are helping keep program awareness strong among communities in need. Outcome 3: At this time, we do not have the customer research to support this outcome, but sales and anectodtal evidence at the firms tells us a greater number of older SNAP shoppers are accessing the program. OUr partnership with the New Mexico Aging & Long-Term Services Deparmtnet and NM Department of Health may be aiding this effort. Additionally, training for the "firms" has included specific information regarding ADA accessibility. Our Outreach Coordinator and Program Manager spent time talking with all firms about how they could increase outreach to these populations who often have barriers accessing Double Up Food Bucks locations. Other Products: (NOTE: I was unable to add these items under "Other Products" as I have in the past as it required each item to have a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), which did not seem possible to create when reading about this on NIFA's website, "public access for NIFA funded work." Rather than leave out all of the products we created, I am adding them here. I am using the same category descriptors as shown in that section.) Audio/Video: Radio advertising in English, Spanish and Dine (Navajo) Audio/ Video: Digital video post on social media, Educational: Online training vai a Learning Managment System for firms and farmers' market vendors to ensure program compliance Educational: Fact sheets and program information created for numerous program partners Educational: Training material and notebooks for all firms Other: GoodFoodNM healthy eating text message for SNAP & Double Up participants Other: Promotional material such as banners and postcards to garner new SNAP sign ups for GoodFoodNM Other: Printer 4-color statewide local food outlet directory with DNAP and Double Up specific information

Publications

Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

Outputs
Target Audience:The primary tarrget audience is SNAP participants, or 1 on 5 New Mexicans, including families with children and seniors. These New Mexicans are expeirencing food and nutrition insuerity. Other key audiences include: - Double Up Food Bucks firms (farmers' markets, farm stands, CSAs, mobile markets, and grocery stores) - Farmers who participate in the program by selling fresh fruits and vegetables to participating firms - Community partners including food banks, food pantries, health clinics, public health offices, religious organizations, and others - Other stakeholders, including private foundations, state agencies, state lawmakers, etc. who help support the program Changes/Problems:The greatest challenge continues to be signing a new major grocery store partner. Albertsons (Kroeger) is very interested and regular meetings took place to secure the partnership. In addition to meetings, the NMFMA has been helping procure a range of New Mexico grown fruits and vegetables for their stores. This pilot will continue in the spring of 2024, and then hopefully they will provide a contract for officially becoming a Double Up partner by summer of 2024. It has been a long and arduous process, but their corporate staff and local produce managers are very interested in making it happen. As previously mentioned, we hope that once they are partners, they will be willing to sell the Double Up branded meal kits (salads, soups) that we hope to pilot in spring and/or summer of 2024. Losing our 21-store grocery partner Low's Market in July 2021 was a set back. We also have increased Double Up staff so that there is more administrative assistance and outreach support which should help improve outreach activities in the coming year(s). What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There were numerous opportunities for professional development for Double Up partners and stakeholders that took place during this grant period. These include: - Annual in-person training workshops for all farmers market managers, farm stand operators, and other firms - In-person, on-site training by the Program Manager for any grocery store firm or other new firm that cannot attend the annual training - Online training for all farmers who are vendors at farmers' markets. This is to improve program compliance and create statewide consistency in training more than 700 vendors - In-person partner opportunitiesfor greater program understanding - Online community of practice information sharing with federally qulaified health clinics - And NMFMA program staff receive professional development and training from the NTAE, the Fair Food Netowrk, and otheronline resources How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results are communicated via annual conference, annual fact sheets for legislators, and monthly reporting to a statewide dashboard. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period the following activities will be undertaken to continue achieving the goals: - Continue toimprove andexpandmarketing activities to increase program awareness and participation (including originalvideos, more cooking and nutrition events) - Continue our effortto attract Albertsons as our new large grocery store partner - Support other small grocers with expanded marketing support - Pilot the Double Up branded meal kits with two very small grocers so that when Albertsons becomes a partner, we will have the program up and running and ready to expand - Continue working to attractnew farmers who can supply Albertsons with desired product and volume - Continue improving online vendor training processes to create greater system efficiencies - Continued pursuance of state funding to increase program reach and sustainability - Work with state agencies to create a large multi-partner Food Access program conference that will highlight Double Up - Adapt our youth influencer campaignn to better serve needs of the program - Increase the number of SNAP subscribers to GoodFoodNM, our bilingual healthy eating text message service - Improve the annual market manager training with the addition of an online training module - Expand and improve outreach activities to community partners

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Outcome 1: Increase SNAP/Double Up purchases of locally grown produce at NM food outlets. During this grant period Double Up sales reached $2,620,566(up from $1,329,166) the previous year during this same time period. This is a 97% increase. Note: While the NMFMA has been in regular conversations with Albertsons (part of Kroeger) to become our newDouble Up gocery partner (after last year's loss of Lowe's Market)this corporate entity is taking a VERY long time to decide if they will become a Double Up partner. Outcome 2: Each year Double Up will benefit approximately 15,840 ethnically, racially, culturally, and geographically diverse New Mexicans. During this grant period we estimate that 131,028 individuals in SNAP households benefited from the program. This estimate is based on the total Double Up sales ($2.6milion) divided by the average shopping transaction ($42), which means there were approximately 62,394 SNAP shoppers, and with an average SNAP household size of 2.1 individuals, it equates to 131,028 total program beneficiaries. Outcome 3: Double Up incentives will be accessible to a wider range of SNAP participants, including senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and those with limited time for shopping, resulting in at least 20% of total surveyed customers (by 2025). At this time we do not have the customer research to supported this outcome, but sales and anectodtal evidence at the firms tells us a greater number of SNAP shoppers are accessing the program.

Publications

Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

Outputs
Target Audience:The primarytarrget audience is SNAP participants, or 1 on 5 New Mexicans. These New Mexicans areexpeirencingfood and nutrition insuerity. Other key audiences include: - Double Up Food Bucks firms (farmers' markets, farm stands, CSAs, mobile markets, and grocery stores) - Farmers who participate in the program by selling fresh fruits and vegetables to participating firms - Community partners including food banks, food pantries, health clinics, public health offices, religious organizations, and others - Other stakeholders, including private foundations, state agencies, state lawmakers, etc. who help support the program Changes/Problems:The greatest challenge was the loss of our 21-store grocery partner. This happened in July 2021, at the peak of the NM growing season and it greatly affected overall sales and customer accessibliy. In addition, the loss of this partner made our plans for our"Double Up Food Bucks Meal Kits" impossible during this time frame. This was truly the only major set back. It was also very apparent during this time frame that staff capacity was lacking to provide better partner outreach. Plans were developed to hire two part-time outreach assistants to help with many of the activities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There are numerous opportunities for professional development for Double Up partners and stakeholders. These include: - Annual in-person training workshops for all farmers market managers, farm stand operators, and other firms - In-person, on-sitetraining by the Program Manager for any grocery store firm or other new firmthat cannot attend the annual training - Online training for all farmers who are vendors at farmers' markets. This is to improve program compliance and create statewide consistency in training more than 700 vendors - In-person partner opportunities for greater program understanding - Online community of practice information sharing with federally qulaified health clinics - And NMFMA program staff receive professional development and training from the NTAE, the FairFood Netowrk, and associated online resources How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results are communicated via annual conference, annual fact sheets for legislators, and monthly reporting to a statewide dashboard What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period the following activities will be undertaken to continue achieving the goals: - Continued and expanded marketing activities to increase program awareness and participation (including updated website, digital marketing, and more) - Purusing a new large grocery partner to replace the grocery store partner that was lost during this period - Attract new farmers into our food quality assurance program to ensure a reliable supply of fresh produce for anew grocery store partner - Improve online vendor training processes to create greater system efficiencies - Continued pursuance of state funding to increase program reach and sustainability - Work with the NTAE to better understand health impacts of program to reduce diabetes

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Outcome 1: Increase SNAP/Double Up purchases of locally grown produce at NM food outlets. During this grant period Double Up sales reached $1,329,166 (up from $1,175,053) the previous year during this same time period. During this period (early July, peak growing season), our major grocery store partner withdrew from the program due topoint of sale technology changes at their 21 stores, thus contributing to a slower rate of growth than projected. Outcome 2: Each year Double Up will benefit approximately 15,840 ethnically, racially, culturally, and geographically diverse New Mexicans. During this grant period we estimate that 67,724 individuals in SNAP households benefited from the program. This estimate is based on the total Double Up sales ($1.3 milion) divided by the average shopping transaction ($42) , which means 31,647 SNAP shoppers who, with an average household size of 2.1 individuals, equates to 67,724 total beneficiaries. Outcome 3: Double Up incentives will be accessible to a wider range of SNAP participants, including senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and those with limited time for shopping, resulting in at least 20% of total surveyed customers (by 2025). At this time we are not sure if the customer research supported this outcome.

Publications