Page Contents
Overview
- Increase knowledge of Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) programs available at farmers markets.
- Increase knowledge of locally grown fruits and vegetables and how to use, cook, and store them.
- Increase the use of Market Match and CalFresh redemption vouchers to support low-income shoppers in maximizing their purchasing power.
- Increase state and local partnerships of FNS funded programs to support a welcoming market environment that accepts multiple FNS food benefits.
In 2018, SNAC focused on increasing low-income shoppers’ utilization of their food and nutrition program benefits at local Farmers Markets, and in 2019, SNAC expanded its Farmers Market Initiative (FMI) into additional counties and markets, as well as added an on-site navigator component. The navigator model was tested at three markets, and the CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL) Navigators were found to address barriers to shopping at farmers markets, including lack of knowledge and comfort using food assistance benefits. CFHL Navigators provided support to shoppers by distributing materials, promoting accepted FNS benefits, providing information on how to use FNS benefits, explaining Market Match, and providing interactive nutrition and health education activities on-site at the market for six consecutive weeks. The FMI has continued to expand into new counties in California since 2019 and increases in food benefit redemptions at FMI markets has sustained.
Target Behavior: Healthy Eating, Food Insecurity/Food Assistance
Intervention Type: PSE Change
Intervention Reach and Adoption
Setting: Farmers markets, Other: SNAC partners – extension offices, social service agencies, local health department, department of aging, WIC
Target Audience: Pregnant/Breastfeeding Women, Parents/Mothers/Fathers, Adults, Older Adults
Race/Ethnicity: Special focus on Latino, Asian, Black or African American, and White communities.
Intervention Components
Intervention Materials
- Get More at the Farmers Market campaign guide
- Get More at the Farmers Market trifold brochure
- Get More at the Farmers Market poster
- Get More at the Farmers Market flyer
- Get More at the Farmers Market postcard
All material listed above are located on the CalFresh website. Documents are listed under Get More at the Farmers Market Toolkit under the Additional CalFresh Toolkits tab.
Intervention Costs
Evidence Summary
The unintended benefits of the intervention include:
- Strong partnerships resulted in uptake of on-site collaborative education activities and the CFHL Food Navigator Program during the 2021 FMI season.
- The COVID-19 pandemic led to more digital engagement with communities and further illuminated how farmers markets are a critical community food access point. The FMI provided coordinated messaging about food and nutrition benefits and food access points in the community during a public health emergency.
The challenges include:
- The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on farmers market activities has been substantial since March 2020. The pandemic prevented some counties from having robust on-site programs and prevented shopper intercept surveys from occurring. Although more counties hosted CFHL food navigator activities at more sites in 2021, these activities were not documented consistently. It is unclear how Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) expansion in 2021 affected redemption results.
Evidence-based Approach: Practice-tested
Evaluation Indicators
Readiness and Capacity – Short Term (ST) | Changes – Medium Term (MT) | Effectiveness and Maintenance – Long Term (LT) | Population Results (R) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Individual | ||||
Environmental Settings | ST7 | MT5 | ||
Sectors of Influence | ST8 | MT8 |
ST7: Organizational Partnerships
- ST7a: 35 unfunded partners (markets), 17 local FNS partners
- ST7b: 35 markets as cooperators, 17 local FNS partners cooperators
ST8: Multi-Sector Partnerships and Planning
- 10 state-level SNAC partners at the coalition level that regularly meet, exchange information, and identify and implement mutually reinforcing activities that will contribute to adoption of one or more organizational changes or policies.
MT5: Nutrition Supports
- MT5e: Number of promotional efforts for SNAP bonus programs at the markets (i.e. posters, recipe cards that feature seasonal fruits and vegetables, taste tests) and at community partner organizations (i.e. distribution of customizable flyers and brochures outlining how to use benefits at the market, postcards, social media posts)
- 15,754 promotional materials distributed in all farmers markets and community sites
- Trifold Brochures: 797
- Posters: 835
- Flyers: 3,706
- Postcards: 6,416
- MT5f: 47,786 promotional materials distributed through email, direct mailing, and text message.
- 15,754 promotional materials distributed in all farmers markets and community sites
MT8: Agriculture
- MT8b: Nine markets began offering Market Match and were selected to participate in this pilot as a result. This intervention supported a 25.7% increase in intervention markets accepting Market Match.
- MT8e: 334,031 individuals with household incomes below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level in all zip codes where the intervention farmers markets were held.
Evaluation Materials
- Key Informant Interview Guide: Market Managers
- Consumer Intercept Survey
- Comparison Intercept Survey
- Local Partner Survey
- State Partner Survey
- Farmers Market Initiative Promotional Efforts Activity Log
- Farmers Market Initiative Virtual and Remote Activity Log
- Farmers Market Initiative Local Partner Success Story Template
To access evaluation materials, please contact Amy DeLisio.
Additional Information
Contact Person(s):
Amy DeLisio, Executive Director
Phone: 916-265-4042
Email: amy.delisio@wellness.phi.org