Growing Community Access to
Healthy Foods through Farmers
Markets and EBT/WIC
Kelly Corbin
Michelle Komosinski
Olmsted County Public Health, MN
Presentation Outline
• Program funding background
• How to start up new farmers markets
• Rochester’s ‘Market Bucks’ incentive
program
• Evaluation findings
• Conclusions & lessons learned
• Overview of similar strategies
• Q&A
Funding Overview
• Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW)
grant is funded through the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services from the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009
• Charged with implementing policy, systems and
environmental change strategies to reduce obesity
• Olmsted County is 1 of 50 communities nationwide
that received CPPW funding
Olmsted County’s CPPW grant
• Expanding access and affordability of farmers’
markets for low-income populations
• Encouraging Olmsted County to adopt a Complete Streets policy
• Creating and enhancing Safe Routes to School programs countywide
• Conducting a healthy food pilot intervention at a local college
• Developing a Bicycle Master Plan for incorporation in the county’s
long-range transportation plan
• Promoting trail use through increased way-finding signage,
connectivity projects, and local media
• Launching a media campaign to support initiatives in Olmsted
County and Minneapolis
Where are we working?
County Population
144,248
Why Farmers Markets?
• Who has farmers market in their area?
• Who currently works with farmers markets?
• Who plans to work with farmers markets?
Why Farmers Markets?
• Economic value
• Community space
• Health!
– Increases access to healthy foods
– Able to establish quickly in the community
– Engages the community in promoting healthy
eating and access
Goal
• Increase the amount of EBT and WIC
customers at the Rochester Farmers Market
• Remove prohibitive policies related to
Farmers Markets
• Increase the number of Farmers Markets
within the county to increase access to
healthy food
– 1 Farmers Market in 2010 to 5 in 2012
» Success!
Partners
• Cities of Byron, Eyota, Rochester and
Stewartville
• Rochester Downtown Farmers Market
• Food Support Program
• U of M Extension
• WIC
Farmers Market Rules
• Follow City or County guidelines
– May need special permits
• Follow MN Dept of Ag rules
– Meat & eggs
– Processed food
Creating New Markets
• Identify key partnerships
• Assess community interest
– Grow awareness and supporters
• Identify time & location
• Recruit vendors and customers!
• Promote, promote, promote…
Front Page News!
Evaluating New Markets
• Community interest
survey
• Customer surveys
• Community Survey
• Market Manager
reports
Customer Surveys
Summer, 2011
Lessons Learned for New Markets
• New markets require promotion and creative
strategies to draw visitors
•
•
•
•
Entertainment
Prepared food
Crafts/non-food items
Tons of promotion
• Vendors need to be prepared for low sales initially,
but commit to participate first year
Market Bucks Overview
• SNAP (EBT) customers spend at least $5 they
will receive one $5 Market Buck token
• WIC customers need to show their WIC
vouchers or packets to receive one Market
Buck token
GREEN = Credit Card
RED = SNAP (EBT)
Market Bucks
Market Bucks
Easy as
one… two… three!
Market Bucks Signs at Market
Promotion
•Posters & Brochures
•Vouchers
•Bus Ads
•Radio
•Newsletters
Promotion
•Cooking demos
•Canning demos
•Nutrition info
•SNAP education classes
•Kids Day
Market Bucks Evaluation
• Community survey
• EBT sales data
• Market Bucks tracking data
• Market Bucks customer surveys
• Vendor surveys
• Market manager and Market Bucks
coordinator interviews
Community Survey
Pre and post intervention randomized telephone survey
• Pre survey provides baseline data related to areas
where the CPPW grant
• Post survey to be conducted November 2011
Question topics related to farmers markets:
• Frequency of shopping at farmers markets
• Awareness that of EBT/WIC acceptance
• Reasons for not visiting a farmers market
EBT Sales Data Analysis
• Tracking sales and number of customers to
assess effectiveness of promotions and Market
Bucks incentives
• Data collected by Market Manager
$1,400
Comparison of EBT Sales from 2009 to 2011
$1,238
$1,200
$1,205
2009
$1,000
$807
EBT sales
2010
$931
$800
$738
$658
$600
$400
2011
$754
$445
$425
$319
$200
$123
$441
Sales prior to Market Bucks promotion
$74
$40
$0
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Market month
Sep
Oct
Market Bucks Data Analysis
• Track Market Bucks distribution and
redemption
• Track distribution by payment type
• Data collected by Market Bucks
Coordinators
• Compare Market Bucks sales to EBT sales
Market Bucks Distribution & Redemption
$0
2010
Season
20102011
Winter
Market
Season
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
August
September
Market Bucks
sales
(redemption)
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
2011
Season
$500
July
August
September
October
Market Bucks
redemption
rate = 87.5%
Value of
Market Bucks
Distributed
(WIC+EBT)
Value of
Market Bucks
Distributed
(coupons)
EBT & Market Bucks Sales 2010 to 2011
$0
2010
Season
20102011
Winter
Market
Season
2011
Season
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
EBT sales
Total EBT &
Market Bucks
sales 2010-2011:
$16,234
Market
Bucks
sales
Market Bucks Customer Surveys
• Gathers customer information about EBT use and the
Market Bucks Program at the market
• The survey was adopted from a tool developed and
implemented in Minneapolis
• Administered by public health staff monthly May-Oct
How did respondents learn about the WIC/EBT
acceptance and Market Bucks?
6
Poster or a brochure
7
19
At the farmers market
Word-of-mouth
29
34
23
Radio ad
0
Bus ad
0
EBT/WIC
acceptance
2
Market
Bucks
Newsletter 0
0
None of these
Other (please specify)
2
2
0
3
10
20
30
Number of respondents
40
Reported ease of using EBT and Market Bucks at
this farmers' market
2, 3%
Very easy
Somewhat easy
Somewhat difficult
Very difficult
57, 97%
How does the quality & price of farmers market
produce compare to produce sold at the store you
usually shop at?
The store and the market are
about the same
This farmers market is better
Price
The store where I usually shop is
better
Quality
I don't know
skipped question
0
10
20
30
40
Number of respondents
50
Vendor Surveys
• Gathers vendors’ perspective on the value and
ease of accepting various payments
• Survey adapted from tools used in similar
Minneapolis and New York programs
• Surveys distributed and collected onsite by market
staff
• Of the 41 respondents:
• 95% (n=39) accept EBT
• 59% (n=23) accept WIC
Because I accept EBT/WIC...
I have more repeat customers
I need more staff to help operate
my stand
Strongly
disagree
Customer traffic at my stand
moves slower
Somewhat
disagree
I provide a benefit to the
community
Somewhat
agree
New customers shop at my stand
Strongly agree
I make more money at the
market
I sell more fruits or vegetables
0
10
20
30
40
Market Manager & Coordinator
Interviews
• Gathered on market management perspective on EBT/WIC
acceptance and Market Bucks
• Key findings:
– Customers greatly appreciate the extra $5
– Market Bucks brings new customers every week
– EBT/WIC/Market Bucks all benefit the market & vendors
– Coupons bring new customers, but can be confusing
– Great response from partnership with University
Extension’s Nutrition Education program
– Desire to continue Market Bucks program
Key evaluation findings
• EBT/WIC use at RDFM increased with market promotion
and the Market Bucks program
• Vendors see EBT/WIC acceptance and Market Bucks as a
financial benefit
• EBT customers reported it was easy to use their EBT card
and Market Bucks
• Most customers learned about the programs through
word of mouth
The market is committed to accepting EBT/WIC
and is seeking funding to continue Market
Bucks
Lessons Learned for Market Bucks
• Make the process as easy as possible for vendors
• Educate service providers about the program so they
will inform EBT/WIC users
• Determine need for preventing fraud
• Adding coupons can attract new customers (even
non-EBT/WIC users)
CUSTOMERS & MARKET VENDORS WANT IT TO
CONTINUE!
Similar Strategies
• “Market Bucks”
– City of Minneapolis (CPPW, SHIP, BCBS, IATP effort)
– Up to a $5 match for SNAP customers
– http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/dhfs/ebt.asp
Similar Strategies
• Philly Food Bucks
– Philadelphia (CPPW)
– $2 incentive with every $5 SNAP spent
– http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/programs/phi
llyfoodbucks.php
Similar Strategies
• Portland Farmers Markets
– “Healthy Rewards Program”
– Up to a $5 match for SNAP customers
– http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/programsand-services/snap-participants/
Questions?
Contact Information:
Kelly Corbin
[email protected]
Michelle Komosinski
[email protected]