Incentivizing use of farmers’ markets through community partnerships:snap purchases and produce prescriptions

Farmer’s market management network conferencemarch 2013

Erika Meschkat OSU Extension and Cleveland-Cuyahoga

County Food Policy Coalition

Beth KnorrCountryside Conservancy

Countryside Conservancy

Non profit organization with several program areas Countryside Initiative

Farms Countryside Farmers’

Markets Countryside U

Snap purchase incentivescarrot cash

Began accepting EBT in 2009 with small incentive program

Partnership with Wholesome Wave began in 2011

Matched $20

EBT, Debit and Carrot Cash

Debit tokens have $1.50 service fee

Three different tokens

EBT Sales 0.51%, $3,124.00 Carrot Cash Sales, 0.39%

$2,375.00

Debit Token Sales, 5.21% $31,784.00

Cash/Check Sales93.8%

$572,261.51

Howe Meadow EBT Sales in 2011 were $1412Reached $3124 in 2012, plus $2375 in Carrot Cash matching dollars

EBT Sales Impact

Highland Square EBT sales were $1526 in 2011Reached $3662 in 2012, plus $3499 in Carrot Cash matching dollars

EBT Sales Impact

EBT Sales $3,662.00

4% Carrot Cash Sales,

$3,499.00 3%

Debit Token Sales,

$3,906.00 4%

Cash/Check Sales,$89,586.57

89%

Incentive Dollar Amounts

Reduced incentive amount to $15 in 2013

EBT Sales Impact

While overall sales have increased, EBT sales have not kept pace with the overall market growth

EBT Sales$3,592.00

1%

Carrot Cash Sales $2,417.00

0%

Debit Sales$38,315.00

6%

598126.9693%

Sales remained the same as a percentage of overall sales

EBT Sales Impact

EBT Sales $38974%

Carrot Cash Sales34134%

Debit Sales38254%

Cash/Check Sales84523.75

88%

Data trackingEBT Revenues

Amount Buy Back amount Total % of sales

Wk #1 $ 156.00 $ 167.00 $ 323.00 1.35%Wk #2 $ 32.00 $ 5.00 $ 37.00 0.16%Wk #3 $ 44.00 $ 65.00 $ 109.00 0.38%Wk #4 $ 36.00 $ 28.00 $ 64.00 0.25%Wk #5 $ 69.00 $ 53.00 $ 122.00 0.47%Wk #6 $ 91.00 $ 67.00 $ 158.00 0.61%Wk #7 $ 48.00 $ 20.00 $ 68.00 0.23%Wk #8 $ 64.00 $ 70.00 $ 134.00 0.50%Wk #9 $ 78.00 $ 65.00 $ 143.00 0.56%

Wk #10 $ 34.00 $ 41.00 $ 75.00 0.25%Wk #11 $ - $ - 0.00%Wk #12 $ 55.00 $ 55.00 $ 110.00 0.41%Wk #13 $ 105.00 $ 3.00 $ 108.00 0.42%Wk #14 $ 129.00 $ 107.00 $ 236.00 1.27%Wk #15 $ 55.00 $ 96.00 $ 151.00 0.50%Wk #16 $ 21.00 $ 80.00 $ 101.00 0.34%Wk #17 $ 159.00 $ 39.00 $ 198.00 0.64%Wk #18 $ 148.00 $ 241.00 $ 389.00 2.75%Wk #19 $ 144.00 $ 41.00 $ 185.00 0.74%Wk # 20 $ 41.00 $ 49.00 $ 90.00 0.48%Wk # 21 $ 130.00 $ 31.00 $ 161.00 0.75%Wk #22 $ 105.00 $ 20.00 $ 125.00 0.64%Wk # 23 $ 56.00 $ 155.00 $ 211.00 1.02%Wk # 24 $ 75.00 $ 32.00 $ 107.00 0.61%Wk # 25 $ 39.00 $ 148.00 $ 187.00 1.18%

Total $ 1,914.00 $ 1,678.00 $ 3,592.00 0.59%

Carrot Cash Revenues Amount Buy Back amount % of sales

Wk #1 $ 58.00 $ 54.00 $ 112.00 0.47%Wk #2 $ 22.00 $ 16.00 $ 38.00 0.17%Wk #3 $ 42.00 $ 25.00 $ 67.00 0.24%Wk #4 $ 19.00 $ 6.00 $ 25.00 0.10%Wk #5 $ 68.00 $ 65.00 $ 133.00 0.51%Wk #6 $ 27.00 $ 52.00 $ 79.00 0.31%Wk #7 $ 36.00 $ 37.00 $ 73.00 0.25%Wk #8 $ 40.00 $ 28.00 $ 68.00 0.26%Wk #9 $ 63.00 $ 38.00 $ 101.00 0.40%

Wk #10 $ 34.00 $ 30.00 $ 64.00 0.21%Wk #11 $ - $ - 0.00%Wk #12 $ 23.00 $ 55.00 $ 78.00 0.29%Wk #13 $ 59.00 $ 23.00 $ 82.00 0.30%Wk #14 $ 92.00 $ 85.00 $ 177.00 0.69%Wk #15 $ 30.00 $ 97.00 $ 127.00 0.68%Wk #16 $ 8.00 $ 51.00 $ 59.00 0.20%Wk #17 $ 75.00 $ 42.00 $ 117.00 0.39%Wk #18 $ 88.00 $ 101.00 $ 189.00 0.61%Wk #19 $ 119.00 $ 24.00 $ 143.00 1.01%Wk # 20 $ 5.00 $ 25.00 $ 30.00 0.12%Wk # 21 $ 58.00 $ 20.00 $ 78.00 0.42%Wk #22 $ 107.00 $ 35.00 $ 142.00 0.73%Wk # 23 $ 4.00 $ 130.00 $ 134.00 0.65%Wk # 24 $ 55.00 $ 37.00 $ 92.00 0.52%Wk # 25 $ 67.00 $ 142.00 $ 209.00 1.31%

Total $ 1,199.00 $ 1,218.00 $ 2,417.00 0.40%

Community partnerships necessary for success

Single market management organization = easy implementation, consistent data collection

Community partnerships building

From 2009-2013 only organization in county accepting EBT, likely to change in 2014

Cleveland-cuyahoga county food policy coalition

• City and County focused Food Policy Coalition – In partnership between state extension (OSUE) and Case Western University’s

Prevention Research Center– Partners representing many diverse stakeholders in the food system– Collaborate on innovative programming and policy, backed up by research, to address

barriers to growth in a healthier food system

• Packaging Incentives: • economic incentives (for every $1 spent $1

received up to $10)

• Developed by Coalition partners & administered by OSUE

• Piloted with 4 markets in 2009 to 20 markets and two farm stands in 2013

• Increased federal food assistance SNAP sales by over 40% between 2011-2013 with same # of markets participating • 2013 sales surpassed 2012 in just 6 months

Snap purchase incentivesproduce perks

Profile of markets

administration

• OSUE fiscal agent• Markets submit monthly “incentive logs” via

Excel– EBT sales tokens purchased & redeemed– Last four digits SNAP card– Incentive tokens distributed & redeemed– ZIP, How customers heard of the program, traveled

to the market, importance of incentives, first time at a farmers’ market, markets visited in the past

REIMBURSMENT & MARKET GUIDELINES

• OSUE aggregates incentives redeemed and reimburses markets monthly

• Guidelines for markets:– Prominent visuals and promotion– Encourage and facilitate community connections

Collect data and report– Train and inform vendors– Come together for 2 meetings a year

program outcomes

• 2013 Season report– Consumers

• Very important to introducing to markets• Many repeat customers

– Farmers• Peaked interest in issues in food access• Increased sales

– Market managers and partners• $40K in SNAP sales

Referral-based incentivesProduce prescriptions (rX)

• How it works • Partners involved• Packaging of incentive:

• economic + social incentives

Pilot outcomes

• Almost half (~42%) were first time customers• 42 out of the 48 participants enrolled came to

the markets• Effective at filling gaps from DVPP-Orientation• 310 visits, redeemed over $3,300 from July-

October• Trouble shooting at the markets (FPC as

customer service)

Partnership impact

• Ideal program for convening stakeholders to support growth and investment in your market

• Satisfied vendors/farmers and market managers

• Elaborate on partnerships formed in support

NEEDS FOR incentive PROGRAM EXPANSION

• Comprehensive network and dedicated staff with capacity

• Understanding market needs, capacity, interest• Better access to SNAP and farmers’ market data at

many levels– Emphasis on common metrics to evaluate programs on a

larger scale• Flexible funding and better agency communication

channels (network priority)• Innovation for reporting and SNAP transactions

Take away considerations

• What are your perceived needs and barriers to doing this work?

• What does your market(s) look like?• What kind of partnerships are you building

now-or hope to in the future?• What could you contribute to a network?

Beth knorrMaRKETS MANAGER

farmersmarket@cvcountryside.orgWWW.CVCOUNTRYSIDE.ORG

@countrysidechix

Erika MeschkatProgram Coordinator, Community Development

meschkat.1@osu.edu216-429-8200 x212

www.cccfoodpolicy.orgwww.cuyahoga.osu.edu

@cccfoodpolicy