Incentive Program - EBT & Farmers Markets
2 likes420 views
The Double Value Coupon Program (DVCP) incentivizes the purchase of locally grown fresh foods for customers using federal food benefits, effectively doubling their purchasing power. This program benefits customers by improving health, farmers by increasing revenue, and neighborhoods by fostering thriving markets. Outcomes include significant increases in food sales, new business opportunities, and expanded access to fresh produce for underserved communities.
Incentive Program - EBT & Farmers Markets
- 1. Double Value Coupon Program nourishing neighborhoods
- 2. Doubles the sale of locally grown, fresh foods (may include fruits, vegetables, dairy, meats, herbs, honey and grains depending on the program) for customers who utilize their federal food benefits. • These benefits include – SNAP – WIC fresh fruit and veggie vouchers – Farmers’ Market Promotion Program (WIC and Senior) – Supplemental Security Income/Disability
- 3. What is the purpose of the Incentive? • The incentive program provides a triple bounce—serving customer, vendor and neighborhood simultaneously! Customers get: twice as much fresh produce, improving family health Farmers get: a new customer base and more revenue per transaction Neighborhoods get: thriving markets that better serve the broader community.
- 4. FROM FARM TO FAMILY TRANSLATINGEBT SALES TOFAMILYIMPACT 16,000 lbs, or 8 tons of produce to market for food stamp recipients* 200 lbs of produce for 80 families, or 2 additional daily servings of local fruits and vegetables per family of three for 20 weeks 4 New business opportunities for distribution $10,000 Double Value Incentive Microgrant = $20K to farmers for increased agricultural production **Based on 10 Week Market Example, and at average price per pound of $1.25
- 5. 5 What are outcomes? We’ve seen this program transform markets!
- 6. INCENTIVE PROGRAMS WORK SNAP/EBTSALESINCREASESFROM2008TO2009 0% 100% 200% 300% 400% 500% 600% 700% 800% Rhode Island Holyoke Chicago Boston UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY RESIDENTS OF DIVERSE ETHNICITY HAVE RESPONDED TO AFFORDABILITY
- 9. How does it work on market day? • Each market has established its own procedures but generally: • Eligible customers arrive at the market and visit the DVCP booth to receive their incentive • Staff either scan SNAP card or stamp FMNP voucher • Staff provide incentive in the form of coupons or tokens • Customer shops at eligible vendors utilizing both the federal dollars and incentive dollars • Farmers turn in coupons/tokens to DVCP staff at the end of market day • Staff mail a check to farmers for their total incentive sales
- 10. What happens “behind the scenes”? • Training: making sure each vendor understands the program and their eligibility to participate • Outreach: spreading the word via customers, partners, fliers, etc. • Accounting: tracking of disbursements, redemption and cutting checks to vendors. • Data: building the case for program sustainability through tracking farmer revenue and redemption of benefits
- 11. How can we build on this? • Expanded DVCP: Leveraging further diversified funding; affecting more communities • Nourished Neighborhood Incubators: Integrating affordable access to fresh food with diverse resources (social services, local businesses, community services) in safe public spaces. • Fruit and Veggie Rx: providing community members with healthy food resources and monitoring the effect on individual health
Editor's Notes
- #2: Launched in 2008
- #3: Customers shopping at farmers markets and farm stands receive matching dollars in the form of tokens or coupons, for the amount of federal benefits they spend at the market.
- #4: Triple bounce effect Nourishes neighborhoods.
- #5: Every $10,000 allocated to double vouchers in any one market could reach 100 recipients, providing additional spending of $100 ($200 when matched with SNAP USDA funds), or $20 a week for 10 week farmers market season. Averaged cost per pound of fresh fruits and vegetables is $1.25/lb. Resulting in 160 lbs of produce consumed per family throughout the10 week market cycle or 16 lbs/wk.
- #8: 2007- 2008 increase from outreach ($500 to $3000), and 2008 to 2009 increase from DVCP, to $22000
- #9: Boston per market. In some places where SNAP redemption was very low, the DVCP brought in $200 - $250 SNAP dollars to the market, translating in $400 to $500 in brand new revenue with the DVCP if it’s a 1 to 1 match.
- #10: We developed the DVCP so that each of our partner organizations had flexibility in making their program site specific and market specific, so each one of our partners administers their DVCP in a unique way, whether through the marketing of it (Fresh Bucks, Bounty Bucks, Double Up, Link Up) or through the dollar amount matched and the market day procedures. Many markets match up to $10 or $15 per customer per day, many use a token system, some use a chit system. The variations in the match and the administration of it vary depending on market size and number of customers, as well as program mgt capacity and the amount of DVCP funding. What does stay consistent is the program vision, and the data collection that supports that vision.