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Report from the first year of the Double Market Bucks program. A grant through the Bloomington Parks Foundation allowed SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) program participants to double the value of their SNAP dollars to buy fresh, healthy, locally grown food at the Market.
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Double Market
Bucks Program
Bloomington Community Farmers’ MarketCity of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department
Prepared by Nikki WootenIndiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Service Corps Fellow
Reducing Local Food
Insecurity and Strengthening
the Local Food Economy
2013 Annual Report
2013 was an astonishing year for the Market Bucks Program. Thanks to a private donor’s generous contribution to the Bloomington Parks Foundation, we were able to offer Double Market Bucks at our Saturday and Tuesday Markets. This program aims to develop the customer base for our farmers while incentivizing vulnerable families to use federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase healthful, local foods available at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market.
We made steps forward on many organizational and programmatic fronts over the course of the season to ensure Double Market Bucks’ success. Prior to the season, we reached out to local service agencies and nonprofit organizations, and worked with our department communications team to develop effective promotional materials. We hired additional staff to handle the extra paperwork and conducted an end-of-season survey specifically for our Double Market Bucks customers to learn how best to improve the program.
In this report, we describe trends for the following outcomes:1. Increase SNAP purchases2. Increase SNAP customers3. Increase access to educational opportunities
A few powerful findings from our 2012-13 data are:
• 72% of vendors reported that they sell more fruits and vegetables because of Double Market Bucks.• 76% of vendors reported they make more money at the Bloomington
Community Farmers’ Market because of Double Market Bucks.• 92% of customers reported they increased the amount of fresh fruits and
vegetables they eat as a result of shopping at the Farmers’ Market.• 68% of customers reported they wouldn’t have come to the Farmers’
Market without Double Market Bucks.• 87% of customers reported that the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
they eat has increased as a result of shopping at the Farmers’ Market.
As much as we believe in the importance of sound metrics, the bottom line is that this program aims to help people, so we have let our SNAP customers and vendors speak for themselves in testimonials throughout the report.
In a time when federal support for nutrition assistance programs is volatile, we want to do everything we can here in our town to make our neighbors’ lives less uncertain. None of this important work would be possible without our amazing community partners who helped us spread the word about the program.
Best regards,
Marcia VeldmanFarmers’ Market Coordinator
A Message from the Farmers’ Market Coordinator
Marcia VeldmanBloomington Community
Farmers’ Market Coordinator
1 Double Market Bucks 2013 Annual Report
The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market was founded in 1975 and has been growing ever since. For 39 years, the Farmers’ Market has enriched the lives of the community by providing a place for residents and visitors
to come together in a festive atmosphere to buy local produce and other farm products directly from the growers. The Farmers’ Market’s mission aims to support small farmers and gardeners, securing a local food source. To further the mission and increase access to the Market for all residents regardless of income, the Farmers’ Market began accepting SNAP benefits in 2007 through the Market Bucks program. Participation in SNAP has been on the rise throughout Indiana as more and more Hoosier families rely on SNAP to feed themselves. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in August 2013 there were 931,675 residents (approximately 14% of the state’s population) enrolled in the SNAP program in Indiana.
The Farmers’ Market, with the support of the Bloomington Parks Foundation, in 2013 began an incentive program called Double Market Bucks to match SNAP purchases at Market. When SNAP customers purchase Market Bucks, they receive a matching dollar amount (up to $18 per visit) in additional Market Bucks to use at the Farmers’ Market. Market Bucks are paper vouchers that come in $3 increments and may be used like cash to purchase fresh, locally produced fruits, vegetables, breads, meats, eggs, and cheeses. SNAP customers purchase Market Bucks from Farmers’ Market staff during Farmers’ Market hours by swiping their Hoosier Works debit card on the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) machine.
Double Market Bucks has several goals:• Long-term goal 1: Reduce local food insecurity.• Long-term goal 2: Strengthen local food economy.• Long-term goal 3: Promote healthy lifestyles among SNAP customers.• Short-term goal 1: Increase access to nutritious foods available at
Farmers’ Market.• Short-term goal 2: Increase direct marketing opportunities for Farmers’
Market vendors. We are primarily interested in evaluating the following outcomes, related to some, but not all, of the overall program goals:
• Outcome 1: Increase purchases by SNAP customers.• Outcome 2: Increase total number of SNAP customers.• Outcome 3: Increase access to educational opportunities.
We must note that the statistics included in this report are descriptive only. We are unable to make casual claims until a more rigorous evaluation takes place.
The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market and the Double Market Bucks Program
“.. . an awesome program. It has helped me a lot to save money and eat fresh, local fruit and veggies. Thank you!”
-Market Bucks customer
1 Double Market Bucks 2013 Annual Report
Outcome 1: Increase purchases by SNAP customers.
One of the immediate benefits during the first season of Double Market Bucks was a substantial increase in the amount of purchases made by customers on SNAP.We wanted to see what types of foods SNAP customers typically purchased, so we asked them. Eighty-nine percent and 95% of respondents reported purchasing fruits and vegetables, respectively, on a regular basis at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market. Likewise, 64% of our vendors reported that fruits and vegetables were the most popular items purchased with Market Bucks.
Program Trends
Fruits & vegetables64%
Cheese8%
Meats8%
Other8%
Baked goods 4%
Honey 4%Eggs 4%
Figure 2. Most popular items purchased with Market Bucks
Marketing
At the Farmers’ Market 43%
Other 19%
Friend/family19%
Soup kitchen/food pantry 12%
Online 5%Newspaper/radio 2%
Figure 1. How customers heard about the Double Market Bucks program
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Figure 2. Most popular items purchased with Market Bucks
Figure 3. Total SNAP purchases per month at the Saturday Farmers’ Market
Saturday MarketDuring the implementation of Double Market Bucks in 2013, we recorded both the frequency of SNAP customers and the amount that they purchased. In 2012, the amount of Market Bucks purchased reached $5,190 over the course of the season, and customers purchased an average of $24 worth of Market Bucks per capita. In 2013, the amount of Market Bucks purchased reached $33,393, an increase of 543%. Customers purchased an average of $33 (+39%) of Market Bucks per capita in 2013.
“ I get many more
[Market Bucks]
than previous years.
I believe many get
cheese who normally
couldn’t afford it .”
-Market vendor
3 Double Market Bucks 2013 Annual Report Double Market Bucks 2013 Annual Report 4
Tuesday Market
During the 2012 Tuesday Market season (held each Tuesday, June through September, from 4-7 p.m.), the total amount of Market Bucks purchased was $237. Customers purchased an average of $11 worth of Market Bucks per capita on average.
In 2013, the amount of Market Bucks purchased at Tuesday Market was $2,628, an increase of 1,009% over 2012. Customers purchased $30 (+181%) worth of Market Bucks per capita on average in 2013.
Figure 4. Total SNAP purchases per month at the Tuesday Farmers’ Market
“This program has been a huge benefit to me and my family. It has made it possible for us to get more fresh produce and support local farmers, both of which had become financially difficult to do.” -Market Bucks customer-
5 Double Market Bucks 2013 Annual Report
Tuesday MarketIn 2012, there were a total of 12 SNAP transactions during the Tuesday Market season, with an average of 1 SNAP customer per Tuesday Market. In 2013, Market staff administered 85 (+608%) total SNAP transactions at Tuesday Market, with an average of 5 (+608%) customers per Market.
Figure 6. Total
SNAP customers per month
at the Tuesday Farmers’
Market
Outcome 2: Increase total number of SNAP customers.Saturday MarketIn 2012, there were a total of 204 SNAP customer transactions at the Saturday Market over the course of the season, with an average of 6 SNAP customers per Market. In 2013, there were a total of 987 transactions, an increase of 384% over 2012 figures. There were an average of 28 SNAP customers (+384%) per Saturday Market in 2013.
Figure 5. Total
SNAP customers per month
at the Saturday Farmers’
Market
[The program] allows me to do what I really want to be
able to do: support local farmers and eat healthy-but on
a budget.” -Market Bucks customer5 Double Market Bucks 2013 Annual Report
Outcome 3: Increase access to educational opportunities
We attempted to measure the number of families participating in educational opportunities, both informal and formal, at the Market, but do feel that a more elaborate evaluation is needed. Thirty-nine percent of survey respondents said they chat with farmers or other people about produce, recipes, or nutrition at every Market. Another 39% said they do so about half the time.
All Market customers are encouraged to participate in events such as chef demonstrations to learn about seasonal offerings and preparation methods. Sixteen percent of respondents rated chef demonstrations as very important in their decision to visit Market. Similarly, 13% of respondents rated tomato, apple, and soup tastings and other events as very important.
SNAP customers reported several other reasons for visiting the Farmers’ Market. Seventy-six percent rate supporting local farmers or businesses as very important, while 68% rate taking part in the community as very important.
Market staff offered a seasonal publication called Nutrition Notes to all Market Bucks customers, which provided tips on nutrition and budgeting. Twenty-six percent of survey respondents agreed that the publication guided their shopping at the Market.
“ I have received more
Market Bucks this
season than others
combined.”
-Market vendor
7 Double Market Bucks 2013 Annual Report Double Market Bucks 2013 Annual Report 8
We are pleased to announce the Bloomington Parks Foundation has received additional funding to continue offering the Double Market Bucks program in the 2014 season. We have set out several goals to improve the program in the future:
1. Streamline the administrative paperwork to make the process as efficient as possible for vendors and staff. 2. Create a video to introduce potential first-time SNAP customers to how
the Double Market Bucks program works. 3. Provide SNAP customers with more opportunities to learn about
nutritious foods available at the Market by offering guided tours to first- time shoppers.
Looking Ahead
Karin St. JohnExecutive DirectorBloomington Parks [email protected]
Marcia VeldmanFarmers’ Market CoordinatorBloomington Community Farmers’ MarketCity of Bloomington Parks and Recreation [email protected]
Nikki WootenIndiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs Service Corps FellowBloomington Community Farmers’ MarketCity of Bloomington Parks and Recreation [email protected]
Contact Information
Bloomington Housing AuthorityBloomingfoods Market & DeliCity of Bloomington Community and Family Resources DepartmentCommunity KitchenHabitat for HumanityHoosier Hills Food BankIU Health BloomingtonMonroe County CASA Monroe County Health DepartmentMonroe County Community School CorporationMother Hubbard’s CupboardMonroe County United MinistriesSalvation Army of BloomingtonSouth Central Community Action Program
Thank you to our community partners
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Bloomington CommunityFarmers’ Market
City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department
bloomington.in.gov/farmersmarket
Like us on Facebook!Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market
BloomingtonParks Foundation
bloomingtonparksfoundation.org
