DISCOVERING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS USED TO ADVERTISE ACCEPTANCE OF SNAP BENEFITS AT UTAH FARMERS’ MARKETS  

DR. KELSEY HALL & KENNA MCMURRAY

•  USDA requests innovative ways for farmers’ markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits from eligible low-income residents (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2013).

•  Lack of awareness about farmers’ markets accepting SNAP benefits keeps low-income residents from shopping (Food Research and Action Center,

2013; The Food Trust, 2014). •  Address SNAP participants’ lack of awareness through effective

marketing and promotion (The Food Trust, 2014). •  Data from part of larger study with two purposes: (1) examine

farmers’ market managers’ and vendors’ experiences with accepting SNAP at farmers’ markets & (2) examine low-income residents’ needs, perceptions, and present behavior of shopping at farmers’ markets in Utah.

INTRODUCTION/NEED FOR RESEARCH

•  Administered online survey to 11 managers whose farmers’ markets accepted SNAP EBT cards in Utah during the 2014 market season.

•  Questionnaire reviewed by panel of experts. •  Used Dillman’s Tailored Design Method to contact farmers’ market

managers. •  Compiled results in IBM SPSS Statistics Version 19.

METHODOLOGY

•  Majority of farmers’ market managers were female (n = 9, 82.0%) with a bachelor’s degree (n = 7, 64.0%). Their experience as manager ranged from 2 months to 10 years. Seven respondents (63.6%) earned an income as market manager.

•  Nine managers (82.0%) organized community outreach as job duty. •  Range of 150 to 13,000 customers attended a farmers’ market per market day. •  Range of 1 to 30 SNAP participants shopped at a farmers’ market per market day. •  Bus (n = 7, 64%), light rail (n = 3, 27%), senior transit (n = 2, 18%) & Disabled American Veteran van (n = 1, 9%) located near farmers’ markets. •  Two farmers’ market managers (n = 18.1%) wanted agencies or organizations to advertise to SNAP participants.

FINDINGS

Study conducted with funding from a 2014 USU Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunity Grant and Utah Agricultural Experiment Station Project UTAO-1112.

•  Utah managers used similar communication channels as 635 farmers’ market managers in nationwide survey: printed materials (n = 565, 89.1%), Internet (n = 534, 84.1%), billboards or

banners (n = 465, 73.2%), & agencies or word of mouth (n = 32, 5%) (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2013). •  Continue displaying posters & flyers at public aid offices, WIC clinics, Cooperative Extension Offices,

food banks, places of worship, schools, libraries, senior citizen housing, & child care centers to reach SNAP participants.

•  Local television, radio, & newspapers are efficient & cost-effective ways to inform SNAP participants (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2015); Utah farmers’ market managers would reach SNAP participants by inviting local TV and radio stations to markets.

•  More Utah managers should display posters or flyers at mass transit stations or stops since advertising on local bus & rail systems reaches SNAP participants (U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2015).

•  312 farmers’ market managers (49.1%) advertised SNAP participation during workshops, discussions, or presentations at schools or community events.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS

Communication Channels Used by Managers to Advertise SNAP Acceptance at Farmers’ Market (n = 11)

Television (n = 1, 9.1%)

Posters or flyers in mass transit stations or stops

(n = 1, 9.1%)

Printed materials to local businesses

(n = 1, 9.1%)

Printed materials to healthcare facilities

(n = 1, 9.1%)

Workshops/presentations at

schools or community events (n = 0, 0.0%)

Internet/website (other than social media)

(n = 6, 54.5%)

Printed materials (posters, flyers, brochures, direct mail)

(n = 9, 81.8%)

Social media (blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

(n = 8, 72.7%) Banners

(n = 7, 63.6%) Word of mouth (n = 10, 90.9%)

Newspaper (n = 4, 36.4%)

Press releases (n = 4, 36.4%)

Radio (n = 3, 27.3%)

Mailers or flyers to personal residences

(n = 2, 18.2%) Roadside sign (n = 1, 9.1%)

Press Release

Community-based social marketing (CBSM)

(McKenzie-Mohr & Smith, 2011)

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Step 1

• Select a sustainable behavior that will be promoted: SNAP participants accessing fresh produce through farmers’ markets accepting SNAP benefits

Step 2 • Identify benefits and barriers to the behavior

Step 3

• Design strategies that use behavior change tools (social norms, prompts, communication, incentives, & making behavior convenient)

Step 4

• Pilot the strategies with a small segment of farmers’ market managers

Step 5 • Evaluate the impact of the pilot after implementation NEXT STEPS:

•  Surveyed low-income residents to discover willingness to shop at farmers’ markets, demographics, use of communication channels, attitudes toward buying locally, & barriers & benefits to shopping at farmers’ markets.

•  Develop CBSM plan for managers to use to advertise SNAP acceptance of SNAP benefits at their farmers’ markets to SNAP participants.

•  Pilot test CBSM plan. •  Measure impact & use of CBSM plan by

managers in this study to discover best promotional strategy.