Vi Virginia Fres esh M h Match ch VAHSA Health & Family - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Vi Virginia Fres esh M h Match ch

VAHSA Health & Family Institute

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 Annalise Adams, Shalom Farms Maureen McNamara Best, Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP)

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Agenda

• Virginia Fresh Match & How it Works
• Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program
• How to connect to VFM network
• Virginia Fresh Match health impacts and priority areas
• How to work with Virginia Fresh Match and farmers markets
• Questions and Discussion

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Virginia Fresh Match (VFM) is Virginia’s Statewide Nutrition Incentive Program

VFM Nutrition Incentives

Why Nutrition Incentives?

• $1 for $1 match on any SNAP purchase,

match to spend on fruits and vegetables

• Results in more income for farmers from

both SNAP and match

• When people can afford produce, they

buy it!

• 10.1% of Virginia households struggle

to put food on the table, especially nutritious fruits and vegetables

• Doubling the purchasing power of

SNAP consumers unlocks affordable access to fruits and vegetables.

• As a result, families can choose to eat

better, reducing risk of diet-related illness and improving community health.

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How It Works

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Families are able to get more fruits and vegetables when they spend SNAP dollars at participating farmers markets and grocery stores. For example, spend $10 on your EBT card, and get another $10 to buy fresh fruits and veggies, locally grown in Virginia.

Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) Grant Program

FINI increases the purchase of fruits and vegetables, supports healthy eating among low income Americans who participate in SNAP

• In 2018, LEAP received a $1.8 million, 3-year FINI grant to

support expansion of VFM, which benefits SNAP consumers, small and mid-sized farm businesses, and local economies

• Expand Virginia Fresh Match to more farmers markets, CSAs, Mobile

Markets across the state

• Pilot Virginia Fresh Match at Grocery Retail stores
• Statewide marketing and outreach to increase knowledge and use
• f program
• Future growth and development planning

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Impacts

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Community & Local Markets

• Expand food access + equity
• Attract customers, build farmer income
• Get VFM resources + network support +

FINI funding

• Contribute to VA collective impact

Schools

• Increase nutrition by consumption of

fresh fruit and vegetables

• Provide hands-on learning activities such

as gardening, farm visits, and culinary activities

• integrate food-related education into the

curriculum Families

• Maximize limited benefits, often $16 to

$40 per month

• Spend wisely by doubling with VFM
• Get freshest VA foods, better quality

diet for less $$

• Give back to community, support

nearby family farms Stakeholders

• Target food security efforts with a proven

program

• Maximize impact of local investment

across VA

• Integrate with other food access

programs

Virginia Fresh Match: Stretch family food budgets

• "Using EBT at the market and getting the match enables

families to buy a variety of fresh foods, including stuff you can’t find in the grocery store.“

• "As a result of my disability I am only able to work part-

time and there have been long periods of time where I have not been able to work at all. Having the

• pportunity to receive benefits from the program is

very critical to my health and well-being. Being provided with local organic and biologically grown produce at an affordable cost helps me maintain a better quality of life."

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Virginia Fresh Match: Help families access fruits and vegetables

• "It helps us incorporate healthier
• ptions at more affordable prices. Some

people don’t have the luxury of certain things, and fresh fruits and vegetables can be a luxury."

• "What they have is what I try to stick

with, because it’s healthier. If I buy the vegetables here, that’s what we have, that’s what’s in our fridge, that’s what we’re going to eat."

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Where are Virginia Fresh Match outlets?

• Search the map online
• Reach out to the market

directly for more information

• Visit the market
• Spread the word

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www.virginiafreshmatch.org/locations

Expand on Virginia Fresh Match with local programs

• Not all families who participate in Head Start qualify for SNAP
• SNAP match programs create foundation for other incentive

programs– partner with your farmers market!

• Example in Roanoke (Healthy Start Collaborative)
• LEAP Mobile Market weekly stops at Head Start centers during pick up
• Anyone who qualifies can use incentives on Mobile Market (or cash)- SNAP,

Medicaid, WIC, CHIP

• All Head Start families get a weekly $10 voucher!
• Other local collaborative, parents of children enrolled in CHIP (Children’s

Health Insurance Program) receive $10/wk voucher

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Customer Feedback

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“My daughter and I come every week to the mobile market and definitely try to use

• ur entire $10. If we didn’t have this extra

food every week I would have to go to the grocery store where the produce is more

• expensive. This saves me time and money,

not to mention gas! I can just pick up my daughter from her center and shop with her before we head home for afterschool snack! It’s convenient but also a learning

• pportunity.”

Blacey, Indian Village HeadStart Parent, Roanoke VA

Ideas For Implementation at Head Start Centers

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Market Tour for Parents & Families: VFM Map of Locations that accept incentives; SNAP-EBT, WIC, local incentive programs Team up with local VCE programming to

• ffer healthy shopping

and cooking demonstrations Invite local vendor / mobile market to center for “pop-up” style shopping Contact local DSS

• ffice for tour with

HeadStart Teachers

“Power of Produce” POP Club Program Example

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Families can participate in "Power of Produce" (POP) clubs at local markets that offer activities for kids to try new foods, participate in educational activities and crafts, and earn Market Bucks to spend at the market. At Dorey Park Farmers Market in Henrico, the POP Club provides a fun opportunity for children to engage in our local food system through conversations directly with farmers, educational games and demonstrations, exposure to new fruits and vegetables and learn about the importance of buying local produce. Children can also participate in the Two Bite Club, tasting a new fruit or vegetable each week to receive $2 in POP Bucks to spend on produce at the market.

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Questions & Comments

Maureen McNamara Best, Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP)

maureen@leapforlocalfood.org

Analise Adams, Shalom Farms

programs@shalomfarms.org Regional Leads: Northern Virginia Region: Nick Stavely, Community Foodworks, nstavely@cfwdc.org Central Region: Beth Austin, Virginia Community Food Connections, bethaustin@virginiacfc.org Capital Region: Analise Adams, Shalom Farms, programs@shalomfarms.org Coastal Region: Tracy Herner, Williamsburg Farmers Market, therner@williamsburgva.gov Southside Region: Lisa Fultz, Martinsville Uptown Farmers Market, lisa@mhcchamber.com Southwest Region: Lindsey Felty, Appalachian Sustainable Development, lfelty@asdevelop.org Blue Ridge Region: Sam Lev, LEAP, sam@leapforlocalfood.org Shenandoah Region: Erin Burch, Harrisonburg Farmers Market, ardentevolution@gmail.com Virginia Fresh Match Website & Resources: www.VirginiaFreshMatch.org

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