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) 1
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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 3
Virginia Fresh Match (VFM) is Virginia’s Statewide Nutrition Incentive Program Why Nutrition Incentives? VFM Nutrition Incentives • 10.1% of Virginia households struggle • $1 for $1 match on any SNAP purchase, to put food on the table, especially match to spend on fruits and vegetables nutritious fruits and vegetables • Results in more income for farmers from • Doubling the purchasing power of both SNAP and match SNAP consumers unlocks affordable • When people can afford produce, they access to fruits and vegetables. buy it! • As a result, families can choose to eat better, reducing risk of diet-related illness and improving community health. 4
How It Works 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. 5
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 of program • Future growth and development planning 6
Impacts Schools Families Increase nutrition by consumption of • • Maximize limited benefits, often $16 to fresh fruit and vegetables $40 per month Provide hands-on learning activities such • Spend wisely by doubling with VFM • as gardening, farm visits, and culinary Get freshest VA foods, better quality • activities diet for less $$ integrate food-related education into the • • Give back to community, support curriculum nearby family farms Stakeholders Community & Local Markets • Target food security efforts with a proven Expand food access + equity • program • Attract customers, build farmer income • Maximize impact of local investment Get VFM resources + network support + • across VA FINI funding Integrate with other food access • Contribute to VA collective impact • programs 7
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 opportunity 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." 8
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Virginia Fresh Match: Help families access fruits and vegetables "It helps us incorporate healthier ● options 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." 11
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 www.virginiafreshmatch.org/locations 12
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 13
Customer Feedback “My daughter and I come every week to the mobile market and definitely try to use our 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 opportunity.” Blacey, Indian Village HeadStart Parent, Roanoke VA 14
Ideas For Implementation at Head Start Centers Team up with local VFM Map of Locations VCE programming to that accept incentives; offer healthy shopping SNAP-EBT, WIC, local and cooking incentive programs demonstrations Market Tour for Parents & Families: Invite local vendor / Contact local DSS mobile market to office for tour with center for “pop-up” HeadStart Teachers style shopping 15
“Power of Produce” POP Club Program Example 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. 16
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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 18
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