CalFresh Promotion Project at Farmers’ Markets

Successful Strategies to Increase (SNAP) Use

Joanne Seavey-Hultquist, MSWCalFresh Healthy Living Program ManagerSanta Clara County Public Health Department

Project Goal

Creating systems change to support increased use of CalFresh EBT and Market Match at farmers' markets by:

• Making it easier to redeem EBT dollars at the market• Reducing perceived barriers for CalFresh families• Increasing awareness about CalFresh acceptance and Market Match (up to $10 in

matching dollars per day)

Major Partners:

Funders:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015 – 2017) USDA/CDPH – SNAP-Ed & Santa Clara County Public Health Department (2018 to current)

Evaluation Question:

What are the barriers to using CalFresh and Market Match at participating markets? *

Lack of awareness

*Results from surveys and focus groups with food insecure individuals, CalFresh recipients and farmers’ market customers

Intervention Activities:

Accessibility/Awareness: Modifications to CalFresh redemption instructions Outreach - partnerships Multi-lingual materials

Redemption process

Perception produce is expensiveLanguage barrier

Affordability: $3 Coupon incentive Market Match information

Accessibility/Awareness

Affordability

Coupons distributed to promote eight (8) Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association

markets with Market Match

County Social Services Agency - mailed

32,036 (2018)

100 partners - distributed coupons & flyers 18,000 (2018)

Redemptions in 2018:1,340 Partner coupons 618 Mailed coupons (SSA)

* Partner list limited to those with 2 or more redeemed coupons

• Data captured through December 2018Partner68%

SSAMailed

32%

Partnership Works!2 out of 3 Coupons redeemed were Partner-Distributed

Evaluation Question:

To what extent do patrons increase their awareness of CalFresh acceptance atfarmers’ markets after the implementation of an education and promotion campaign?

Intervention/Promotional Activities:

Texts & Robo calls to 37,000 CalFresh recipients through SSA (2016 – 2018)

FaceBook Ads (2017 – 2018)

Radio Ads - English, Spanish, Vietnamese (2015-2018)

Bus Ads (2016) & Bus Shelters (2017)

Print/digital media campaigns in local ethnic media outlets (2016 & 2017)

58%

Awareness Increased from Promotion

Data source:Intercept survey of general market shoppers (259 adults – 2015; 247 adults - 2016)Question: “Did you know that this farmers’ market accepts CalFresh/EBT cards?”

+11%

increase in patron awareness of CalFresh acceptance

(33% vs. 44%)2015 vs 2016

of general market shoppers recalled hearing or seeing

promotional messages2015 vs 2016

Awareness Increased from Coupon Distribution

Data source:Coupon survey of coupon redeemers

Question, “Did you know that you could use CalFresh EBT at this market before receivingthis coupon?”

Awareness - Coupon Impact

Data source: 2018 coupon-survey question , “Is this the first Farmers’ Market$3 Coupon you have ever used?”

2 out of 3 respondents are first time coupon users

Of first time shoppers, reported shopping at market because ofcoupon43%

Almost 9 in 10 shoppers, reported they would return without a coupon.

Data source: 2018 coupon-survey question, “ Would you have come to this market if you had not received the coupon?”

Perceived impact of coupon on fruit & vegetable purchase

Data Source: 2018 Coupon survey: “How will the coupon(s) affect your fruit and vegetable purchases this week?Would you say the amount of fruits and vegetables you will buy will: (Circle one)”

3%

Data Source: 2018 Coupon survey: “How will Market Match affect your fruit and vegetable purchases this week? Would you say the amount of fruits and vegetables you will buy will: (Circle one)”

1%

$79,669 Overall increase

Market Match11.9 x as many dollars

6.0 x as many distributions

CalFresh3.1 x as many dollars

4.5 x as many distributions

* Increase measures are calculated as: [2018 value]/[2014 value] * Distribution increase calculated as (2018 SNAP+MM) – (2014 SNAP+MM)

In ABSOLUTE dollars, 2018 vs 2014, April through August intervention period, 8 intervention markets saw:

ƚ Data is restricted to the April through August period because some are seasonal markets and to align with SCC PHD awareness campaign period.

Evaluation Question:

To what extent do CalFresh recipients increase their actual use of CalFresh/ Market Match after the implementation of an outreach and promotion campaign?

CalFresh, Market Match, Distributions, and Unique Patrons Have All Notably Increased

Evaluation Question:

ƚ Data is restricted to the April through August period because some are seasonal markets and to align with SCC PHD education/promotion period.

Data is aggregated for all markets participating in the intervention in any of the three cohorts, and an active (open) market during the stated year.

In 2017, East SC closed before the market season and Creekside and Evergreen were established.

Total SNAP and MM dollar distributions remain and end high in 2018

Campaign Begins

Average Market Day

SNAP & MM Dollars Distributed

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

ƚ Full year of data. The Santa Clara County trend line includes all intervention and non-intervention markets in PCFMA’s database.

Conclusions from 2018 Increases in purchasing of fruits and vegetables with

CalFresh/Market Match dollars resulted from reducing barriers and conducting education/promotion

Partnerships were essential to promoting to the target population

Coupon incentives continue being effective

Text reminders are promising

Project increased spending at markets

Contact information:

Jo Seavey-HultquistCalFresh Healthy Living Program ManagerSanta Clara County Public Health Department

Joanne.Seavey@phd.sccgov.org