IDENTIFYING A NEED
Image courtesy of the Bloomington Farmers’ Market Facebook
The 2018-2019 Monroe County Community Health Needs Assessment identified chronic disease prevention, obesity, and poverty among the top five health issues in the three-county region of Monroe, Owen, and Lawrence counties.
A few years prior, the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market collaborated with the Indiana University School of Public Health to assess the role of financial incentives at the Farmers’ Market. Over 250 community members, 89 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) users and 172 non-SNAP users, completed a 28-question survey on their purchasing behaviors at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market. The survey found that the financial incentive provided by the Double Market Bucks program improved the variety of fruits and vegetables consumed by SNAP participants and enabled them to purchase more local foods at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market.
These findings are supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which states that healthy food incentive programs are scientifically shown to increase affordability, access, purchase, and consumption and this increase lasts for up to two to six months after participation in an incentive program.
GRANTING GREATER ACCESS
In June 2020, BHF granted the Bloomington Parks Foundation nearly $80,000 to expand their voucher program for the Bloomington Farmers’ Market, increasing access to fresh, nutritious foods for economically disadvantaged and vulnerable populations in our community and the agencies that serve these populations.
Grant funds that support WIC and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) help to:
1) Increase access to a wide array of fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables for program participants who are considered vulnerable members of our community and who otherwise might find cost a barrier to fresh fruit and vegetable consumption
2) Broaden awareness and use of farmers markets with FMNP-eligible customers
3) Benefit local farmers by expanding their customer base and helping them meet the needs of more of the community
More specifically, grant funds triple the purchasing power of customers using WIC and Senior FMNP vouchers at the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market over a two-year period. Funds are dedicated to direct voucher tripling as well as the printing of vouchers and administering of the voucher program. Additionally, grant funds support a two-year promotion and awareness campaign for the WIC and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, as well as the Double Market Bucks Program.
MAKING AN IMPACT
Click to enlarge image.
During the 2020 Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market, the market accepted 289 WIC vouchers valued at $24 each and 234 Senior Nutrition Program vouchers valued at $21 each. Each participant received 2 vouchers to redeem for Market Bucks along with the FMNP benefits. Without BHF’s match, WIC and FMNP participants would have had only $24 rather than $72 to spend at the Farmers’ Market. Seniors received $20 through FMNP and with BHF’s match had a total of $62 to spend at the market.
The COVID-19 pandemic limited market attendance and some customers did not feel comfortable coming due to personal health factors or concerns. Area 10 created a volunteer shopper program for their participants where seniors could choose to have a volunteer shop at the market for them and deliver the products to their homes.
One participant commented,
“I was scared I would die because of COVID-19. I have a lot of health issues. I haven’t left my home since March and haven’t had real fresh fruit or vegetables. I used a volunteer with very strict rules and they followed them all. I immediately felt better after eating just a few fresh veggies [and it] opened my eyes to the importance of fresh food. I feel like the additional bucks saved my health from deteriorating even more. I hope they do this forever.”
HOW TO ENROLL
The Saturday Farmers’ Market takes place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Showers Common, 401 N. Morton Street, next to Bloomington City Hall. Free parking is available on the north side of City Hall. Bloomington Transit runs #2 West 11 St. via Showers complex every 60 minutes.
The Tuesday market is hosted at the Pavillion in Switchyard Park, 1601 S. Rogers Street, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Onsite parking is free or customers can use Bloomington Transit #2 South Rogers/Countryview.
To see if you qualify for WIC benefits click here. For registration or for more information, contact the Monroe County WIC Program at (812) 353-3221.
For seniors who might qualify, contact Area 10 Agency on Aging, (812) 876-3383.
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