scholarly journals Agriculture Supported Communities: Connecting Low-income Communities with Small-scale Vegetable and Fruit Producing Farms (P04-128-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Renate Winkels ◽  
Susan Veldheer ◽  
Andrew Smith
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Direct Marketing ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Fresh Vegetables

Abstract Objectives Barriers regarding affordability of and access to fresh vegetables and fruit pose low-income families at increased risk of diet-related diseases. Small farms can play a key role in providing local communities with fresh produce, through farmers’ markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and other direct marketing strategies. Nevertheless, these farms face specific challenges related to payment terms and conditions and delivery when aiming to connect with low-income communities. Rodale Institute's Agriculture Supported Communities (ASC) program aims to connect small-scale fruit and vegetable farms with low-income communities. This farm-share program sells weekly food boxes with organic fruits and vegetables in cities with major food insecurity problems in Pennsylvania (Allentown and Reading). ASC allows members to pay week-to-week, rather than upfront as in a traditional CSA. ASC shareholders can use federal SNAP dollars to pay for discounted shares or apply for subsidized shares. ASC pick-up sites are located in the targeted communities. Our objective is to evaluate the ASC program and its ability to reach the intended low-income communities. Methods In 2016 and 2017, surveys were distributed among ASC shareholders to collect socio-economic data and program satisfaction. In addition, we evaluated how many participants used SNAP to pay for the shares. Results ASC had 150 shareholders in 2016 and 151 in 2017. In 2016, 89 shareholders (59%) were living in low-income areas in Allentown or Reading, in 2017 this was 76 (50%). In 2016, 43% of the shareholders reported an income < 50k$, in 2017 this was 25%. In 2016, 11 members (7%) paid with SNAP, in 2017 15 members (10%). Conclusions ASC reached low-income community members; however, the program also reached a population at the other end of the economic spectrum. This poses challenges for the farmer regarding production and distribution. The farmers within ASC are using these data to optimize production and methods of delivery to meet the needs of low-income communities. In a future project, we hope to evaluate the effect of ASC membership on dietary intake and other health indicators, and measure the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the model. Funding Sources For a list of funders see rodaleinstitute.org/asc.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of urban farming program in providing multiple benefits to the urban community in Malaysia

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nazanin Nafisi ◽  
Osman Mohd Tahir ◽  
Sara Nafisi ◽  
Nazri Ishak
Keyword(s):  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Urban Farming ◽  
Urban Regions ◽  
Food Imports

Residents have chosen to be living in urban regions in recent years largely due to the accessibility of job opportunities and public services. These led to a fast increase in the amount of people live in urban regions and cities. As a result, a large amount of the property used for agricultural activities was transformed into factories, housing units, and highways. This also resulted in a decrease in food production, growth in food prices and food import bills as the country now relies on food imports especially rice, fruits and vegetables, that can prevent the fostering of urban farming activities and then provide beneficial information essential to form it into a more consumer friendly program. Moreover, studies on urban farming are somewhat few in Malaysia and this study can become helpful for future research. The study focused on small-scale agriculture projects, such as community gardens, and community-level programs such as community supported agriculture and farmers markets. The study found that how urban agriculture enhances community resilience and wellbeing. This is the necessity for the Malaysian urban authorities to give more appropriate identification and support to city dwellers and promote them to develop the practice of urban farming.

scholarly journals A Budgeted Analysis of Fresh Vegetable Marketing Alternatives

1982 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-32
Author(s):  
Michael C. Varner ◽  
Pritam S. Dhillon ◽  
Marie H. Tracy
Keyword(s):  
Direct Marketing ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Fresh Vegetable ◽  
Fresh Vegetables ◽  
Marketing Costs

Marketing costs and contributions to production costs for fresh vegetables marketed through four direct marketing alternatives and through wholesale channels are compared. Budgets derived from empirical observations were the bases for the comparisons. The results favor an elaborate roadside market, which sells a large quantity of items purchased for resale. Farmers’ markets and pick-your-own operations were also found to be potentially more profitable than wholesale marketing.

scholarly journals Determinants of Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Market Visits by Type of Facility: A Logit Analysis

1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramu Govindasamy ◽  
Rodolfo M. Nayga
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
Sex Education ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Direct Marketing ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Home Garden ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Logit Analysis ◽  
Price Expectation ◽  
Direct Market

This study identifies several socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of individuals who visited farmer-to-consumer direct markets in New Jersey. The analysis was performed for each type of direct marketing facility: pick-your-own farms, roadside stands, farmers’ markets, and direct farm markets. Logit analysis results indicate that various factors affect visitation to each type of facility. Factors examined include consumer's consumption and variety of fruits and vegetables, price expectation, purpose of buying, age, sex, education, race, income, urbanization, and presence of home garden.

scholarly journals The role of family variables in fruit and vegetable consumption in preschool children

2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel L. Goldman ◽  
Cynthia L. Radnitz ◽  
Robert E. McGrath
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Family Environment ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Parental Modeling ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Head Start Programs ◽  
Family Variables

<p>Most Americans, including children, continue to eat fewer fruits and vegetables than is recommended, putting themselves at increased risk of various health conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative importance of several family environment variables (food availability and accessibility, modeling of food consumption, parenting style, and family mealtime environment) for predicting children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables in a sample of low income minority preschool children. Two hundred and twenty nine primary caregivers and their preschool children were recruited from Head Start programs in New York and New Jersey. Caregivers consented, completed a battery of paper and pencil questionnaires, and had both their height and weight and their children’s height and weight measured. Higher availability, accessibility, and parental modeling were associated with higher consumptions of fruits and vegetables in children. Availability and accessibility were the best predictors, but parental modeling significantly enhanced prediction over the other variables.  Public health interventions should be geared toward helping poorer families increase the availability of fruits and vegetables in their homes, advising parents on how to make them accessible, and encouraging parents to model their consumption.</p>

scholarly journals Spatial Considerations for Implementing Two Direct-to-Consumer Food Models in Two States

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn Sitaker ◽  
Jared McGuirt ◽  
Weiwei Wang ◽  
Jane Kolodinsky ◽  
Rebecca Seguin
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
Customer Base ◽  
Direct To Consumer ◽  
Cost Offset ◽  
Block Level ◽  
Low Income Families

To open new markets, some farmers have adapted direct-to-consumer (DTC) models, such as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), to reach new settings or audiences. We compared sociodemographic and geospatial contexts to farmers’ experience with one of two DTC innovations: a cost-offset CSA for low-income families and food boxes distributed through rural convenience stores. We geocoded addresses of thirteen farms and DTC pickup sites in two U.S. states (Vermont and Washington) and calculated road network distances from pickup to supermarket, farmers’ market, and farm. We compiled Census block-level demographic and transportation data, and compared it to postseason interviews to explore the effect of suitability of the pickup location; proximity to food retail; and potential farmer burden. Most pickup areas were heavily car-dependent, with low walkability and few public transportation options. Conventional sources of fresh produce were within six miles of most pickups, but farmers markets were further away. Despite modest profitability, both models were deemed worth pursuing, as they expanded farmers’ customer base. Farmers implementing the store-distributed food box were sensitive to market trends and customer needs in choosing pickup location. Farmers seemed more concerned with marketing in convenience store settings, and finding efficient ways to conduct recordkeeping than with delivery distances.

scholarly journals Factors associated with continued participation in a matched monetary incentive programme at local farmers’ markets in low-income neighbourhoods in San Diego, California

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (15) ◽  
pp. 2786-2795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda R Ratigan ◽  
Suzanne Lindsay ◽  
Hector Lemus ◽  
Christina D Chambers ◽  
Cheryl AM Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Diet Quality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Pacific Islander ◽  
Monetary Incentive ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Asian Pacific Islander ◽  
Asian Pacific

AbstractObjectiveThe Farmers’ Market Fresh Fund Incentive Program is a policy, systems and environmental intervention to improve access to fresh produce for participants on governmental assistance in the USA. The current study examined factors associated with ongoing participation in this matched monetary incentive programme.DesignRelationship of baseline factors with number of Fresh Fund visits was assessed using Poisson regression. Mixed-effects modelling was used to explore changes in consumption of fruits and vegetables and diet quality.SettingSan Diego, California.SubjectsRecipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) who attended participating farmers’ markets from 2010 to 2012 (n 7298).ResultsAmong those with participation for ≤6 months, factors associated with increased visits included reporting more daily servings of fruits and vegetables (F&V) at baseline, being Vietnamese or Asian/Pacific Islander, and eligibility because of SNAP/CalFresh or SSI (v. WIC). Among those who came for 6–12 months, being Asian/Pacific Islander, eligibility because of SNAP/CalFresh and enrolling in the autumn, winter or spring were associated with a greater number of Fresh Fund visits. Among those who came for >12 months, being male and eligibility because of SSI were associated with a greater number of visits. Overall, the odds of increasing number of servings of F&V consumed increased by 2 % per month, and the odds of improved perception of diet quality increased by 10 % per month.ConclusionsSustaining and increasing Fresh Fund-type programme operations should be a top priority for future policy decisions concerning farmers’ market use in low-income neighbourhoods.

Determining marketing costs and returns in alternative marketing channels

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shermain D. Hardesty ◽  
Penny Leff
Keyword(s):  
Direct Marketing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Marketing Channels ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Labor Costs ◽  
Marketing Practice ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
Marketing Costs

AbstractDirect marketing is a popular marketing practice among smaller producers in the United States. We conducted detailed case studies of three organic farming operations of different sizes and compared their marketing costs and profitability in alternative marketing channels. We classified marketing-related activities into three categories: packing and storage, transportation, and selling and administration. By measuring the costs for labor, purchased goods and services, and capital assets associated with these marketing activities, we determined that there are significant variations in marketing costs across marketing channels. For each of our three case-study farms, marketing costs per dollar of revenue were lowest in the wholesale channel and highest in the farmers' market channel. Significant labor costs for the selling activity and transportation expenses offset the higher prices and minimal packaging costs associated with farmers' markets. Profitability can also be significantly affected by marketing factors, such as packing and grading standards, and product that is used for sampling and consumer premiums. Our research demonstrates that the higher prices that producers earn from direct marketing rather than wholesaling are not pure profit; the price premiums are compensation for the costs they incur when direct marketing their produce. Direct marketing channels, such as farmers' markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), can enable smaller farmers to build financially viable operations, by gaining access to markets, growing their farming operations and reducing their marketing risk. However, to achieve this success, farmers must manage their marketing costs as well as their production costs.

scholarly journals The impact of financial incentives on SNAP transactions at mobile produce markets

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pasquale E. Rummo ◽  
Reece Lyerly ◽  
Jennifer Rose ◽  
Yelena Malyuta ◽  
Eliza Dexter Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Offering financial incentives promotes increases in fruit and vegetable purchases in farmers’ markets and supermarkets. Yet, little is understood about whether food-insecure adults purchase more fruits and vegetables as a result of receiving financial incentives in mobile produce market settings. Methods In 2018–2019, Food on the Move provided a 50% discount to customers using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase fruit and vegetables from 16 market locations in Rhode Island (n = 412 market occasions). We used mixed multivariable linear regression to estimate the difference in total dollar sales per transaction per month between SNAP transactions and non-SNAP transactions. We also estimated the difference in out-of-pocket dollar sales per transaction per month between SNAP and non-SNAP transactions, less the 50% discount. This reflects the actual amount spent on fresh fruits and vegetables purchased per visit. In both models, we controlled for the number of market sites per month, with fixed effects for quarter and year. We estimated random intercept variance for date of transaction and market site to adjust for clustering. Results In 2018–2019, the majority of market transactions (total n = 13,165) were SNAP transactions [n = 7.988 (63.0%)]. On average, customers spent $17.38 (SD = 16.69) on fruits and vegetables per transaction per month. However, customers using SNAP benefits spent significantly more on FVs per transaction per month [$22.01 (SD = 17.97)] compared to those who did not use SNAP benefits [9.81 (SD = 10.68)] (β = $10.88; 95% CI: 10.18, 11.58). Similarly, out-of-pocket dollar sales per SNAP transaction per month (i.e., less the 50% discount) were significantly higher [$11.42 (SD = 9.44)] relative to non-SNAP transactions [$9.40 (SD = 9.33)] (β = $1.85; 95% CI: 1.44, 2.27). Conclusions Financial incentives contributed to higher fruit and vegetable purchases among low-income customers who shop at mobile produce markets by making produce more affordable. Higher spending on fruits and vegetables may promote healthy diet behaviors and reduce chronic disease risk among food-insecure adults.

scholarly journals An examination of adaptations of direct marketing channels and practices by Maryland fruit and vegetable farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Grace Bachman ◽  
Sara Lupolt ◽  
Mariya Strauss ◽  
Ryan Kennedy ◽  
Keeve Nachman
Keyword(s):  
Driving Forces ◽  
Direct Marketing ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Marketing Channels ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Vegetable Farmers

This study explores the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Maryland stay-at-home order on fruit and vegetable farmers in Maryland. Focusing on farms’ direct-to-consumer marketing channels, we aim to characterize the diversity of farm responses and identify practices that facilitated adaptation. This research is grounded in the socio-ecological systems framework, which emphasizes the interconnection between social and ecological systems and characterizes the dual-driving forces that impact food producers and their livelihood. The study team conducted interviews with 20 Maryland farm owners/managers who grow and sell produce. The semistructured interviews includ­ed questions relating to production practices, sales and marketing, and resilience. The interviewer fol­lowed up with probes to understand the dimen­sions of response diversity and adaptive capacity. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and responses were analyzed using the framework approach. In the context of a global pandemic, community supported agriculture (CSA), farmers markets, and pick-your-own channels provided a high degree of stability and financial security. No farmer reported relying solely on intermediated markets (e.g., restaurants, grocery stores, institu­tions). Distribution channels that incorporated an online marketplace offering prepacked pre-orders were a notable strength of highly adaptive Mary­land produce farmers. Farmers reported that expanding established CSAs was an important method for reallocating produce originally intended to be sold to reduced/terminated marketing chan­nels. Common challenges among farmers included increased administrative workload, concerns asso­ciated with raising food prices during a crisis, and environmental concerns about the use of additional packaging. We describe a range of adaptive behav­iors that aided farmers in withstanding shocks.

scholarly journals Lockdown farmers markets in Bengaluru: Direct marketing activities and potentials for rural-urban linkages in the food system

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Neda Yousefian ◽  
M. Soubadra Devy ◽  
K. Geetha ◽  
Christoph Dittrich
Keyword(s):  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Food System ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
Direct Marketing ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
City Region ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Telephone Surveys ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Media Reports

Rural-urban linkages are vital elements in a sustain­able food system. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, supply chains were disrupted and fear of infection impacted food shopping decisions, push­ing consumers to seek local and safer options for procuring fresh produce. Direct marketing arose as a promising alternative for both consumers and producers. We undertook a study in Bengaluru, India, in order to understand what direct marketing activities have unfolded with the COVID-19 pan­demic. Media reports highlighted the plight of farmers struggling to market their harvest during lockdown as well as the farm to fork initiatives and lockdown farmers markets that have been created as a response. We see this moment as an opportu­nity to develop Bengaluru’s food system to be more sustainable, specifically through the City Region Food System framework. This study conducted online and telephone surveys with both consumers and producers in Bengaluru to explore the elements of supply and demand that have fos­tered and hindered direct marketing schemes. We found that consumers are interested in sourcing fruits and vegetables directly from farmers, but communi­cation and logistics between consumers and pro­ducers are major hindrances. Although producers are diversifying their marketing strate­gies, they need to be implemented at economically viable scales to ensure long-term success. We find that the role of technology, specifically messaging apps, can streamline direct marketing activities and remove the barriers that currently hamper rural-urban linkages. Further­more, existing community and farmer organiza­tions have the size and scale to make direct marketing schemes a worthy endeavor for both consumers and producers.

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