The Produce Market Project | Community Tool Box

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The City of Pontiac is located within Oakland County, Michigan with 36.6% of residents below poverty level, and 80% of school children eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Pontiac is plagued with health disparities in the leading causes of death such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. These disparities are associated with poor nutrition and low physical activity.

In 2011, the Healthy Pontiac, We Can (HPWC) coalition, organized and facilitated by Oakland County Health Division (OCHD), conducted a resident survey to understand barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption. Sixty-two percent identified cost, lack of accessibility, variety, and quality of produce as barriers.

To increase fruit/vegetable intake within Pontiac, HPWC developed a year-round, weekly produce market in 2013 that accepts SNAP/EBT. This market is networked with a similar produce market started in 2009 at a local church. On-site nutrition education and bi-lingual marketing compliment the multi-level intervention at both sites.

Photo of Mushrooms, Avocados, Sweet and White Potatoes

Mushrooms, Avocados, Sweet and White Potatoes

Photo of Enjoying Free Samples at the Market

Enjoying Free Samples at the Market

Photo of Produce at Free Samples at the Market

Produce and Free Samples at the Market

Summary of Taking Action

Assessment:
In 2011, HPWC conducted a Pontiac resident survey (111 adults) to understand barriers to accessing and consuming fruits/vegetables. Results were:
• 19% don’t purchase fruits/vegetables at a grocery store
• 12% indicated that it was difficult or very difficult to get to a store that offers a variety of fruits/vegetables
• 62% identified barriers to purchasing fruits/vegetables including cost and lack of accessibility, variety, and quality of produce
In 2012, church market customers were surveyed to determine education topics that would assist them in increasing their fruit/vegetable intake. Requests were:
• Education on staying on a budget with healthy meal planning (68%)
• Demonstration and recipes on using fresh fruits/vegetables sold at the market (61%)
• Talking about healthy eating with a dietician or health educator (54%)
• Quick healthy recipes (26%)
• Education on how to prepare healthy items, like vegetables or whole grains (22%)

Results helped strategize solutions and determined nutrition lessons offered at market locations.

Planning:
The HPWC coalition’s mission is to increase healthy eating, physical activity, and tobacco-free living and create a vibrant community that supports healthy lifestyles for all. OCHD organized the coalition in spring of 2011 after receiving a planning grant from Michigan Department of Community Health. Currently, 40 community organizations are coalition members; providing a forum for partnership building and community input.
Since 2011, HPWC has successfully engaged the community in conducting community assessments, developing action plans, and implementing high-impact strategies that increase access to healthy eating opportunities and safe places for physical activity. 4
Produce Market Project - HPWC
Based on assessment results, the coalition developed healthy eating strategies to increase availability and intake of affordable fruits and vegetables by:
• Launching weekly, year round, produce markets that accept EBT/SNAP benefits
• Offering tailored nutrition education sessions on-site at the produce markets
• Offering culturally competent promotion and education to bi-lingual communities

Taking Action:
Availability of affordable fruits and vegetables has increased since developing a weekly produce market that accepts EBT/SNAP benefits at Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA) in 2013. OLHSA provides in-kind support to sustain purchasing, selling, and record keeping necessary to successfully sustain the market.

This market was modeled after the All Saints Episcopal Church Market, established in 2009, that utilizes a volunteer process to maintain their business model. In 2014, HPWC began assisting All Saints with outreach to the neighboring Hispanic community through bi-lingual volunteers and promotion.

HPWC collectively markets availability of these markets, creating a unique healthy food access network. On the individual level, this project increases intake of fruits/vegetables through nutrition education held at the two weekly produce markets that focuses on identification of fruits and vegetables, preparation, preferences, and cooking skills. This multi-level approach increases the likelihood of sustained behavior change within the community.

Evaluation:

The HPWC Market Project was assessed through tracking process measures and direct surveys with customers on-site. Through these processes, HPWC reported the following for 2014:

• Amount of produce sold

• All Saints: over $18,000 or almost 30,000 pounds of food, 35 – 40 customers per week

• OLHSA: $2,060.34

• Number of customers receiving on-site education at All Saints: 76

• Number of customers receiving on-site education at OLHSA: 55

• Average daily fruit intake of on-site education participants: Average 3.1 servings

• Average daily vegetable intake of on-site education participants: Average 3.1 servings

Since 2012, HPWC regularly seeks feedback from Pontiac residents, using multiple approaches:

• Surveys to assess marketing, requested produce selection, fruit/vegetable intake, and desired nutrition education topics available on-site.

• Focus groups feedback on marketing materials and channels.

• Interviews to assess what residents do to be healthy, and what is needed from the community to be healthy.

Sustaining the Work:
Many HPWC partners involved in the Produce Market Project provide their time/resources as in-kind support, demonstrating commitment to market sustainability. A partnership with Oakland County’s Small Business Development Center (OCSBDC) is a key strategy to increase market sustainability. They have provided direct technical assistance to each market’s manager on business development topics of need. In addition, OCSBDC analyzed neighborhoods surrounding both produce markets to create future effective marketing efforts that can be tailored to the nearby population.
Oakland County Health Division provides substantial in-kind staffing and related support to assist HPWC efforts and significantly assists the produce markets through technical assistance, marketing and leveraging of grant funding.
The success of the OLHSA market demonstrates that this market model can be replicated in other locations with dedicated resources. Each market has tailored the model to fit their organization to increase sustainability.

Impact/Results

The Produce Market Project increased access and availability of affordable fruits and vegetables in Pontiac. This project has increased market patron’s intake of fruits and vegetables, complimented by on-site SNAP Education funded nutrition education sessions that focus on identifying fruits and vegetables, preparation, preferences, and cooking skills. There was a 47% increase in fruit consumption and a 35% increase in vegetable consumption for participants who attended nutrition education sessions. This multi-level approach increases the likelihood of sustained behavior change in the target population.

The Produce Market Project has demonstrated impact through increases in the amount of produce sold, the number of customers visiting the market, participation in nutrition education, and improvements in the reported consumption of fruits and vegetables. Eighty-six percent of surveyed produce market customers reported traveling less than 5 miles to one of the local produce markets, indicating an increased availability of healthy foods directly for Pontiac residents.

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