Practice Title: Healthy Farmer's Markets
Department: Tri-County Health Department
Size: Large (Population of 500,000+ people)
State: Colorado
Summary of Practice:
Brief Description of LHD:
Tri-County Health Department (TCHD), Colorado’s largest local health department, is located in the Denver metro area serving Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, which includes 26 municipalities and 1.5 million residents. In Adams County, with a population of 511,469, 49.4% identify as White Non-Hispanic, 40.4% identify as Hispanic, 3.1% identify as African-American and 3.6% identify as Asian. Prevalent health risk issues includes 28.6% of adults and 11.7% of youth are obese, 21.6% of adults and 47.9% of youth do not get physical activity and 13.9% of adults and 34.0% of youth reported poor mental health.[1]
Public Health Issue:
Oftentimes, fresh, healthy foods may not be nearby or affordable, making shoppers choose less nutritious options to feed their families. According to the USDA, food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.[2] In Adams County, 36.0% of children ages 1-14, 17.0% of high school students, 7.7% of pregnant women and 14.3% of adults over 60 years old are currently experiencing food insecurity.[3] Food security disproportionately affects those who are lower income and has negative consequences on the well-being of individuals across the lifespan. According to impact reports from Hunger Free Colorado, 63% of the low-income population in Adams County receives SNAP, with 45,413 individuals receiving program benefits and 26,625 individuals eligible, but not enrolled.[4] Even with federal nutrition assistance programs, accessing healthy food can continue to be a barrier for many individuals dependent upon their built environment and socioeconomic status.
Goals and Objectives:
The TCHD Nutrition Division piloted a Healthy Farmer’s Market (“the Markets”) with local partners, to serve community members of Adams County that are unable to access healthy food resources via a grocery store, farm stand or local market. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, objectives changed in order to establish a socially distant and safe environment, as well as to integrate collection mechanisms to track the dollars spent from various funding streams.
How Practice was Implemented/Activities:
TCHD joined forces with the City of Thornton, community members, Anythink Libraries, the American Heart Association (AHA) and Lulu’s Farm to establish community connections to form a Steering Committee. This grew out of a coalition created with a CDC/National WIC Association (NWA) 2016 grant. TCHD identified a funding opportunity from AHA and led monthly Steering Committee meetings, as the partners worked together to seek additional funding, develop marketing materials, build out social media platforms, approve site plans, identify and engage relevant vendors that fit the model, manage volunteers, and ultimately execute the Markets each summer.
Results/Outcomes:
Three years of dedication to Thornton residents, our reach in the community and accessibility attribute to the success of the Markets. Outcomes of the Markets from expanding to a second location in 2019 include the following:
● The two markets in 2019 reached 4,700 people, while the single market in 2018 reached 1,800 people; this is a 161% increase in participation because of expansion
● SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks transactions reached a 440% increase as there were 38 transactions in 2019 and only seven of these transactions in 2018
● Between the two markets in 2019, 209 WIC coupons were redeemed, which is 809% more than the previous season, which had 32 WIC coupons redeemed
● Cooking Matters had a 300% participation increase with 40 participants in 2019 receiving $10 vouchers to purchase fresh produce compared to the 10 in 2018.
● Public transportation vouchers were provided to those who used it to and from the markets and 22 were dispersed this past season
With accommodations necessary for COVID-19 compliancy, outcomes of the Markets from 2020 include the following:
● 3,617 participants
● $54,991.20 worth of $25 produce vouchers were handed out
● 2,701 produce vouchers were handed out to the following target populations:
○ 1,962 older adults over the age of 55
○ 325 WIC recipients
○ 251 SNAP recipients
○ 163 receive both WIC and SNAP
● 80 public transportation vouchers given to those who used public transportation to attend the Markets
Integration of ArcGIS survey tracking was able to collect these data measures in order to monitor where clients were coming to us from geographically, as well as the amount of dollars spent from COVID CARES funds from the City of Thornton and other grant funding.
Objectives Met:
COVID-19 changed how we were able to provide the service of a farmers market, but the model of the program was able to remain consistent, as fresh food access is a pillar of the Markets success. The primary objective was to be a food resource for the community, while meeting core objectives in order to continue to serve our community.
What specific factors led to the success of this practice:
The implementation of the Markets would not have been possible without the recognition of the importance of food security as a health issue, accessibility of locations and successful collaboration of local partners. All partners possessed a desire and level of readiness to address increasing food security issues that coincided with, and are exacerbated by, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Public Health impact of practice:
The public health impact of the Markets is the capacity to promote health and wellness leading to a decrease in chronic diseases, by engaging its participants to take preventative measures in order to achieve positive health outcomes across generations. The implementation of GIS tracking aids in public health practice, by evaluating program reach in order to identify new community partners for program replicability and sustainability. GIS technology was able to extend program capacity to provide produce boxes in an identified community of need based on spatial analysis data from the Markets participant survey collection. The Markets have improved the knowledge of available resources in an inclusive, community driven, and diverse environment seeking to establish health equity.
Website for your program, or LHD:
https://www.anythinklibraries.org/farmers-markets
https://www.tchd.org/801/Healthy-Farmers-Markets
[1] Source: TCHD Adams County Fact Sheet https://data.tchd.org/reports/Adams_CountyFactsheet_JAN2020_Final.pdf
[2] Source:https://hungerandhealth.feedingamerica.org/understand-food-insecurity/
[3] Source: TCHD Adams County Fact Sheet https://data.tchd.org/reports/Adams_CountyFactsheet_JAN2020_Final.pdf
[4] Source: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yl0zsluc9c30gd7/AAD5YjwTlENXsgjZuZGlRdUka/Large%20Counties?dl=0&preview=Adams+County+-+2019+SNAP+Impact+Rep.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1