Local Foods

The Perks of Scaling Up

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Spring greens, onions, strawberries, and more! With the arrival of June, it’s officially farmers’ market season in Northeast Ohio and Ohio State University (OSU) Extension Cuyahoga County is gearing up for another season of offering Produce Perks at local farmers’ markets.

The Produce Perks program offers Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers a dollar-for-dollar match, doubling their purchasing power at participating farmers’ markets, farm stands, CSAs, and mobile markets. For every dollar a SNAP customer spends at a participating farmers’ market or farm stand using an Ohio Direction Card, they receive a free additional dollar, referred to as a “Produce Perk,” to use to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Produce Perks allows low-income customers the opportunity to purchase more healthy, locally-grown produce.

The Produce Perks program was piloted in Cuyahoga County in 2010 by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition and is implemented locally by OSU Extension. Produce Perks is now Ohio’s statewide nutrition incentive program, guided by the Ohio Nutrition Incentive Network (OH-NIN).

The Ohio Nutrition Incentive Network

Prior to 2015, regions across Ohio operated independent nutrition incentive programs. In 2015, Wholesome Wave, a national non-profit, received a USDA-FINI grant to build the capacity of nutrition incentive programming in Ohio (among 19 other states).  Over the course of the three years, regional programs came together to form the Ohio Nutrition Incentive Network and to expand and operate one statewide nutrition incentive program, Produce Perks.

OH-NIN is made up of the following organizations:

  • Countryside Conservancy
  • Farmers Market Association of Toledo
  • Farmers Market Management Network
  • Ohio Department of Health
  • Ohio Grocers Association
  • Ohio State University Extension, Cuyahoga County
  • Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods, Case Western Reserve University
  • Produce Perks Midwest
  • Wholesome Wave

The formation of this network has provided many perks (pun intended)! One perk has been increased support for local and statewide marketing through new or expanded partnerships with agencies such as Ohio Department of Jobs and Families Services. In addition, with Support from Wholesome Wave and Ohio Department of Health, Produce Perks Midwest has been able to test innovative marketing tactics to help guide outreach efforts. Scaling up has also provided the benefit of increased funding; most notably, OH-NIN was awarded funding from Ohio Department of Health funding to implement Produce Perks across the state in 2018. To learn more about the statewide program impacts in 2017, click here.

Increasing the Match

As of May 1st, OH-NIN increased the match offered through the Produce Perks program to $20. This increase has doubled the SNAP incentive match offered in Cuyahoga County in previous years. OSU Extension and participating farmers’ markets in the county are elated; increasing the match was something we’ve wanted to do for years, but the ability to do so only became possible through the formation and success of OH-NIN. Cuyahoga County saw an increase in demand for incentives and fresh produce immediately after increasing the cap on the matching dollars offered. While most of our farmers’ markets don’t open until June, we have three farmers’ markets in the county that are open year round. When comparing data for May of 2017 and May 2018, North Union Farmers’ Market at Shaker Square has seen a 76% increase in SNAP sales and 104% increase in Produce Perks incentive distribution, increasing sales for small to mid-sized farms. We anticipate seeing similar trends at all markets in the County as the season takes off.

How to Join OH-NIN

In 2018, Produce Perks will be offered at 84 farmers’ markets, farm stands, mobile markets, and CSAs in 20 counties across Ohio.  The Produce Perks program will also be offered at a select number of grocery retail sites.

OH-NIN is looking to expand its network of participating locations. Any farmers’ markets, farm stands, or CSAs interested in offering Produce Perks can complete an application found here. Ideally, new sites applying to join OH-NIN would be SNAP authorized by the USDA and have accepted SNAP/EBT for a minimum of one year. However, those are not hard requirements and OH-NIN can provide technical assistance for SNAP authorization and accepting EBT.

If your organization is interested in supporting the work of OH-NIN through partnerships, promotion, or advocacy, please send an email to info@produceperks.org

Amanda OsborneTo learn more about SNAP at farmers’ markets, Produce Perks, and OH-NIN contact Amanda Osborne, County Extension Educator in Cuyahoga County.

All Things Community Development in Clermont County

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WOW! What can one get into just six months into a brand new CD position in Clermont County? As one of two ‘seeded’ CD positions in Ohio, I have learned the answer to that question and it is a great deal of excitement!

local-foods-2016-09-22After a very engaging and successful Ohio Local Foods week in August, there was a variety of interest expressed in pursuing a center for small business owners to collaborate within Clermont County. As envisioned, this center would incorporate an incubator kitchen for cottage foods producers and other locally sourced value-added products to supply a wide variety of market sectors within the agriculture industry of Clermont County. A preliminary working group has been established to facilitate the process. Over the coming weeks the group will research facilities and design after which a larger group of producers and supporters will be convened to expand upon the foundation work and decide on the next steps in this venture.

leadership-2016-09-22Leadership! It is a basic fundamental need for any organization to perform as a well-balanced machine. We have learned from an earlier developed plan of work that addressing the needs of county elected officials is a necessity. Many of the public officials I met with during the first few months in my position confirmed this need. They have asked for education in leadership development, conducting effective meetings, communicating more effectively, and other key areas. Based upon these conversations, the Clermont County Organizational Leadership Academy has been formed. The Academy will allow public officials to build and enhance existing leadership skills and decision-making abilities through their active participation in eight ‘themed’ workshops held monthly. Learn more about the Clermont County Organizational Leadership Academy.

clermont-county-2016-09-22Through early discussions with townships and villages, many officials and community members have expressed an interest in strategic planning and goal setting for their communities. This has added to the growing excitement of expansion and redevelopment of infrastructure throughout Clermont County, and community-based projects of this nature are currently being planned.

I’ve been on the job for only six months, but it has been exciting to see people working together to address opportunities and issues. It is especially satisfying to be part of the process of bringing people together to make their communities better.

To learn more about county-based Community Development programming (Clermont County-style) please contact me, Trevor Corboy, Community Development Program Coordinator at corboy.3@osu.edu. Learn more about all of the educational opportunities and services available to you and your community through Community Development and Ohio State University Extension by visiting your local extension office or find one here.

Trevor Corboy is a Program Coordinator for Community Development in Clermont County (Miami Valley EERA).

A Prescription for Health!

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Doctors in Ohio are now prescribing fresh fruits and vegetables to their patients! Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Programs (FVRx) have been developed across the country with support from Wholesome Wave, a national non-profit focusing on access to and affordability of healthy, local foods in underserved communities. Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Programs are innovative solutions to treating and preventing chronic diet-related disease. These programs aim to connect individuals with diet-related illnesses to healthcare providers and farmers’ markets. The goal: to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, particularly in underserved communities, via access to such foods and the necessary financial support.

FVRx 2016-06-16.fw

Image credit: www.wholesomewave.org/

Produce Prescription (PRx) is a Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program in Cuyahoga County that is implemented through a broad collaboration; participants include Ohio State University Extension-Cuyahoga County, the Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (PRCHN) at Case Western Reserve University, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. Produce Prescription (PRx) in Cuyahoga County now focuses on two populations. PRx was piloted in 2014 to support expectant or new mothers (PRx Moms) and increase healthy birth outcomes. The program was expanded in 2015 to include individuals with hypertension (PRx HTN). In 2016, PRx Moms will serve 200 expectant or new moms, and PRx HTN will serve up to 450 individuals.

How it works:

  1. New or expectant mothers or individuals with hypertension are enrolled by their primary care provider as PRx participants.
  2. A primary care provider meets with participants each month to reinforce the importance of healthy eating and evaluate the patients’ nutrition goals.
  3. The provider distributes PRx vouchers worth $40 to patients during each monthly visit, assesses fruit and vegetable consumption, and tracks health outcomes.
  4. PRx vouchers are redeemed for fresh fruits and vegetables by participants at participating farmers’ markets in Cuyahoga County.
  5. Participants return to their health care provider each month to monitor goals for healthy eating and receive their monthly PRx vouchers throughout the duration of the program.

PRx programming in Cuyahoga County has had profound impacts on both public health and small to mid-sized farmers. In 2015, participants enrolled in PRx HTN increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables by nearly one serving for each and patients reported fewer weekly fast food restaurant visits. In addition, 79% of participants reported trying a new fruit or vegetable. Analysis for the 2015 PRx Moms program is still being conducted. The majority of PRx vouchers in Cuyahoga County are redeemed at 5 of the 29 participating farmers’ market locations. In 2015, over $24,000 worth of PRx vouchers were redeemed at farmers’ markets in Cuyahoga County, significantly benefiting small to mid-sized farms. PRx programming also serves as an education tool for helping Ohio Direction Card recipients learn how to stretch their SNAP dollars at farmers’ markets through the Produce Perks SNAP incentive program.

To learn more about developing a Fruit and Vegetable Prescription program, contact Amanda Osborne, County Extension Educator, Cuyahoga County & Western Reserve EERA, at osborne.414@osu.edu or 216-429-8200 ext. 212.

Feeding the World – One Community at a Time

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“Local Foods”… What does this really mean to residents of Ohio? As Ohioans, it seems we use words like these on a daily basis. But, do we really understand the need? Local Foods can aid in feeding a growing global population, projected to be 9 billion by 2050. We must produce more food in the next 50 years than has been produced in the past 10,000 years combined, all while tillable land is becoming less available.

Local Food 2016-04-14In our ever-changing world, we want the freshest product available with the most economic value. Often, the solution is to meet local producers and buy directly from them. This helps the consumer to not only enjoy local food, but also learn of the economic, nutritional, and social benefits of buying local. Freshness is one of the benefits of Local Foods adding to the experience of the personal connection between growers and producers. According to the 2012 USDA Agricultural Census, Ohio ranks among the top ten states for direct sales to consumers represented by a wide variety of food products. Two resources available in Ohio to aid in the challenge of linking the producer and consumer are: Market Maker and Ohio Proud.

Local foods 2016-04-14Many people are searching for ways to improve their quality of life by eating local food. Consumers now wish to become the producer, not only in the produce sector, but in animal agriculture. This enables the consumer to gain an intimate knowledge of the food source in a hands-on environment. From this there has been an up-turn in economic development strategies to market locally produced foods. Interest groups in many communities aim to increase the accessibility to items for both wholesale and retail customers. These groups are sometimes lacking one essential component… research-based information. OSU Extension is in a position to educate these individuals in raising and growing their own food, as well as in harvesting and storing their food products. This is an excellent opportunity for cross-program collaboration within our system.

In Clermont County, we are especially interested in combining efforts to produce a cohesive change. There are many tools available to aid in this effort. So, contact your local Extension office and get involved in the local foods mission. Be a part of feeding the world today.

(Submitted by Trevor Corboy, Program Coordinator, Clermont County & Miami Valley EERA)

Stretching consumers’ purchasing power at farmers’ markets

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Produce 2016-01-14How do you double consumer purchasing power at your local farmers’ market? Follow the lead of markets in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. They have helped SNAP recipients with a free dollar-for-dollar match for every dollar spent (up to $10) using an Ohio Direction Card. In Cuyahoga County, the SNAP incentive program is referred to as Produce Perks, and the additional match provided can be redeemed for fresh fruits and vegetables.

Such programs provide a variety of community benefits. In Cleveland, many farmers’ markets are located in food deserts, defined as areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious food that are often composed of predominantly lower‐income populations. In these cases, farmers’ markets provide residents with access to fresh, local fruits and vegetables that are often not offered at common shopping destinations, such as corner stores. Incentive programs help SNAP recipients stretch their monthly food budget and promote the consumption of fresh, local fruits and vegetables. In addition to providing community health benefits, incentive programs help support local farmers by providing them with new a customer base and helps to diversify their revenue streams.

To develop an EBT incentive program at your farmers’ market you must first apply for an FNS (Federal Nutrition Services) number through the USDA, which allows the market to accept Ohio Direction cards. After receiving your FNS number, you will be contacted by Market Link to receive free EBT equipment that will be used for swiping Ohio Direction cards at your market. Funds for the incentive match dollars will need to be obtained. Currently, most incentive programs are funded by local private foundations. However, more recently the USDA offers grants under the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive program to support incentive programs. A dedicated market staff member or volunteer will be needed to manage the program and train vendors on item eligibility with tokens, as well as track all SNAP sales for reporting.

Checklist for developing a SNAP Incentive Program:

  • Obtain an FNS number from the USDA
  • Obtain EBT Equipment from USDA/Market Link
  • Secure funding for incentives
  • Develop token system for tracking EBT and incentives
  • Ensure dedicated market staff or volunteer can manage the program
  • Train market vendors about item eligibility with tokens
  • Develop marketing plan for SNAP outreach
  • Track SNAP sales for reporting

To learn more about developing an incentive program at your farmers’ market, contact Amanda Osborne, County Extension Educator, Cuyahoga County & Western Reserve EERA, at osborne.414@osu.edu or 216-429-8200 ext. 212.

Be a local food superhero

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Many of us are familiar with TED talks, the now ubiquitous storytelling venue that has attracted over a billion viewers to thousands of talks worldwide. In the 1990s, their “ideas worth spreading” mission led to granting independent licenses called TEDx events, often hosted by cities, universities or non-profits. Once the talks are published online, they become tools that can make impacts in our community development work. A TED talk (or any well-done, brief, online YouTube video) can be used to jumpstart a conversation on job creation, our environment, our health, our future or virtually any topic we may be teaching.

TEDxDaytonOn October 17, 2014, I presented a TEDx talk to nearly 1,100 people at the historic Victoria Theatre in downtown Dayton, Ohio. The talk was entitled, “Be a Local Food Superhero.” My original aim was to inspire attendees, their friends and families to get more involved in supporting local farms and economies by purchasing local foods… noting that they could become virtual superheroes by making simple, deliberate choices in their food purchasing habits.

As I began to think about our work in community development, I quickly realized Extension workers can become local food superheroes as well. Aside from personally participating in the purchase and consumption of local goods, we can use our teaching and partnership platforms to encourage diverse programming around local foods, food security, food justice and a myriad of other food-related topics regardless of our individual program area focus.

The local foods idea cuts across all four program areas and spans rural, suburban and urban populations. Whether serving as youth educators, in agriculture, community development or family and consumer sciences, the opportunities are there. Extension workers have immense potential to positively impact local food consumption through their work. As noted in the talk, the social, community, personal health, environmental and economic impacts are not manipulated statistics. The added value comes through a collective impact. And collective impact can change our world.

The talk was published on January 12, 2015 and may be seen online at: u.osu.edu/raison/local-food/.

(Submitted by Brian Raison, Assistant Professor and County Extension Educator & County Extension Director, Miami County/Top of Ohio EERA)

Extension in the City: focusing on city priorities

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Cities are booming. All across the United States, as well as the world, the urban population continues to grow at historic rates. Currently, 80% of Americans live in an area defined as “urban,” the same as Ohio. Over half of the people in Ohio live in the ten most populated counties, and even larger proportions of people are economically contingent on these urban areas. This creates peculiar urban-suburban-rural dependencies. The connection between these areas leads to an interesting network for Extension programming. Extension is traditionally known as an agricultural-based organization that operates mostly in rural areas, but tries to take a different, more applicable approach when working in urban areas.

Extension in the CityWith 11.5 million residents, Ohio is the seventh most populated state in the nation. Ohio’s six largest cities are Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron and Dayton. Ohio’s ten most populated counties are Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Summit, Montgomery, Lucas, Stark, Butler, Lorain and Mahoning.

To reach more residents in Ohio’s largest cities, four primary working groups have emerged in Extension to focus on different city priorities. These areas of focus were identified through conversations with various stakeholder groups, supported through campus and national networks, and approached through multi-disciplinary teams and resources. The groups collaborate and discuss programming barriers they face in their cities, as well as new ways to address these issues. While every city in Ohio is unique, these working groups assist one another in more effectively impacting their area of focus.

  • Food & Agriculture in the City: Ohio communities are making the production, processing, distribution, preparation and celebration of food a catalyst for urban neighborhood redevelopment.
  • Health and Wellness in the City: Extension empowers Ohioans with the knowledge, skills and tools needed to make healthy choices, creating healthy people with healthy relationships and healthy finances at every stage of life.
  • 4-H Youth Development in the City: The OSU Extension 4-H Youth Development programming offers educational opportunities in a variety of settings for youth ages 5–19, catering to urban audiences.
  • Sustainable Cities: Extension specialists work with city leaders on economic, environmental and social drivers that impact life in the city.

As these working groups are creating ways to more efficiently reach potential participants, efforts are also being made to better equip our educators in urban areas with tools to reach more people. The goal is to provide them with ways to make their programs more applicable to residents in the cities where they work, as well as facilitating professional development to ensure they are being excellent ambassadors of The Ohio State University, the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and OSU Extension.

To learn more, visit cityextension.osu.edu. This is an emerging effort and your comments, suggestions and participation are all welcomed. If you think you would like to join the OSU Extension in the City team as a core, affiliate/working group or informational member, please feel free to contact James Stiving (stiving.3@osu.edu) or Julie Fox (fox.264@osu.edu).

(Submitted by James Stiving, Program Assistant, Extension in the City/Central Region Office and Julie Fox, Associate Professor, Associate Chair, Director of Central Region and OSU Extension in the City)

More healthful foods through Cuyahoga County’s “Double Value Produce Perks” program

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Accessible and affordable healthful foods are a critical first step in good nutrition. To help make locally produced foods available to underserved communities in Cuyahoga County, a “Double Value Produce Perks” (Produce Perks) initiative was developed by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition. The coalition, initiated by OSU Extension and Case Western Reserve University, sponsored a program that offered incentive dollars to customers that used an Ohio Direction Card to purchase food.

Produce Perks Tokens

Photo credit: Amy Thompson

Last year, this program involved 18 farmers’ markets and two farm stands throughout Cuyahoga County and it worked like this:

A customer wishing to use their food assistance benefits could swipe their Ohio Direction Card at a central terminal, located at any of the 20 participating locations’ information booths, and ask to withdraw a desired amount. The market or farm stand would then provide tokens for the transaction in addition to Produce Perks that could be spent on fruits and vegetables. The incentive was a dollar-for-dollar match on every dollar spent (up to $10) using an Ohio Direction Card.

Program highlights from 2014 show promise for continued expansion into 2015. For example:

  • The Double Value Produce Perks EBT Incentive program grew to 20 farmers’ markets and farm stands.
  • One hundred eighty women and their families redeemed $3,920 in vouchers, enabling them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
  • EBT sales surpassed 2013 totals, reaching over $39,000.
  • Additionally, Produce Perks brought 260 new food assistance customers to farmers’ markets for the first time.
  • A new aspect of Produce Perks, the Produce Prescription program, was expanded to connect mothers and pregnant women to local farmers’ markets.

For more information on this program or to learn more about initiating a local food policy coalition, please contact Nico Boyd or go to cccfoodpolicy.org/.

 

(Submitted by Nico Boyd, Program Coordinator, Cuyahoga County & Western Reserve EERA)

People First. Employment First. A Promising Model Unfolds.

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People with disabilities are the nation’s largest minority and cross all racial, gender, educational and socioeconomic lines. Throughout history, people with disabilities have been subject to prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination. These experiences have occurred in many venues, especially in the workplace. In a recent study (Mansour, 2009), 40% of people with disabilities have said they have encountered job discrimination, and 33% have reported encountering “unfavorable attitudes” while on the job. For individuals who experience developmental disabilities, these negative realities coupled with high rates of unemployment and underemployment often result in isolation, exclusion and feelings of not being valued.

Cleveland CropsHowever, progress has been made over the past several decades to improve legislation, policy, practice and attitudes for individuals with disabilities so that they might have better access to integrated and competitive (community) employment. In Ohio, the Governor’s Employment First initiative furthers this vision of community employment for individuals with developmental disabilities by creating a new culture that values every person as having abilities, skills and talents to enrich communities and providing them opportunities to explore career options and seek jobs that fit their skills and interests. An integral component to this new culture is assuring that relevant training and education exists to prepare individuals with developmental disabilities for their desired careers and available jobs. In Greater Cleveland, where traditional sources of employment for people with disabilities are shrinking rapidly, entrepreneurial ventures in the booming local foods and urban agriculture movement hold much promise in providing hands-on training and creating new jobs in the community. Cleveland Crops is one such example of this promising model.

The Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities, along with its nonprofit affiliate, SAW, Inc., and with support and technical assistance from Ohio State University Extension, has turned to entrepreneurship as a new avenue for community employment opportunities for nearly 100 of the Board’s adult consumers, many of whom have struggled to find meaningful, integrated jobs. Cleveland Crops is an agriculture and food processing training and employment program designed to create innovative work opportunities and new career choices for adults with developmental disabilities. Through the development of several urban farms and a 5,000 square foot Food Innovation Center that supports consumers in producing food products and co-packing for others, Cleveland Crops is an entrepreneurial and promising model in achieving the goals of the Employment First initiative by providing training and education on the skills needed for jobs (community employment) within the robust, local food economy. Its integrated approach of learning in the community is also significant in fostering inclusion and valuing diversity as a positive influence.

Click here to learn more about Cleveland Crops.

(Submitted by Marie Barni, Program Director – CD and County Extension Director, Cuyahoga County & Western Reserve EERA)

2014 eXtension Food Security Conference

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“Can you believe vegetables are growing in the shadow of an urban high-rise apartment building?”

“I will be more deliberate in including community members—particularly those whose voices are often omitted—in the early, developmental phases of my Extension educational outreach and programming.”

Overview:

Food Security Conference 2014 - reducedThese thoughts are from two participants of the USDA AFRI funded Food Security Conference hosted by the eXtension Community, Local & Regional Food Systems Community of Practice (CLRFS eCoP) and held in downtown Cleveland, September 29 – October 1, 2014. The conference included 104 Extension educators, researchers and community partners from Land Grant Universities and local non-profit organizations from 23 states. Since 2012, this group has grown to become the fourth largest eCoP among nearly 80 in eXtension’s nationwide system.

Key conference goals included:

  • positioning food security as a priority in food system research and practice
  • enhancing Extension’s capacity to work on food security and food systems
  • bringing together University and Extension workers with community food system practitioners to address core competencies for professionals engaged in this work

It also sought to align University research priorities with community needs and to train Food Systems Extension professionals of the future. The breakout sessions focused on skill development, aligning research, developing understandings among the local and regional food system community and building the capacity and value proposition of the CLRFS eCoP. The Cleveland location allowed participants to gain experiential knowledge via urban agriculture tours and conversations with the growers and food security practitioners in the region.

The conference keynote plenary session targeted the role racism plays in food security in America. The CLRFS eCoP identified the need to build Extension’s capacity to address food security through new lenses as a critical initiative for the group. Trainers from The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond led attendees through a training session on “Undoing Racism in Our Food Security Work.” Conference participants were challenged to define racism and its implications for society and to consider how their work might unwittingly contribute or further injustice in the food system.

Click here to read the full article, including descriptions of the urban ag tour stops and links to additional coverage.

The conference was made possible by eXtension and a grant from the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).

(Submitted by: Brian Raison, Assistant Professor and County Extension Educator, Miami County and Top of Ohio EERA / Co-leader, eXtension Community, Local & Regional Food Systems Community of Practice.)