Comparing farmers' market revenue trends before and after the implementation of a monetary incentive for recipients of food assistance.
BACKGROUND
We examined the influence of an intervention to increase fruit and vegetable purchases at farmers' markets for recipients of food assistance, Shop N Save (SNS), on revenue trends at a farmers' market located at a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in rural South Carolina. We compared revenue trends for 20 weeks before the intervention (2011) and 20 weeks after (2012).


METHODS
SNS provided one $5 monetary incentive per week to customers spending $5 or more in food assistance at the farmers' market. SNS was available to any farmers' market customer using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and/or Senior or WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers. Sales receipts were recorded for each transaction at the farmers' market to document payment type and the cost of the purchase. All SNS participants completed a one-time enrollment survey.


RESULTS
A total of 336 customers self-enrolled in SNS from June through October 2012. Most SNS participants were female, African American, and patients at the FQHC. In total, the use of all forms of food assistance (SNAP, WIC, and FMNP) at the farmers' market increased significantly after the intervention (from 10% before, to 25% after, P = .003). Senior FMNP vouchers and SNAP usage increased the most.


CONCLUSIONS
Interventions that provide incentives to recipients of food assistance programs at farmers' markets are a viable strategy for increasing food assistance usage and revenue.
Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods, BioEnterprise Bldg, Rm 443, 11000 Cedar Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106. Dr Freedman is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, and the University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. E-mail: daf96@case.edu.
Darcy A
DA
Freedman
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
Amy
A
Mattison-Faye
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
Kassandra
K
Alia
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
M Aaron
MA
Guest
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
James R
JR
Hébert
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D063105:Food Assistance / Q000191:economics*; D005638:Fruit / Q000191:economics; D006078:Government Programs; D015438:Health Behavior; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011204:Poverty Areas; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012424:Rural Population; D057566:Self Report; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables / Q000191:economics