Newsletter of the EBT Farmers’ Market Nutrition Promotion Project
August 2007
This project, funded by the Network for a Healthy California of the CA Dept of Health Services, promotes nutrition education to EBT card users at CA Farmers’ Markets so that more people will use their EBT cards at Farmers’ Markets to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. In the past, we assisted Farmers’ Markets in starting EBT redemption systems. We are now focusing on nutrition education and promoting eligible Farmers’ Markets already accepting EBT cards. For more information, ideas, past newsletters, signs, posters, and contacts, check our website at www.ecologycenter.org/ebt. Please note that this website is still in the process of being updated. This periodic newsletter is distributed to people involved or interested in EBT nutrition education at California Farmers’ Markets. If you would like to be added to or taken off the newsletter distribution list, please send an email to Linda at linda@ecologycenter.org and let us know. We also welcome short contributions for future newsletters, such as announcements, articles, updates, resources, or photos from a successful promotional event at your market.
In this issue:
Project Updates More EBT Nutrition Promotion Ideas for Farmers’ Markets Nutrition Network is now the Network for a Healthy California Updated List of CA Farmers’ Markets that Accept EBT Farmers’ Market EBT Redemption Update Contact Us
Project Updates
Berkeley Farmers’ Market breaks its own EBT redemption record after postering and flyering neighborhood. Since last March, when our project assisted the Berkeley Farmers’ Market in postering and flyering their market neighborhoods, EBT redemption at the Berkeley Farmers’ Market has broken last year’s record each month. For example, last March, $1296 was redeemed, while $620 was redeemed in March 2006 and $491 was redeemed in March 2005. School Flyer Design completed. We have completed design of a new flyer to be distributed to parents through school parent packets that encourage parents to buy fruits and vegetables at their local farmers’ market with their EBT card. Farmers’ Markets have the option of including a coupon on these flyers. If you would like your market to participate, or for further info, contact Linda Langan at (510) 409-0477 or linda@ecologycenter.org. New Carson High School Farmers’ Market and new Watts Farmers’ Market in Los Angeles. Hunger Action Los Angeles (HALA), our Southern California Area Coordinator, participated in a nutrition kick-off events for both the new Carson High School Farmers’ Market and the new Watts Farmers’ Market in Los Angeles, both of which accept EBT. The Carson
High School Farmers’ Market is located right on campus and promises to provide many nutrition education opportunities for low-income students and families who use EBT. Community Health Fairs and Education. In Los Angeles, HALA has conducted cooking demos and EBT Farmers’ Market nutrition outreach at several WIC offices throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. In the Bay Area, Linda Langan, EBT Project Manager, tabled at two East Oakland Community Health Fairs to promote the East Oakland Farmers’ Market and the Old Oakland Farmers’ Market. She also tabled at Oakland Children’ Hospital for a health fair organized by their HEAL program. She organized kid’s activities and talked to kids and families about buying fresh fruits and vegetables at their own neighborhood farmers’ markets that accept EBT. On Site Farmers’ Market Events. We have set up on-site nutrition education booths at several eligible farmers’ markets throughout the summer to provide nutrition outreach to EBT clients at farmers’ markets. We have conducted nutritional cooking and tasting demos, provided activities for kids, and given out nutrition incentive items and informational brochures and recipes. Some of the Farmers’ Markets we have visited are: La Cienega FM, Santa Ana FM, Carson High FM, Watts FM, Heart of the City FM, Berkeley FM, and East Oakland FM. We have more events planned for this fall. If you are interested in a nutrition booth at your eligible farmers’ market, please call Linda Langan at (510) 409-0477 or email linda@ecologycenter.org.
Project Staff Yolanda James joyously preparing fresh seasonal food at the La Cienega Farmers’ Market in Los Angeles
More EBT Nutrition Promotion Ideas for Farmers’ Markets
This summer and fall, step up your farmers’ market’s EBT Outreach with some of these ideas. For additional ideas and resources, see our website and Network for a Healthy California website: Postering and Flyering. It does take time to go around town putting up posters and flyers, but this method has proven to be effective. Include your market’s location, name, date, and time, and make sure to prominently advertise that the market accepts EBT. Look for locations in your neighborhood frequented by EBT card users, including libraries, community centers, afterschool programs, WIC offices, health clinics, and food banks. The EBT FM Project can assist eligible FMs in putting together a list of local resources and EBT related graphics. Coupons Create a $1 or $2 coupon advertising the fact that your farmers’ market accepts EBT. Coupons can be distributed at local community events, gatherings, flea markets, community centers, kid’s sporting events, and agency offices such as WIC or the food bank. Contact us for coupon ideas. Partner with your local food bank. Food banks usually have an education and outreach coordinator who is eager to help promote EBT usage at farmers’ markets among their clients. Your local food bank might be willing to distribute farmers’ market flyers to their clients. You may also be able to send out a promotional mailing or coupon through your local food bank to all EBT clients in your county. If you need help finding your local food bank, contact Linda Langan or your Area Coordinator. Promote the Farmers’ Market with Monthly Produce Observances. Organize posters, tastings, or events based on monthly produce/food observances. Here are some samples: January: Healthy Weight Week (www.healthyweight.net) February: CA Kiwifuit Day Feb 2nd (www.kiwifruit.org) March: National Nutrition Month (www.eatright.org) April: National Garden Month (www.garden.org) May: National Asparagus Month (www.asparagus.org) June: National Fresh Cherry Week (www.nwcherries.com) July: Blueberry Month (www.blueberry.org) August: National Watermelon Day Aug 3rd (www.holidayinsights.com/other/watermelon.htm) September: National Apple Month (www.waef.org) October: Child Health Month (www.aap.org/advocacy) November: National Allied Health Week (www.asahp.org)
Nutrition Network is now the Network for a Healthy California
The Network for a Healthy California is the new name for the former California Nutrition Network. The Network sponsors the Ecology Center’s EBT Farmers’ Market Nutrition Promotion Project. You may have recently seen billboards and advertisements for their new campaign, called Champions for Change, in the neighborhoods you live and work in.
Updated List of CA Farmers’ Markets Accepting EBT Now Available
An updated list of Farmers’ Markets that accept EBT in California is now available at our website at www.ecologycenter.org/ebt. This list had previously not been updated since 2005. Please look over this list to make sure the information is correct. If there are any errors or corrections, please contact Linda Langan at linda@ecologycenter.org or (510) 409-0477.
Farmers’ Market EBT Redemption Update
Statewide EBT Redemption at Farmers’ Markets continues to rise (graph courtesy of Rob Lautz, CA EBT Project):
There are currently 113 weekly Farmers’ Markets in California accept EBT cards through a scrip system. This graph indicates EBT redemption through Market Scrip systems increasing each year since 2004, and illustrates normal seasonal fluctuations with October being the highest redemption month each year. This upward trend is due both to more farmers’ markets accepting EBT and more people with EBT cards shopping at farmers’ markets.
Contact Us
Linda Langan, Statewide Project Manager and Northern California Coordinator, Ecology Center (510) 548-2220 x226 office; (510) 409-1477 cell; linda@ecologycenter.org Frank Tamborello, Southern California Project Coordinator, Hunger Action Los Angeles (213) 388-8228 frank@hungeractionla.org Edie Jessup, Central Valley Project Coordinator, Fresno Metro Ministry (559) 485-1416 x103 edie@fresnometmin.org