Implementation of a Farmers Market Incentive Program in Maryland: Perspectives from Vendors

Abstract

A number of farmers markets have begun to offer matching incentive programs as a way to increase access to fresh foods for low-income families and increase sales among vendors. However, research evaluating the implementation of these programs is limited. This process evaluation study employed a qualitative approach, interviewing vendors (n=19) selling at four farmers markets in Maryland to understand the barriers and facilitators to implementing the Maryland Market Money program. Overall, vendors reported positive attitudes toward the incentive program. Interviewed vendors identified key facilitators such as ease of implementation and positive social and economic impact of the program for participants and themselves. Vendors also discussed barriers, which included a lack of understanding among customers about how the program operated, poor program promotion, and lack of educational materials. Some vendors described nega-Funding Disclosure This research was supported by funding from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and a cooperative agreement between the Maryland Farmers Market Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service. Training support for AAH was provided by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future-Lerner Fellowship. The funders had no role in the design, analysis, or writing of this manuscript.

Toward a framework for assessing managerial intentions: A review of support for market managers’ engagement with nutrition incentive programs

“…Farmers market managers in the United States increasingly leverage federal funds to offer Supple-mental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)based incentive programs (SBIPs) to help resourcelimited shoppers afford fresh fruits and vegetables (FFVs) at local markets through price matching (Misiaszek et al, 2020). While there are a variety of nutrition incentive program models, many adopt the "Double Up" framework practiced by early incentive pilot programs (Durward et al, 2018).…”

“…This collective emphasis skew is expected, considering that SNAP shoppers are the end-state subjects of incentive interventions. As the nutrition incentive field advances, however, researchers and practitioners alike are recognizing the importance of exploring the views of farmers, vendors, and market managers relative to their general attitudes towards SBIPs and their perceptions of the barriers that engagement with SBIPs presents (Misiaszek et al, 2020;Payne et al, 2013). Market managers remain an under-researched subpopulation despite the critical role they play in the success and sustainability of SBIPs at markets (Hasin & Smith, 2018).…”