Project Grant 20217003035719

OVERVIEW"DOUBLE UP FOR HEALTH: NOURISHING NEW MEXICO THROUGH SNAP INCENTIVES FOR LOCAL FOODS" SEEKS TO INCREASE THE CONSUMPTION OF LOCALLY PRODUCED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FOR LOW-INCOME NEW MEXICANS THROUGH A 65% EXPANSION OF ITS DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS PROGRAM (DOUBLE UP). CARRIED OUT BY THE NEW MEXICO FARMERS' MARKETING ASSOCIATION ALONG WITH NUMEROUS PARTNERS, DOUBLE UP IS THE SINGULAR SNAP INCENTIVE PROGRAM IN THE STATE, PROVIDING DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR INCENTIVES FOR NEW MEXICO GROWN PRODUCE PURCHASED WITH SNAP AT OVER 100 FARMERS' MARKETS, GROCERY STORES, FARM STANDS,VETC. THE VAST MAJORITY OF SNAP PURCHASES WILL BE PRODUCE, AND THE PROJECT BUILDS ON SIX YEARS OF STEADY GROWTH IN ALL AREAS OF THE DOUBLE UP PROGRAM. IT ALSO INTRODUCES NEW KEY ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING:? EXPANDING ELIGIBLE ITEMS TO INCLUDE CANNED, DRIED, FROZEN, AND LIGHTLY PROCESSED NEW MEXICO GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF DOUBLE UP ITEMS YEAR-ROUND AND PROVIDE ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR NM FOOD PRODUCERS? PILOTING FOCUSED INTERVENTIONS IN FOUR TARGETED "DOUBLE DOWN" COMMUNITIES THROUGH CONCENTRATED OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDING A "MARKET AMBASSADOR" PROGRAM, AMPLIFIED DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER MARKETING, AND NEW COMMUNITY PARTNER ENGAGEMENT.? INCREASING AWARENESS AND AVAILABILITY OF DOUBLE UP-ELIGIBLE ITEMS IN GROCERY STORES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF DOUBLE UP-BRANDED MEAL KITS.? TARGETING FAMILIES WITH TEENS/YOUNG ADULTS THROUGH A SOCIAL MEDIA "INFLUENCER" CAMPAIGN.? PROVIDING EXTENSIVE NUTRITION EDUCATION THROUGH OUR GOODFOODNM MOBILE MESSAGING AND WORKING WITH OUTLETS TO EXPLORE ONLINE ORDERING/DELIVERY OPTIONS.THE PROJECT COMES AT A CRITICAL TIME IN WHICH FOOD SECURITY IN NM IS AT AN ALL-TIME LOW. THE PROJECT GIVESTHOSE MOST IN NEED ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD AND PROMOTES ECONOMIC GROWTH BY PUTTING MORE DOLLARS IN THE POCKETS OF LOCAL FARMERS, FOOD PRODUCERS, AND RETAILERS.BACKGROUNDNEW MEXICO'S GREAT ECONOMIC NEED, LONG-HELD AGRICULTURAL TRADITIONS, AND THE FULL SPEND-DOWN OF OUR LAST FINI GRANT PUTS OUR STATE AT A CRITICAL CROSSROADS. WITH ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AND LINGERING EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC AHEAD, NEW MEXICANS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE SUFFERING FROM UNEMPLOYMENT, SAGGING INCOMES, AND FOOD INSECURITY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE POSITIVE CHANGES IN PEOPLES' COOKING AND EATING HABITS, ALONG WITH THE MOMENTUM FOR GROWTH SHOWN OVER SIX SUCCESSFUL YEARS OF DOUBLE UP PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION, MAKE THIS A CRITICAL TIME TO CONTINUE AND EXPAND THE AVAILABILITY OF SNAP INCENTIVES.NEW MEXICO OFTEN APPEARS AT THE BOTTOM OF MANY NATIONAL HEALTH RANKINGS: 50TH IN FOOD INSECURITY, 49TH IN HIGHEST POVERTY LEVEL, 47TH IN UNEMPLOYMENT, AND 40TH IN DIABETES. IT IS NOT SURPRISING, THEREFORE, THAT ITS LOW-INCOME POPULATION IS HIGHLY VULNERABLE TO CHANGES IN THE ECONOMY AND, AS ONE WOULD EXPECT, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS HIT THE STATE HARD. ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY A UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS PROFESSOR, NEW MEXICO WAS ONE OF FIVE STATES WHOSE FOOD INSECURITY LEVELS WERE MOST DRAMATICALLY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC.FURTHER, FEEDING AMERICA PROJECTS THAT IN 2020 THE NUMBER OF NEW MEXICANS EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY HAS INCREASED NEARLY 25% TO 434,570.2 THIS MEANS THAT ONE IN FIVE NEW MEXICANS CURRENTLY DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE ACCESS TO FOOD, AND THAT NOW NEARLY ONE IN THREE (30%) OF CHILDREN SUFFER FROM FOOD INSECURITY.WHILE 2020 WAS DEVASTATING ON THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF MANY NEW MEXICANS, IT WAS AT THE SAME TIME A BANNER YEAR FOR SALES OF LOCAL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AT NM FOOD OUTLETS, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE'S DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS PROGRAM (DOUBLE UP) WHICH PROVIDES DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR INCENTIVES FOR SNAP PURCHASES OF NEW MEXICO-GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AT FARMERS' MARKETS, FARM STANDS, GROCERY STORES, CSAS, AND MOBILE MARKETS. DURING THE LAST YEAR, SNAP AND DOUBLE UP SALES NEARLY DOUBLED, INCREASING FROM ROUGHLY $969,000 IN 2019 TO $1,547,000 IN 2020. THE PANDEMIC HAS LED TO MORE MEALS COOKED AT HOME,AND THE DOUBLE UP PROGRAM HAS HELPED MANY LOW-INCOME NEW MEXICANS AFFORD MORE NEW MEXICO-GROWN PRODUCE TO INCLUDE IN THOSE HOME-COOKED MEALS. OF NEARLY 700 DOUBLE UP PARTICIPANTS SURVEYED LAST YEAR, 73% REPORTED THAT THE AMOUNT OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THEY EAT HAD INCREASED DUE TO THE PROGRAM.THIS COMES AT A TIME WHEN THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM IS RAMPING UP TO MEET GROWING NEEDS. NEW MEXICO HAS A RICH AGRICULTURAL HISTORY AND ANNUAL GROSS RECEIPTS FROM FARMING ARE $3 BILLION, YET 97% OF PRODUCTS LEAVE THE STATE. HOWEVER, DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER SALES AND STATE PROCUREMENT PROGRAMS ARE GROWING. THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM IS AT A PIVOTAL STAGE AS WITNESSED BY LOCAL FOOD HUB GROWTH, MORE YOUNG FARMERS, AND RECENT PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENT IN FARM INFRASTRUCTURE--ALL OF WHICH ARE HELPING TO BUILD CAPACITY AND MEET GROWING DEMAND.DOUBLE UP PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN STIMULATING THE LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM. OUR SALES DATA INDICATE THAT SNAP AND DOUBLE UP ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 10% OF THE $12 MILLION IN DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER SALES OF LOCAL PRODUCE. OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS THE DOUBLE UP PROGRAM HAS PUT MORE THAN $5.6 MILLION DOLLARS INTO THE POCKETS OF NM FARMERS, MANY OF WHOM ALSO QUALIFY AS LOW-INCOME AND/OR HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED. IN FACT, 74% OF FARMERS' MARKET VENDORS SAY THEY HAVE A NEW CUSTOMER BASE AND ARE MAKING MORE MONEY BECAUSE OF THE DOUBLE UP PROGRAM. THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL INCOME STREAM FOR NEW MEXICO'S SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED FARMS WHO OPERATE ON TINY PROFIT MARGINS, ESPECIALLY SINCE COVID-19 HAS SLOWED FARM-TO-INSTITUTION AND FARM-TO-RESTAURANT SALES.DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER SALES ARE NOW EVEN MORE CRITICAL FOR THESE FARMERS AND THE PREDOMINANTLY LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES THEY LIVE IN (POVERTY RATES IN RURAL NM ARE 19.6% V. 16.4% IN URBAN AREAS). THE USDA ERS RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SNAP SPENDING CREATES AT LEAST A 1.8 ECONOMIC MULTIPLIER, MEANING THAT EVERY SNAP/DOUBLE UP DOLLAR SPENT BRINGS AN ADDITIONAL $1.80 OR MORE INTO THE LOCAL ECONOMY--ESSENTIAL WHEN MANY OF THE STATE'S OTHER INDUSTRIES SUCH AS HOSPITALITY HAVE BEEN DRASTICALLY IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC.