Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:During all four years of grant activity, the target audience was the low-income population of Jackson County. Over the course of the grant activity the median household income has grown from $44,005 in year one to $50,851 in year 4. However, the year-four median household income does not reflect adjustments for income loss due to COVID-19 in 2020. During the first wave of COVID-19 job loss in Oregon, the state received an historic increase in initial unemployment insurance applications from 3,510 at the end of February to 62,800 at the beginning of April. We expect that this historic unemployment rate will result in a lower median household income for 2020 in Jackson County. The average cost of a meal in Jackson County was initially $2.70 and rose to $3.31 over four years. In addition to rising food costs, the median cost of housing continues to steadily increase. The target audience for the cooking skills program was low-income families in the West Medford area who are ready to cook and prepare healthier foods (defined as those having the desire to learn, the time to attend classes, and access to a functional kitchen). In the final year of the Cooking Skills Education classes, focus was placed on reaching Spanish speaking families within the target audience. The target audience for the Rogue Valley Food System Network (RVFNS ) was regional stakeholders, constituents and community members in Jackson and Josephine counties during all four years. These organizations are interested in the outcomes and results of community food projects due to their potential to address gaps in the food system and possible collaborations with other partners. During the three years that the Veggie Rx program operated in Jackson County, the program targeted individuals who were low-income and potentially suffering from food insecurity and a diet-related health condition. Medford, the biggest city in Jackson County, was the focus of this program for all three years. In the fourth year of grant activity the ACCESS Pay What You Can Vegetable Stand targeted low-income and potentially food-insecure individuals that may have difficulty accessing fresh vegetables at the end of each month. Over all four years, the main target audience for the SNAP Match Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program was SNAP eligible individuals who shop at farmer's markets or have interest in shopping at farmer's markets, but have stayed away due to higher costs. In the fourth year, the target audience was expanded to SNAP eligible individuals who shop at the Medford Food Co-op. For the Family Nurturing Center's (FNC) Farm and Food Program (FFP), the target audience has been low-income families raising children from birth to age 6 (classified as early attachment years), although in the last two years they have also expanded to include adults in residential treatment at Addictions Recovery Center (ARC). These families reflect the following demographics: 88% below federal poverty level; 65% experience food insecurity; 45% of parents and 25% of children are addressing mental health issues; 44% have had an open child welfare case; 36% of families are homeless or have no permanent home; 33% of families have a parent who is incarcerated or on probation. Changes/Problems:Over the four years of grant activity, ACCESS, Family Nurturing Center and partners in the grant activity programs experience many challenges, transitions, and opportunities. In year one the ACCESS Food Share Gardens program experienced closures of two of its large production gardens when the property owners moved. In the early spring of that year, nearby property owners came forward and donated land and water for the program. From March to June of 2020, the Food Share Garden program limited the number of volunteers allowed in the gardens due to the number of volunteers with high risk factors for COVID-19. In year two, the cooking skills education program did not meet all of its goals for cooking demonstrations due to smoke from wildfires in the region which caused several events to be cancelled or have lower than expected participation. Further, the program responded to increased requests for additional classes by increasing the number and variety of classes offered. Cooking skills volunteers were used to meet the increased demand in classes, which resulted in a deficit of volunteers for cooking demonstrations, several of which had to be cancelled. In April 2020 the cooking skills education program was ended due to a loss in funding and cancelation of all events due to state-wide effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. During the third reporting period, ACCESS' Nutrition Department experienced significant employee turnover of staff who were working on several of the activities in this grant. The Nutrition Director, Community Food Systems Coordinator (CFSC), Food Share Gardens Coordinator, and the Cooking Skills Educator left ACCESS in 2018. Replacements for each position were hired but some positions took longer to fill than others. The Community Food Systems Coordinator position was divided into two separate positions, one with RVFSN and one with ACCESS. The RVFSN CFSC was hired after a four-month recruitment period and the ACCESS CFSC was hired after a ten-month recruitment period. Because of this turnover, several programs had periods of paused or lowered activity. The Cooking Skills Education program lost many of its core volunteers when the previous coordinator left the position. The Food Share Gardens also struggled to retain volunteers. The Food Share Gardens program continues to examine volunteer recruitment strategies to incorporate multi- generational appeal and accessibility. The Veggie Rx program was suspended during the second year and discontinued in the third year of grant activity in both Jackson and Josephine counties. This change was due to low participant retention rates and discontinued support from the coordinated care organizations (CCOs). Groups participating in Veggie Rx found that participants often did not complete all six weeks of the program and that many more were unreachable for their three-month check-up after the program began. Low retention was due to many socio-economic factors faced by the participants (lack of reliable transportation, health complications, and personal/legal barriers/challenges). The CCOs that participated during the first years of Veggie Rx in Jackson and Josephine counties pulled their support because the program failed to collect enough data to produce evidence of quantifiable health care savings. The inability to track and deliver consistent and compelling data was primarily because of low participant retention at the designated check points (six weeks and three months). Efforts to increase access to fresh produce for the Veggie Rx target audience were put into Screen and Intervene and the Pay What You Can Vegetable Stand Pilot Program. In year two the Screen and Intervene program, led by the CFSC, began working on a Jackson County Food Resource Brochure. During year three that project was placed on hold while ACCESS recruited a new CFSC. In year four the ACCESS CFSC partnered with members of the Southern Oregon Accountable Health Communities program to design and distribute the Jackson County Food Resource brochure. Based on lessons learned from the Veggie Rx program, ACCESS designed and piloted the Pay What You Can Vegetable Stand. The aim of the Pay What You Can Vegetable Stand Pilot was to serve the Veggie Rx target audience and learn more about actual barriers to fresh produce for this audience. It also sought to determine if the pilot project effectively increased access to fresh produce by reducing the barriers identified by the project participants. In August 2020, the first month of the Pay What You Can Vegetable Stand, close to 40 families attended with over 300 pounds of veggies distributed. Unfortunately, the Southern Oregon wildfires derailed the stand in September and there was not enough produce from the gardens to comfortably support the stand in October. During years two and three, many of the farmers markets participating in SNAP Match Double Up Food Bucks programs reported securing funding as their greatest challenge. With a goal of reaching more SNAP participants with the DUFB program and limited staff time to devote to fundraising, market managers experienced a great deal of pressure to secure enough funding for their SNAP Match programs. In the fourth year of grant activity, farmers markets in Jackson and Josephine county received funding for around 70% of their DUFB program costs through state allocated funding dispersed by the Farmers Market Fund. FNC began restructuring their internal referral process in year 1 to make it easier for all FNC families to participate in the farm groups and have increased access to the FFP produce grown on the farm. In year two programmatic changes at a key community partner, caused a sharp decline of FNC's client population. In response to this change, the FFP centralized agricultural efforts to one location at the Historic Hanley Farm, rather than the original two locations described in the grant proposal. An additional 20 acres of agricultural land at Historic Hanley Farm was made available to the program. FNC's financial resources shifted to support the development of this expansion and plans to establish a farm in the vacant acreage adjacent to OnTrack's facility were discontinued. During year three FNC completed its subcontract for the grant. During their final year of grant supported activity, the FFP increased its collaboration with Addictions Recovery Center and Oasis Center which allowed them to expand the reach of their program. They obtained space for new groups at the Oasis Center. FFP restarted work with OnTrack's substance use residential programs. FFP also hosted 18 weeks of Rogue Valley Farm to School programming. Due to issues with building on an historic site (Hanley Farm), the FFP experienced delays in farm building projects for cold storage, processing, covered group space and an outdoor kitchen. While FNC's part in the grant ended after year three, an update was provided upon request for their first-year post-grant. They were able to continue to offer the FFP to multiple groups including men's and women's groups, as well as mom and child groups, serving approximately 400 families/800 participants with food distributions and 250 families/400 participants in groups. Their main challenge in the last year was having to shut down groups and modify their methods of distribution due to COVID. In fact, not surprisingly, COVID was a hinderance to all activity by all participants in the final year of the grant. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There were two Cooking Matters trainings in year one which taught 22 individuals how to use and teach the Cooking Matters curriculum. There was a 100% graduation rate. There were three Cooking Skills Educator trainings for a total of 29 individuals. The Cooking Skills program offered two professional development classes to 20 volunteers with ten instructors becoming familiar with the curriculum and trained to be "Seed to Supper" instructors. That same year, the FNC Farm and Food Program was able to hire a former group participant as a part-time Program Assistant during this reporting period. He has undergone significant training in his new role including ServSafe Manager Certification, the completion of an online cooking and nutrition education course, training to fulfill the Lead Assistant Position during Cooking Matters classes, and has obtained Commercial Driver's License (which enables him to provide parents with transportation out to the farm on the FNC bus). In 2018, the RVFSN coordinator attended Closing the Hunger Gap conference, a statewide food system conference, and participates in a Leadership program that started in November. The network hosted a part time intern for three months to assist in many of the goals in this grant.?One of the cooking skills program staff attended the statewide food system conference. The FFP Program Assistant became a cooking skills educator and took on a new leadership role facilitating Cooking Matters/Cooking skills education classes for FNC clients. Then, in 2019, Cooking Skills Education conducted a Cooking Matters Instructor Training for 11 new volunteer instructors and hosted two part-time interns. The FFP program assistant became a certified Master Food Preserver. That same year, the RVFSN coordinator attended the Oregon Community Food System Network Convening and had the opportunity to attend online workshops. In the final year of grant activity, the ACCESS Community Food System Coordinator (CFSC) engaged in several trainings and professional development opportunities. The CFSC attended the Oregon State University Small Farms Conference, the Iowa State University (ISU) Local Food Leader workshop hosted by Oregon Food Systems Network (OCFSN), the ISU Community Food Systems Workshop hosted by OCFSN, the Rogue Valley Culinary & Agritourism Studio Workshop, and the Accountable Health Communities 2020 Jackson County Food Summit. The CFSC also completed training in ServSafe, ACES, Mental Health First Aid, Feasibility, Facilitation, Racial Equity and Hunger, Addressing Food Insecurity Among Older Adults, Systems Leadership, and Equitable Food Oriented Development. During years three and four ACCESS collaborated with Oregon Health & Science University's Dietetic Intern Program to provide community nutrition experiences to six dietetic interns. The year three curriculum focused on applying research based nutritional findings to cooking education programming. The year four curriculum focused on existing nutrition assistance programs and how to identify and bridge the gaps for participants of these programs and other low-income community members. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the cooking skills program were disseminated to participants and other stakeholders in the monthly ACCESS Cooking Education Newsletter up through March 2020. The Cooking Matters course results were reported quarterly to Oregon Food Bank. Fiscal year numbers for cooking skills education activities were included each year in the ACCESS Impact Report, available on the ACCESS website and in hard copy in the ACCESS lobby. Food Share Gardens fiscal year numbers were also included annually in the ACCESS Impact Report. Garden production numbers were given to volunteers at the end of each growing season. Seed to Supper numbers were reported to Oregon Food Bank quarterly. ACCESS also used its social media account to post periodic updates and achievements regarding Seed to Supper and Cooking Skills participants and events during all four years of grant activity. Veggie Rx results were shared biannually with partners and site facilitators in the first two years. The data associated with the program was combined with data from other programs across the state and was part of a statewide Vegetable Prescription report which was presented at the Oregon Community Food System convening in April of 2017, March of 2018, and February of 2019. The Pay What You Can Vegetable Stand results were shared with the RVFSN council and were shared internally with ACCESS staff and interns. These results were also presented in a lecture to the Oregon Health and Science University Dietetic Interns. During all four years of grant activity, DUFB results were reported annually to the Farmers Market Fund. In 2018 DUFB results were shared in quarterly RVFSM newsletters and an ACCESS' quarterly newsletters which reaches over 15,000 Jackson County households. In 2019, DUFB results were disseminated at the RVFSN DUFB meeting, at the OSU Family & Community Health Conference, and at the Oregon Health Authority meeting held in Portland. Screen and Intervene program details were shared in a 2018 ACCESS quarterly newsletter and in 2020 at the Accountable Health Communities Jackson County Food Summit. The results on the FFP were shared in an NPR interview, in the Medford Mail Tribune in 2019, as well as in a coordinated care organization's newsletter, a weekly podcast, on the FNC website, the FNC newsletter and the FNC Facebook page. The FFP participants learned about the results of the prior cohorts during program activities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: A. During 2017, 548 new SNAP participants shopped at the Growers Market, and in 2018 $23,674 in SNAP match dollars (DUFB) were distributed, which was an increase of 30% from the previous year. In 2019, an additional 377 new SNAP members were served which was a 34% increase from the previous year. In 2020, 342 SNAP members were served, but the smaller number is attributable in large part to COVID required shutdowns. In 2017, 144 food insecure and/or those suffering from diet related illness signed up for the Veggie Rx program, and an additional 128 individuals the following year. B. During the first year of the Farm and Food Program, 136 individuals participated, representing 90 families. Although this number dropped to 109 individuals in 2018, it more than tripled its numbers in 2019 when it served 364 individuals. 2020 saw 800 participants being served, which was more than twice the number of the previous year. In the summer of 2020, the ACCESS Food Share Gardens Program distributed 6,000 flyers in English and Spanish which aimed to inform low-income residents about community gardening opportunities. C. When the F & F program began trying to find a site in 2017 to serve as a food buying cooperative, bulk and whole grain foods were distributed and participants were able to take home an average of one additional meal. This increased in 2018, as 300 pounds of bulk, whole grain foods were distributed by the program and maintained community reach in 2019 when 250 pounds of food were distributed. Distribution changed in 2020 thanks to COVID, with about 24 boxes being distributed a week and a limited number of families being allowed on site. Goal 2: A. In 2017, efforts were made to deliver more resources to the community regarding the SNAP eligible DUFB program. 75 Veggie Rx participants were given local food resource packets and information was disseminated over Facebook, other media outlets, and via the ACCESS website. In 2018 and 2019 respectively, 25,000 and 36,326 people were reached to expand knowledge about SNAP programs. In 2020, ACCESS took a lead role in distributing information on SNAP programing through the creation and digital publication of the Jackson County Food Resource Brochure, Facebook posts in English and Spanish, and the distribution of 2,700 English flyers and 1150 Spanish flyers through several community partners and programs. B. In 2017, 12 cooking skills education courses (60 total classes and 2 store tours) were taught - four of which were in Spanish. The following year, 10 courses were taught, 69 classes and four store tours were conducted. These activities reached 102 participants the first year and 139 the second year. The third year, nine courses were taught and reached 177 individuals and 22 individual classes were taught and reached 39 individuals. In the final year of grant activity six cooking skills education courses and eight cooking classes were taught and reached 64 participants. All cooking skills education courses, classes, demos and in-person events were canceled for the remainder of the year starting in March 2020, due to state-wide efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon. C. In the first year of grant activity, low income individuals had access to six Seed to Supper courses which served 55 participants in six different locations. During the second and third years, seven Seed to Supper courses were taught and reached and average of 75 individuals annually. Also in the third year FFP expanded its growing area by 33% to accommodate an increased number of experiential agricultural education groups and classes. In the fourth year of grant activity the first winter Seed to Supper course was offered and reach nine participants. The remaining six Seed to Supper course that were scheduled for 2020 were canceled due to state-wide efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon. In lieu of in-person Seed to Supper classes, 35 Seed to Supper course books were distributed to community members for along with hand tools and seed packets, for independent learning. Over the course of the four years, 98 to 100% of participants who responded to Seed to Supper surveys stated they were likely or very likely to grow some of their own food in the upcoming growing season. Goal 3: A. 120 cooking demonstrations reaching 3,265 individuals were conducted in year one, followed by 75 cooking demonstrations reaching 2,696 individuals in year two, then 77 demonstrations served 3,477 individuals in year three, and final 67 demonstrations served 2,345 individuals in year four. In March of the fourth year all cooking skills demonstrations were canceled for the remainder of the year due to state-wide efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon. B. The redemption rate for DUFB at the RVGM was over 80% in both 2016 and 2017, and the redemption rate for the Veggie Rx program was 71%. In 2018, that number grew to 79% redemption rate. After this, the program was stopped and used to provide valuable information so that the Oregon legislature could allocate funding for SNAP Match programming in 2020. C. The ACCESS Food Share Gardens produced over 25,700 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables that were distributed to low-income clients through partners in Jackson County in year one. The following year, 20,017 pounds of organic produce were distributed, and another 27,996 pounds in year three. In August of 2020, ACCESS piloted a Pay What You Can Vegetable Stand that was open to all community members with eligibility requirements. The stand was open for 1.75 hours, served 32 individuals, and distributed 240 pounds of produce grown locally in the ACCESS Food Share gardens. 90% of participants that responded to the Pay What You Can survey stated that they had had been unable to access fresh vegetables during part or all of the previous month. Goal 4: A. The Community Food Systems Coordinator in 2017 began to replicate a Veggie Rx program in Grants Pass by establishing connections with five partners. The SNAP Match program continued to be successful in 2017, 2018 and 2019 in Grants Pass, Medford and Ashland and was replicated in Cave Junction in 2019. In 2020 ACCESS collaborated with the Farmers Market Fund to combine outreach efforts for DUFB programs across southern Oregon. This collaboration included markets in Ashland, Medford, Phoenix, Grants Pass, Cave Junction, and Roseburg. B. Best practices and lessons learned were shared at the Oregon Community Food Systems Network (OCFSN) annual convenings, the OCFSN Veggie Rx working group, the OCFSN Snap Match DUFB working group, and through outreach and relationship building efforts between ACCESS, RVFSN, OSU Ext of Jackson and Josephine County, Cave Junction Farmers Market, Grants Pass Growers and Crafters Market, and Josephine County Food Bank. C. The results of this work plan in 2017 were a published food guide, 14 organizations represented in the network, five collaborative programs and 1 replication of a successful program. In 2018 the workplan resulted in 15 organizations being represented, RVFSN becoming a 501c3 and publishing a food guide. In 2019 the workplan resulted in a published food guide, 15 organizations represented in the network, and the addition of a RARE intern program. In 2020 the work plan resulted in receiving a FEAST Grant for Josephine County, the onboarding of a RARE Intern, collaborating on the Farm2School winter convening, 15 organizations being represented, new relationships with local food partners such as Rogue Produce, and a published food guide.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:The third-year grant activities served the main target audience of low-income residents of Jackson County. Since the time of writing the proposal for this project, the median household income has improved to $48,688 from $44,005, but the estimated cost of a meal has risen from $2.70 in the first year of this grant to $3.09 currently. Nearly 13.6% of Jackson County residents are currently food insecure, compared to 16.6% when the proposal was submitted. For SNAP Match Double up Food Bucks (DUFB), the target audience is SNAP-eligible individuals who are shopping at the farmers markets or have interest in shopping at the farmers markets but have stayed away due to higher prices. The Family Nurturing Center's (FNC) Farm and Food Program (FFP) target audience is low-income families raising children age birth to six years. These families reflect the following demographics: 88% below federal poverty level; 65% experience food insecurity; 45% of parents and 25% of children are addressing mental health issues; 44% have had an open child welfare case; 36% of families are homeless or have no permanent home; 33% of families have a parent who is incarcerated or on probation. The target audience for the Cooking Skills Education Program classes is low-income adults and families in Jackson County who are interested in cooking and are ready to learn how to cook and prepare more healthy foods. Readiness is defined as someone who has the desire to learn, the time to attend classes, and access to a functional kitchen. For the Rogue Valley Food System Network (RVFSN), the target audience is regional stakeholders, constituents and community members in Jackson and Josephine counties. These individuals and organizations are interested in understanding the gaps in the food system and potential opportunities for future collaborations and partnerships to address them. Therefore, they are interested in the outcomes and results of these projects. In some cases, the outcomes and results are specifically relevant to the organizations that RVFSN council members represent. These partners include but are not limited to Oregon State University Extension Services, Southern Oregon University, food banks and pantries, healthcare organizations, governmental and policy-based groups and non-profit organizations that are focused on improving the food and farming systems in the Rogue Valley. Changes/Problems:During the third reporting period, ACCESS' Nutrition Department experienced significant employee turnover of staff who were working on several of the projects in this grant. The Community Food System Coordinator left ACCESS in November of 2018 and the position remained vacant until September of 2019. During this time, ACCESS relied heavily on community partners to maintain programs. The coordinators for the Seed to Supper, Food Share Gardens, Mobile Health Pantry and Cooking Skills Education programs also left ACCESS. Replacements for each position have been hired but some positions took longer to fill than others. Because of this turnover, several programs had periods of paused or lowered activity. The Cooking Skills Education programs were unstaffed for two months from December 2018 through February 2019. The previous curriculum, Kitchen Wisdom, did not remain with the organization when the program coordinator left in December of 2018. Upon being hired, the new coordinator had to develop a new curriculum, Nourishing Cooking Basics, to replace the lost course. In addition, the Cooking Skills Education program lost many of its core volunteers when the previous coordinator left the position. Recruiting a new and consistent volunteer base has been a limiting factor for expanding classes and food demo offerings. The Food Share Gardens also struggled to retain volunteers, as large numbers of long-time volunteers retire from volunteerism. Both programs are examining volunteer recruitment strategies to incorporate multi-generational appeal and accessibility. The Veggie Rx program was discontinued in Jackson and Josephine counties due to low participant retention rates and discontinued support from the coordinated care organizations (CCOs). Groups participating in Veggie Rx found that participants often did not complete all six weeks of the program and that many more were unreachable for their three-month check-up after the program. Low retention was due to many socio-economic factors faced by the participants (lack of reliable transportation, health complications, and personal/legal barriers/challenges). The CCOs that participated during the first years of Veggie Rx in Jackson and Josephine counties pulled their support because the program failed to collect enough data to produce evidence of quantifiable health care savings. The inability to track and deliver consistent and compelling data was primarily because of low participant retention at the designated check points (six weeks and three months). Many of the markets participating in SNAP Match Double Up Food Bucks programs reported securing funding as the greatest challenge. With a goal of reaching more SNAP participants with the DUFB program and limited staff time to devote to fundraising, market managers experienced a great deal of pressure to secure enough funding for their SNAP Match programs. The Family Nurturing Center FFP increased its collaboration with Addictions Recovery Center and Oasis Center which allowed them to expand to seven weekly groups and five weekly produce distribution sites (up from two last year). They obtained new group space and created new groups at the Oasis Center. FFP restarted work with OnTrack's substance use residential programs. FFP also hosted 18 weeks of Rogue Valley Farm to School programming. Due to issues with building on an historic site (Hanley Farm), the FFP did experience delays in farm building projects for cold storage, processing, covered group space and an outdoor kitchen. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Cooking Skills Education conducted a Cooking Matters Instructor Training for 11 new volunteer instructors and hosted two part-time interns. The FFP program assistant became a certified Master Food Preserver. The RVFSN coordinator attended the Oregon Community Food System Network Convening and had the opportunity to attend online workshops. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Program results have been announced by RVFSN in the monthly council meetings, monthly community events, and in newsletters. ACCESS Cooking Skills Education and Food Share Gardens fiscal year numbers are included in the ACCESS Impact Report and garden production numbers are given to volunteers at the end of the growing season. Seed to Supper numbers are reported to Oregon Food Bank quarterly. ACCESS used its social media account to post periodic updates and achievements regarding Seed to Supper and Cooking Skills participants and events. SNAP Match Double Up Food Bucks numbers and customer survey results were disseminated at the 2019 RVFSN DUFB meeting in February 2019, at the OSU Family & Community Health Conference in March 2019 and at the Oregon Health Authority meeting held in Portland in June 2019. FFP events were announced in the Medford Mail Tribune. FNC also received mention for their program partnership with Oasis in a Mail Tribune story covering the opening of the new Oasis Center in Medford, OR. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?With our graciously approved one-year grant extension, ACCESS will have the opportunity to continue work toward meeting the remaining final year goals and milestones set forth in the original grant proposal. The newly hired Community Food System Coordinator at ACCESS will assess the state of the SNAP Match DUFB, Veggies Rx, and Screen and Intervene programs and will determine the direction and ACCESS' level of involvement in the future of the programs. Priority will be given to programs that show the greatest promise for sustainable long-term community involvement to increase food access, food resources, and food self-sufficiency for low-income families in the Rogue Valley. ACCESS will finalize and distribute the Jackson County Food Resources Guide to partner organizations to help inform consumers and increase their use of existing food resources. With what we learned from the Veggie Rx program, we plan to take the lessons and use them to continue the conversation on creating the next generation of sustainable programming. What we create will be targeted at increasing the availability of fresh local nutritious food to food insecure populations with chronic illnesses which require a restrictive diet. During the extended final year of the grant, ACCESS plans to work with community health clinic partners, La Clinica and Rogue Community Health, to standardize and implement the Screen to Intervene Program. This program will inform food insecure patients of available resources while collecting information on the rate of food insecurity in Jackson County. FNC and ACCESS will go on with making referrals to appropriate community partners to help families receive services that they feel are necessary or desired. We will finalize the Jackson County Resource Guide brochure and will distribute it to community partners to aid in connecting people to resources. The Cooking Skills Education Program will continue to develop and expand its Nourishing Kitchen Basics course offerings and will seek opportunities to teach courses which focus on one specific chronic illness at a time. These courses will be designed around evidence-based research and will educate participants on cooking for their specific illness. The Cooking Matters course will strive to meet its final year goal of 100 participants in a single year. The Seed to Supper program will maintain the number of courses offered and will increase the variety of days, times and sites to accommodate various schedules. The program will continue to monitor the interest of the community in a course taught in Spanish. RVFSN will work to increase the outreach and education of the organization and to build a solid volunteer and support base. By strengthening its organization in this way, RVFSN will be better able to serve the needs of the Rogue Valley Food System community. Although FNC has completed their contract for FFP, they plan to continue offering their current level of services, increasing the amount of food they distribute, and working toward securing sustainable funding.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The third-year accomplishments are a continuation of the positive results experienced toward food self-sufficiency in the previous two years. The three main partners of this grant, ACCESS, RVFSN, and FNC worked together to meet several of their quantitative programming goals. The cooking skills program further developed its cooking classes to educate target populations with chronic diet related disease. RVFSN completed its first year as a 501(C)3 and is building capacity and refining its vision. FNC has reestablished old partnerships and expanded new organizational partnerships which has enabled them to offer many more programs to additional individuals and families. The Cooking Skills Education Program met the goal of five Cooking Matters courses taught in year three. Seed to Supper exceeded the five-course goal and taught seven courses in year three. The FFP far exceeded their year three goals by holding 199 meetings for 14 food and farm groups reaching 448 families through their groups, classes, and events. Goal 1: To increase access to healthy food for area residents navigating poverty. A) Increased access to fresh produce for low-income residents through Growers Market Double Up Food Bucks SNAP Match, WIC and FDNP vouchers, and Veggie Prescription programs. $31,740 in SNAP and $17,750 in Double Up Food Bucks were redeemed across three Rogue Valley Growers Markets, an increase of 34% from the previous year. The program reached 377 new SNAP participants. The Grants Pass Growers Market (GPGM) more than doubled its distributed SNAP Match dollars in year three. GPGM distributed $4673 in SNAP compared with the previous year's $2078. GPGM served 218 individual SNAP participants. The partners expanded their cooperation for the SNAP, WIC and FDNP voucher match programs to the Cave Junction Farmers' Market located in Josephine County during the third-year reporting period. B) Increased access to community growing space for low-income residents through the Farm & Food Program and ACCESS' Food Share Gardens. FFP tripled its previous year numbers by providing community growing space to 364 individuals. The ACCESS Food Share Gardens provided 27,996 pounds of fresh produce to its network of food pantries and garden volunteers. C) Increased access to affordable bulk and whole grain foods through the development of the Farm & Food Programs' food buying cooperative. FFP distributed 250 pounds of bulk, whole grain foods to program participants and graduates at cooking groups and monthly graduate food groups. Goal 2: To build knowledge, skills and practices necessary for historically underserved area residents to increase food security. A) Increased Outreach efforts inform more SNAP eligible populations about available resources. ACCESS worked with its network of pantry managers to ensure up to date information on available resources was displayed and accessible at each panty location. The RVFSN Flavor Guide was available in each pantry and provided an expanded scope of local food resources. The estimated total outreach for ACCESS food pantries is 36,326 people. B) Increased availability of cooking and nutrition education programs offered by project partners teaching meal planning, shopping and other food skills. The Cooking Skills Education Program, comprised of Cooking Matters, Nourishing Kitchen Basics, and stand-alone classes surpassed its goal of six courses reaching 100 people. Between the two curricula, nine courses (52 classes) were taught reaching 177 individuals. 22 cooking classes hosted at community partner location, La Clinica, were offered with a bilingual English/Spanish option. FFP expanded its cooking skills and nutrition education offerings by partnering with Addictions Recovery Center (ARC). At the ARC, they conducted two 8-week Cooking Matters courses, an eight-week Kitchen Wisdom course , a Women's Cook Group, and Breakfast Club. All programs reached 39 participants. C) Increased availability of agricultural education programs offered by project partners teaching sustainable food production. ACCESS partnered with the OSU Extension Master Gardeners of Jackson and Josephine counties on seven Seed to Supper vegetable gardening courses. This six-week course is designed to teach low-income individuals how to supplement their household food needs by growing their own vegetables. FFP expanded its growing area by 33% to accommodate an increased number of experiential agricultural education groups and classes. Goal 3: To increase use of existing food resources in the community. A) Increased participation in cooking, nutrition, and gardening education programs offered by program partners. ACCESS performed 77 cooking demonstrations in underserved areas reaching 3,477 individuals. ACCESS' Seed to Supper Courses reached 38 participants and 100% of the students who filled out a post-class survey reported that they were likely or very likely to grow some of their own food in the upcoming growing season. FFP more than doubled its volume of classes and groups from the previous years. They conducted 199 experiential education sessions reaching a total of 364 individuals. In addition, they reached 448 families through classes, groups, special events, and food distributions. B) Increased redemption of farm direct WIC vouchers, Grower's Market SNAP Match benefits, and Veggie Prescriptions. The Rogue Valley's Veggie Rx program was halted in 2017 while community health partners evaluated the low retention rates of participants and the long-term impact and sustainability of the program. The Veggie Rx Working Group met once during the reporting period and discussed what they had learned from Veggie Rx and brainstormed ideas for the next generation of programming that aims to increase the consumption of fresh local produce in the diets of at-risk individuals with diet related illness. The partners continued to support the five area farmers markets in increasing redemption of Farm Direct Nutrition Program vouchers and SNAP Match monies by promoting the programs through social media. The Oregon legislature allocated funding for SNAP Match programing in 2020. This funding will reduce the administrative burden of fundraising and will allow ACCESS and the markets to invest more time in promotion for increased redemption. C) Increased quantity of and direct access to food produced by area residents through cooperative gardening initiatives. FFP distributed 10,000 pounds of organic produce, 1,000 pounds of meat and eggs from their farm to FNC, ARC, Oasis, and OnTrack clients. The Food Share Gardens produced more than 27,996 pounds of organic produce for ACCESS food pantries and cooking skills programs. Goal 4: To build community capacity to implement long-term solutions. A) Successes of this project will be replicated in other communities throughout our region through the Rogue Valley Food System Network partners. The SNAP Match program continues to be successful in Grants Pass, Medford, and Ashland and was replicated in Cave Junction for their 2019 farmers market season. B) Lessons learned will be shared with partners around the state. Lessons learned from all the projects are shared informally with statewide working groups, and other statewide partners at meetings and conferences. As a member of the Oregon Food Bank Network, ACCESS shares best practices and lessons learned with OFBN members in quarterly meetings. Best practices and lessons learned are also shared through Oregon Community Food Systems Network during the annual convening. C) Develop annual collaborative work plan within the Rogue Valley Food System Network and its partners. The annual workplan focused on deepening and developing relationships within the network. The network council body consists of members representing 15 organizations in different sectors of the food system. The RVFSN published its fifteenth Rogue Flavor Guide and hosted a successful fundraiser.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:The main target audience for which most of the grant activities serve is the low-income population of Jackson County. Since the time of writing the proposal for this project, the median household income has fallen to $41,931 (from $44,005), and the average cost of a meal has risen to $3.03 (from $2.70 in the first year). Nearly 15.3% of Jackson County residents are food insecure now, compared to 16.6% when the proposal was written. The target audience is more specific for each activity. The Veggie RX program targets individuals who are low-income and often suffering from food insecurity and from a diet-related health condition or disease. Medford, the biggest city in Jackson County, is the focus of the program. Medford has three locations that meet the definition of a high poverty hotspot according to the state of Oregon. Partners included are Federally Qualified Health Centers, low-income housing complexes, YMCA's in low-income neighborhoods and others physically situated in the West Medford area or whose clients are living in West Medford. For SNAP, the target audience for Double up Food Bucks (DUFB) is SNAP-eligible individuals who are shopping at the farmers markets. The target audience for the Family Nurturing Centers (FNC) Farm and Food Program (FFP) are low-income families raising children age birth to six years. These families reflect the following demographics: 88% below federal poverty level; 65% experience food insecurity; 45% of parents and 25% of children are addressing mental health issues; 44% have had an open child welfare case; 36% of families are homeless or have no permanent home; 33% of families have a parent who is incarcerated or on probation. The target audience for the cooking skills program classes is low income adults and families in the West Medford area who are interested and are ready to learn how to cook and prepare more healthy foods. Readiness is defined as someone who has the desire to learn, the time to attend classes, and access to a functional kitchen. The target audience for the Rogue Valley Food System Network is regional stakeholders, constituents and community members in Jackson and Josephine counties. These individuals and organizations are interested in understand the gaps in the food system and potential opportunities for future collaborations and partnerships to address them. Therefore, they are interested in the outcomes and results of these projects. In some cases, the outcomes and results are specifically relevant to the organizations that RVFSN council members represent. These partners include, but are not limited to: Oregon State Extension, Southern Oregon University, food banks and pantries, healthcare organizations, governmental and policy-based groups and non-profit organizations that are ocused on improving the food and farming systems in the Rogue Valley. Changes/Problems:The Veggie Prescription program took place at only 2 sites in the reporting period. This was due to the program's lack of ability to deliver long-term results. For this reason, the program has been suspended and no new cohorts will be formed until the leadership team moves forward. The RVFSN coordinator focused on a Screen and Intervene initiative as a way to drive participation in Veggie RX programs. This year's work focused on the creation of a food resource brochure for each county which will be distributed in clinics. Both guides were drafted during the reporting period and will be completed and distributed in the final year. Cooking Skills Program Smoke from wildfires in the region caused a number of events to be cancelled or have lower turnouts than expected. As a result, we could not meet the FY 2018 goals for demonstrations, samples, or recipes given out. Due to an increase in requests for classes and variety of classes and because of the increased likelihood for long term behavior changes, we increased the number and types of classes we offered. This is discussed in goal 2 section C. Since classes require more staffing, there were less volunteers available for cooking demonstrations, thus the number of cooking demonstrations and samples decreased. FFP's previous partner organization, OnTrack, continued to address internal restructuring and as a result, group participation decreased. FFP began to collaborate with ARC and Oasis which will will enable the FFP to increase group participation to meet the goals for this grant. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The RVFSN coordinator attended Closing the Hunger Gap conference, a statewide food system conference, and participates in a Leadership program that started in November. The network hosted an part time intern for 3 months to assist in many of the goals in this grant. One of the cooking skills program staff attended the statewide food system conference. The FFP Program Assistant became a cooking skills educator and took on a new leadership role facilitating Cooking Matters/Cooking skills education classes for FNC clients. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the cooking skills program, Veggie RX program and DUFB programs were reported to the RVFSN council and community members at a highly publicized event in November. Veggie RX results are shared biannually to partners and site facilitators. The data associated with the program was combined with data from other programs across the state and was part of a statewide Vegetable Prescription report which was presented at the Oregon Community Food System convening in March of 2018. DUFB and Screen and Intervene programs were described in the network's fall quarterly newsletter. The results of the Cooking Matters and the Cooking Skills program were also reported in monthly newsletters to program volunteers, ACCESS employees and over 20 partner agencies. Additionally, the results were reported in articles in the ACCESS' quarterly newsletters that reaches over 15,000 Jackson County households. The results on the FFP were shared in an NPR interview, a coordinated care organization's newsletter, a local newspaper, a weekly podcast, on the FNC website, newsletter and Facebook page. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The Cooking Skills Pgm will continue to develop partnerships with local agencies to offer cooking classes and demonstrations and expand existing partnerships with local pantries, clinics, and growers markets to increase engagement to reach 4200 people at 140 demos. CSEP will also continue to seek out local partners to hold 6-week Cooking Matters or Kitchen Wisdom courses to meet the goal of 6 courses reaching 100 people. Seed to Supper program will maintain the number of courses offered and will expand courses to be offered throughout the year on a variety of days, times and sites. The coordinator position will become 2 part time positions. One position will be at ACCESS and will focus on Veggie RX, Screen and Intervene, and increasing SNAP spending at the market by at least 50%. The other position will be housed by RVFSN and will continue to build membership of the network and build a work plan around the new strategic objectives. F&F will maintain at least four 6-week family food groups, with the addition this year of 2 to 4 family food groups held in collaboration with ARC/Oasis. Additionally we will facilitate at least 3 food groups/cooking skills education groups (Cooking Matters/Kitchen Wisdom) in collaboration with ACCESS. With full enrollment, we will meet our goal of providing this service to 64 families. FNC will be opening the first stage of our food cooperative in cooperation with Oasis. It will first be a site for distribution of free food to families. As we progress, we will begin to establish a peer and staff governance structure for the project. We are currently providing approximately 200 pounds of produce and eggs to the ARC residential treatment facility, and will continue to do so with the possibility of increasing the volume due to our expected production/processing capacity in 2019. ARC has replaced OnTrack as our community partner in therapeutic group work. We will continue to offer a Moms Farm Group as well as our weekly Farm Group with ARC inpatients. We anticipate meeting our goal of providing this service to at least 100 families. We will meet the goal of all families receiving services from FNC being enrolled in OHP and connected with a medical home by referring families in need of assistance enrolling and signing up with a primary care provider to community partners. We will continue to make referrals to appropriate community partners to assist families in receiving services that they feel are necessary or desired.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The accomplishments from year two are a continuation of the positive results experienced in the first year towards food self sufficiency. The 3 main partners of this grant, the Rogue Valley Food System Network (RVFSN), ACCESS, and Family Nurturing Center worked together more to overlap and cross promote their programs to their intended audiences. The cooking skills program has further developed its cooking classes and are engaging people for a longer period of time, which is more likely to result in positive behavior changes. The RVFSN is more established as an organization and is building capacity and refining its vision. The FNC is continuing to deepen and stabilize its connections to community partners which has enabled them to offer more programs to more individuals. The 3 main partners worked in collaboration to create a collective impact survey and piloted the survey. The results of 11 individuals representing every program except for SNAP matching programs show a consistent increase of understanding what food resources are available to them and the confidence to grow, prepare or access fresh fruits and vegetables. Goal 1: To increase access to healthy food for area residents navigating poverty. A) Increased access to fresh produce for low-income residents through Growers Market SNAP Match and Veggie Prescription programs. For the RVGM, $23,674 in SNAP Match dollars (DUFB) were distributed, an increase of 30% from the previous year. The program reached 420 individuals. For the GPGM, $2078 SNAP Match dollars (DUFB) was distributed to 134 individuals. SNAP spending increased by 63% when compared to the same weeks in the previous year. For Veggie RX, 128 individuals enrolled in the program at two sites; 81 completed the program; $6,107.37 in vouchers were redeemed by Veggie RX participants. The coordinator worked with all markets offering DUFB to raise the needed funds, equaling $25,000. B) Increased access to community growing space for low-income residents through the Farm & Food Program and ACCESS' "Food Share Gardens". FFP provided community growing space to 109 individuals. C) Increased access to affordable bulk and whole grain foods through the development of the Farm & Food Programs' food buying cooperative. FFP distributed 300 pounds of bulk, whole grain foods to program graduates at monthly graduate food groups. Goal 2: To build knowledge, skills and practices necessary for historically underserved area residents to increase food security. A) Increased Outreach efforts inform more SNAP eligible populations about available resources. The RVGM and the RVFSN produced flyers about SNAP matching programs in both counties. Both flyers were distributed to respective counties at the farmers markets, through partner agencies and organizations. The RVFSN coordinator did 4 presentationsreaching 96 people in Grants Pass to promote the program . RVFSN also promoted the program through Facebook, by sharing flyers with the food bank's network of pantries, RVFSN newsletter and networking meetings, and through the Cooking Skills programs. Total outreach is estimated at 1700. All Veggie RX participants received food resource packets. We increased the distribution of the Rogue Flavor Guide to underserved areas in the region, and specifically the West Medford area. B) Increased availability of cooking and nutrition education programs offered by project partners teaching meal planning, shopping and other food skills. Cooking Matters and Kitchen Wisdom courses, along with stand-alone classes, were targeted at low-income individuals. 10 courses (69 classes total and 4 store tours) were taught, two bilingual (English, Spanish) courses were offered, but no clients enrolled. The courses reached 139 individuals and 137 graduated. Additionally, there were 29 stand-alone classes with a focus on cooking for a diet-related illness, 28 of these were bilingual. The classes reached 320 individuals total. FFP provided 35 experiential food skills education classes reaching a total of 71 individuals. C) Increased availability of agricultural education programs offered by project partners teaching sustainable food production. FFP provided 51 experiential agricultural education groups/classes reaching a total of 75 individuals. Goal 3: To increase use of existing food resources in the community. A) Increased participation in cooking, nutrition, and gardening education programs offered by program partners. ACCESS performed 75 cooking demonstrations in underserved areas reaching 2,696 individuals. 95.4% of the individuals reached said that they were likely to make the recipe. FFP generated a waitlist of 18 parents interested in participating in groups after capacity was met. B) Increased redemption of farm direct WIC vouchers, Grower's Market SNAP Match benefits, and Veggie Prescriptions. RVFSN promoted SNAP Match programs through Facebook and the RVFSN newsletter. The coordinator became educated on how farm direct checks are distributed and helped to informally educate agencies, food banks, and partners. Redemption of FMNP vouchers for WIC in 2017 increased from 60% in both counties to 66% and 67% in Jackson and Josephine County respectively in 2017. For low-income seniors, the redemption rate was 74% and 70% in Jackson Counties respectively in 2017; it was 70% in 2016. The redemption rate for Veggie Rx vouchers was 79.3%, an increase from 71% last year. C) Increased quantity of and direct access to food produced by area residents through cooperative gardening initiatives. FFP distributed 8,000 pounds of organic produce, 500 pounds of pasture finished pork and lamb, and 120 dozen eggs from our farm to FNC and ARC clients. The Food Share Gardens produced more than 30,017 lbs of organic produce for ACCESS food pantries. Goal 4. To build community capacity to implement long-term solutions A) Successes of this project will be replicated in other communities throughout our region through the Rogue Valley Food System Network partners. The success of the DUFB program was replicated in Grants Pass. The Grants Pass Pantry Cooking Demo Project established in the first year is now entirely operated by the Josephine County Food Bank and expanded to another pantry in 2018. The program reached 2,617 food pantry clients at 3 pantries. B) Lessons learned will be shared with partners around the state. Lessons learned from all of these projects are shared informally with statewide working groups, and other statewide partners at meetings and conferences. C) Develop annual collaborative work plan within the Rogue Valley Food System Network and its partners. The workplan goal was to advance and formalize the network. The RVFSN became a 501c3 and published a food guide; 15 organizations are represented in the network; 5 collaborations are in place, hosted 2nd annual forum on land use and food system issues in the valley, and hosted successful fundraiser ($15K in profit).
Publications
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Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The main target audience for which most of the grant activities serve is the low-income population of Jackson County. Since the time of writing the proposal for this project, the median household income has fallen to $41,931 (from $44,005), and the average cost of a meal has risen to $2.98 (from $2.70). Nearly 15.3% county residents are food insecure, compared to 16.6% when the proposal was written. While this rate of food insecurity has declined, the poverty rate still prevails and the cost of housing continues to steadily increase. Currently, the median cost of a rental is over $1400 a month, and renters with extremely low incomes are paying more than 50% of their income in rent. The target audience is more specificfor each activity. The Veggie RX program targets individuals who are low-income and often suffer from food insecurity and/or a diet-related health condition or disease. Medford, the biggest city in Jackson County, is the focus of the program. Medford has three locations that meet the definition of a high poverty hotspot according to the state of Oregon. Veggie RX partners are Federally Qualified Health Centers, low-income housing complexes, YMCAs in low-income neighborhoods and others physically situated in the West Medford area or whose clients are living in West Medford. The target audeince for the SNAP matching incentive program, Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), is SNAP-eligible individuals (185% federal poverty level). These individuals also live in areas that are considered food deserts (namely West Medford), are low-income, and might be experiencing food insecurity. The target audience for the activities related to the Family Nurturing Center (FNC) is low-income families raising children in the early attachment years from birth to age 6. The following demographics during the reporting period were: 45% of families have at least one parent that is experiencing mental health problems; 65% of families experience food insecurity; 33% of children have witnessed domestic violence; 56% of families struggle with substance abuse; and 36% of caregivers have no permanent home. The Farm & Food (F & F) program targeted 56% of these families who are struggling with substance use during this reporting period. The target audience of the Rogue Valley Food System Network (RVFSN) is regional stakeholders, constituents and community members in Jackson and Josephine counties in Oregon. These individuals and organizations are interested in understanding the gaps in the food system and potential opportunities for future collaborations and partnerships to address them. Therefore, they are interested in the outcomes and results of these projects. In some cases, the outcomes and results are specifically relevant to the organizations that RVFSN council members represent. These partners include, but are not limited to: Oregon State Extension, Southern Oregon University, food banks and pantries, healthcare organizations, governmental and policy-based groups, and non-profit organizations that are focused on improving the food and farming systems in the Rogue Valley. Changes/Problems:The ACCESS Food Share Gardens program went through a transition during the reporting period wherein two of its large production gardens had to close because the property owners moved. In the early spring of 2017, owners in the same areas came forward and donated land and water for this program. Farmers' Market Closure - The Saturday market in West Medford will permanently close at the end of 2017. In light of this change, the focus of our outreach activities regarding Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) and SNAP will be targeted only on the Thursday Medford Market. The funding for the DUFB vouchers is no longer available through the previous funder for either the Medford or the Cave Junction Farmers' Markets. The Community Food System Coordinator will support both markets in fundraising activities to maintain the DUFB program. Efforts to increase the outreach to SNAP and OFDNP participants about the farmers' market will continue. Family Nurturing Center's (FNC) and Farm & Food Program - Due to internal programmatic changes at a keycommunity partner, FNC's client population sharply declined during the latter part of the reporting period. In response to this change, the F&F Program centralized agricultural efforts to one location at the Historic Hanley Farm, rather than the two locations described in the proposal. Programming will continue to be offered to parent and family groups at the farm. The Southern Oregon Historical Society gave the FNC an additional 20 acres of land at Historic Hanley Farm to grow and produce food on. FNC's financial resources have shifted to support the development of this expansion and there are no longer plans to establish a farm in the vacant acreage adjacent to OnTrack's facility. Should the client population for this program reach its operating capacity again, FNC will revisit offering the Mom's Farm Group to the families receiving treatment. FNC began restructuring their internal referral process to make it easier for all FNC families to participate in the farm groups and have increased access to the F & F produce grown on the farm by directly delivering to the pre-school at the FNC and to the F&F groups. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?There were two Cooking Matters trainings which taught 22 individuals how to use and teach the Cooking Matters curriculum. There was a 100% graduation rate. There were three Cooking Skills Educator trainings for a total of 29 individuals. The Cooking Skills program offered two professional development classes to 20 volunteers. 10 instructors became familiar with the curriculum and were trained to be "Seed to Supper" instructors. The FNC Farm and Food Program was able to hire a former group participant as a part-time Program Assistant during this reporting period. He has undergone significant training in his new role including ServSafe Manager Certification, the completion of an online cooking and nutrition education course, training to fulfill the Lead Assistant Position during Cooking Matters classes, and has obtained Commercial Driver's License (which enables him to provide parents with transportation out to the farm on the FNC bus). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the Cooking Matters and the Cooking Skills program were reported in monthly newsletters to program volunteers, ACCESS employees and over 20 partner agencies. Additionally, the results were reported in articles in the ACCESS' quarterly newsletters that reaches over 15,000 Jackson County households. The Seed to Supper program results were shared with the board of directors of the Master Gardener Association. The results of the Veggie RX program were shared with stakeholders of the Rogue Valley Food System Network and presented to other professional networks throughout Jackson County. The results were also shared on a quarterly basis to partners and site facilitators. The data associated with the program was combined with data from other programs across the state and was part of a statewide Vegetable Prescription report which was presented at the Oregon Community Food System convening in April of 2017. Two smaller informal presentations were delivered in Josephine County to the Grants Pass Farmers market and a steering committee of the Southern Oregon Health Equity Coalition. FNC - The F & F Program shared information about the program's agriculture and cooking/nutrition courses in a number of ways. The F & F target population learns about the work during deliveries of free produce to families at the pre-school site and through talking with parents directly about the farming practices and in providing instructions for how to prepare and cook the produce. Lessons learned are also shared within the target population by word of mouth. Program progress was also shared with the FNC partners and supporters through an annual report, social media, and internal staff trainings. FNC shares success and promotes the work with pre-schoolprograms, both local Coordinated Care Organizations, substance use treatment programs, the Southern Oregon Historical Society, and the RVFSN. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Goal #2 A) Increased Outreach efforts inform more SNAP eligible populations about available resources: The rate of utilization of SNAP dollars is near 100% for the state of Oregon, thus we will focus on increasing outreach efforts of other programs with lower utilization rates - Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program for low-income seniors and WIC. We will integrate outreach efforts as part of an existing energy assistance program at ACCESS that serve low-income seniors, and with other agencies in the region that serve low-income seniors. We will also work more closely with local WIC clinics and an informational organization known as 2-1-1 to coordinate food resource outreach and outreach activities at farmers markets and at local events. Another activity we will begin is to work with existing and new healthcare partners in the adoption of a new program called "Screen and Intervene." This program works directly with local health providers and uses a two-question survey to help determine if patients are food insecure. If individuals screen positive for food insecurity, they will be given a packet of information (similar to what is given to Veggie RX participants) and staff at the clinic will explain these resources and answer any questions. We expect that this will increase the enrollment to SNAP and the OFDNP, as well as provide another avenue for individuals to participate in the Veggie RX program. This program has proven to be an effective tool, in other parts of the state, to identify cases of food insecurity that might not be identified otherwise. It further enables health professionals to improve their treatment and evaluation of their food insecure patients, and more people can ultimately get connected to food resources. Lastly, the RVFSN will add a resource page to the rvfoodsystem.org website and to a local food resource guide known as the Rogue Flavor Guide about food resources available to SNAP eligible individuals. We will also increase distribution of the Rogue Flavor Guide to underserved areas in the region, and specifically the West Medford area. Currently there are 68 distribution locations, but few if any are in West Medford and are private businesses not likely utilized by our target population. Goal #3 B) - Increased redemption of farm direct WIC vouchers, Grower's Market SNAP Match benefits, and Veggie Prescriptions. In order to increase the redemption of Veggie RX vouchers and Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program vouchers at farmers' markets, the Community Food System Coordinator will create and distribute resources to Veggie RX participants that focus on how to shop at a farmers market. The coordinator will share this resource with the Rogue Valley Farmers Market, extension service, and local WIC offices and will also work with partners to develop market tours and further explore the barriers to market attendance in the SNAP-eligible population. The coordinator and OSU staff will also provide training to Veggie RX instructors and facilitators of the health-related classes on sharing food resources to their students. C) Increased availability of agricultural education programs offered by project partners teaching sustainable food production. Jackson County Master Gardeners plan to develop a timeline and schedule of critical actions necessary to support the "Seed to Supper" coordinator to ensure that everyone is engaged, including the host agency staff, to achieve maximum participation. Jackson County is developing a listing of handouts and video clips covering various gardening subjects to enhance the materials provided through the "Seed to Supper" course. The plan to accomplish the remaining goals, during the next reporting period, will not change from the original agency approved application.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The Community Food Assessment of Jackson County, Oregon, completed in 2013, identified that many low-income families struggle to feed their families, because of the high cost of living and lack of transportation. They were interested in accessing more food, learning more about nutrition, how to eat healthier and how to grow their own food, but they wanted those opportunities to be available in their community and in combination with other services. ACCESS, the Family Nurturing Center (FNC), and the Rogue Valley Foods System Network (RVFSN) are working with Oregon State University (OSU), the Rogue Valley Growers Market (RVGM) and other partners to increase food self-sufficiency and improve nutritional health in the context of local food system efforts. The RVFSN helps connect these organizations and shares lessons learned with new and previously unconnected partners through the work of the Community Food System Coordinator and a regional network of organizations seeking to understand the new gaps and challenges that surface in the food system The results are that the target audience has more tools that can ultimately help them achieve food self-sufficiency. The clients of the FNC, for example, can take advantage of cooking skills classes, food budgeting classes, gardening classes and can participate in the development of a food purchasing cooperative. Overall, the participants in this project are spending more dollars on consumption of fresh produce, they are learning how to cook and prepare produce, try new recipes, and grow their own food. An increasing number of organizations represent the RVFSN, and a new food pantry cooking demonstration project represents the successful replication of an existing program. Goal 1: To increase access to healthy food for area residents navigating poverty. Increased access to fresh produce for low-income residents through Growers Market SNAP Match and Veggie Prescription programs. DUFB $18,252.00 were recorded in sales and $15,830.00 were redeemed (88% redemption rate) and 548 new SNAP participants shopped at the market. 144 food insecure and/or those suffering from diet-related illness signed up for the Veggie RX program and 75 individuals completed the program. $6,183.30 in vouchers were redeemed by participants (71% redemption rate) at the grocery stores and the RVGM; 16% of the total dollars redeemed were spent at the RVGM. Increased access to community growing space for low-income residents through the Farm & Food Program and ACCESS' "Food Share Gardens". 136 individuals currently navigating poverty and engaging in residential substance use treatment participated in the F & F program, representing 90 families. 12 low-income adults and 8 low-income youth contributed to part of the overall total of 3033 hours toward tending to 5 ACCESS Food Share Gardens. Increased access to affordable bulk and whole grain foods through the development of the Farm & Food Programs' food buying cooperative. The F & F Program began the process of acquiring a site to serve as a hub for a food buying cooperative. FNC hired a former participant as a Program Assistant to provide peer leadership. Bulk and whole grain foods were distributed at the Family Food Group during meals and participants were able to take home an average of 1 additional meal. Goal 2: To build knowledge, skills and practices necessary for historically underserved area residents to increase food security. Increased Outreach efforts inform more SNAP eligible populations about available resources. 75 Veggie RX participants were given a local food resource packet and eligible participants were given information about how to sign up for food assistance programs and DUFB. The Community Food System Coordinator shared information about DUFB at 2 tabling events in reaching 50 individuals, completed Facebook promotions reaching 266 individuals. Increased availability of cooking and nutrition education programs offered by project partners teaching meal planning, shopping and other food skills. Cooking Matters courses and stand-alone classes were targeted at low-income individuals. 12 courses (60 classes total and 2 store tours) were taught, 4 in English and Spanish. The courses reached 102 individuals and 72 graduated. There were also 24 stand-alone classes with a focus on cooking for a diet-related illness, 22 of these were taught in English and Spanish. The classes reached 395 individuals. Increased availability of agricultural education programs offered by project partners teaching sustainable food production. Low income individuals had access to 6 Seed to Supper courses (30 classes total) which were held in 6 different locations with a total of 55 participants. 54 (98%) of the participants said that they would recommend the course to others and 52 (94%) said that they planned to share some of the information that they learned in the class with others. 136 individuals were served by the F & F Program in a total of 44 weeks for dads groups and 36 weeks for moms group. Individuals usually participated in 2 groups each week and learned about cooking healthy, raising animals for meat, and gardening. Goal 3: To increase use of existing food resources in the community. Increased participation in cooking, nutrition, and gardening education programs offered by program partners. ACCESS performed 120 cooking demonstrations in underserved areas reaching 3,265 individuals. 94% of the individuals reached said that they were likely to make the recipe. FNC's F&F Program helped expand the reach of Cooking Matters and Seed to Supper curriculum by offering classes to parents and families. The agencies hosting Seed to Supper sites advertised to their respective clients. The Jackson County Master Gardeners also advertised to their members. The Seed to Supper coordinator developed flyers for several agencies. ACCESS inserted fliers in food boxes for all food pantries. Increased redemption of farm direct WIC vouchers, Grower's Market SNAP Match benefits, and Veggie Prescriptions. For low-income seniors, the redemption rate of farm direct vouchers for 2015 was 70% in 2016. For WIC, the redemption rate for 2015 was 63% and it decreased to 60% in 2016. Data for 2017 is not available yet. The redemption rate for DUFB at the RVGM was over 80% in 2016 and 2017. The redemption rate for the Veggie RX program was 71% from November 2016 to August 2017. Increased quantity of and direct access to food produced by area residents through cooperative gardening initiatives. The F&F Program distributed 1000 pounds of produce grown at the farm by clients to FNC's pre-school in Medford. The ACCESS Food Share Gardens produced over 25,700 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables that were distributed to low-income clients through partners in Jackson County. Goal 4. To build community capacity to implement long-term solutions Successes of this project will be replicated in other communities throughout our region through the Rogue Valley Food System Network partners. The Community Food Systems Coordinator is replicating a Veggie RX Program in Grants Pass by establishing connections with 5 partners. The Grants Pass Pantry Cooking Demo Project started in May of 2017 and operates at 2 pantries once a month. This activity reached 568 clients at food pantries. Lessons learned will be shared with partners around the state The coordinator has contributed to both OCFSN working groups during 7 conference calls, the development of a survey tool and a statewide report for Veggie RX, and attended the annual conference. Develop annual collaborative work plan within the Rogue Valley Food System Network and its partners. The results of this work plan are: 14 organizations represented in the network, 5 collaborative programs through the network, and 1 replication of a successful program: The Josephine County Food Bank Food Pantry Demo project.
Publications
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