South Carolina Perspective:
SNAP Healthy Bucks Program
Carrie Draper, MSW
Director of Policy and Partnership Development
Center for Nutrition and Health Disparities
University of South Carolina
draper@mailbox.sc.edu
RESULTS: The odds of achieving significant
improvements in FV consumption increased
for diabetics using financial incentives for
payment at the FM (OR: 38.8, 95% CI: 3.4–
449.6) and for those frequenting the FM more
often (OR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1–4.0).
CONCLUSION: Results reveal a dose–response
relationship between the intervention and FV
improvements and emphasize the importance
of addressing economic barriers to food
access.
SNAP participants in SC want to purchase fresh
healthy foods at farmers’ markets. The
Midlands Family Study included 550 adults
caring for children, 69% participating in SNAP.
One in three of these participants shopped at
farmers’ markets, and 97% said they would
use their SNAP benefits at a farmers’ market
if a participating one was close by to them.
Shopping at farmers’ markets may help
alleviate child hunger, too, as families that
shopped at farmers markets reported being
more food secure, including being able to
protect their children from hunger.¹
Jones, S. et al (2013). [Midlands Family Study]. Unpublished raw data.
2013-2014 Appropriation Act, S. 38.26, 120th South Carolina General Assembly, 1st Sess.
38.26. (DSS: SNAP Coupons) The Department of Social Services shall
establish a program to provide coupons that will allow
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to
obtain additional fresh fruits and vegetables when purchasing
fresh produce at grocery stores or farmers markets with SNAP
benefits through their EBT cards. Each coupon shall allow the
beneficiary to double the amount of produce purchased, up to five
dollars. The agency shall utilize all funds received in the prior and
current fiscal years from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a
bonus for reducing the error rate in processing SNAP applications to
fund the program.
2013-2014 Appropriation Act, S. 38.26, 120th South Carolina General Assembly, 1st Sess.
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Building relationships with stakeholders
Developing recommendations
Stakeholder sign-on
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Pilot season – summer/fall
2014
6 farmers’ markets
$2.50 SNAP purchases = $5
in “Healthy Bucks”
Reimbursement process
289 people shopping with
SNAP used HB
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Surveys with SNAP recipients
Photovoice with SNAP recipients
Interviews with farmers’ market
representatives
Funding Acknowledgements
University of South Carolina Center for Research in Nutrition & Health
Disparities
- COPASCities study: [National Research Initiative or Agriculture and Food
Research Initiative] Grant no. 2012-69001-19615 from the USDA National
Institute of Food and Agricultural Childhood Obesity A2101.code
- ASPIRE-II: [Advanced Support Program for Integration of Research
Excellence-II] University of South Carolina Office of the Vice President for
Research
Eat Smart, Move More SC
Data Collection & Analyses
Acknowledgements
Holly Pope
Amy Mattison-Faye
Lauren Neely
Jason Craig
Katie Welborn
Sonya Jones
Angela Liese
Barriers to Shopping at Farmer’s Market:
Unaware that markets took SNAP
 The majority (64.8%) of survey participants were unaware that
their local farmers’ markets accepted SNAP
 86.9% were unaware of the Healthy Bucks incentive program
Lacking information on location, days, and hours of operation
Unaware of the incentive program and how it works
Lack of transportation
 58.4% have their own car
 29.6% rely on rides from others
 8.8% walk or bike
Perceived markets to be expensive and only accepting cash
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A community participatory social action
method for identifying community needs and
influencing policy change
Guiding question(s)
Facilitated conversation
Sorting
Captioning
Community events with leaders and decision
makers/policy makers
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Transportation
Needs of children come first
Lack of variety
Lack of advertising/low visibility of
advertisements
Grocery store assets
Hours of operation/time
Location/space
Lack of money
“It is hard to get around without a car and no type of public transportation. I don’t
have a car and if I wanted to get there I’d have to walk a long way. The
community buses could take people to the farmers’ market for free. If you don’t
have the money, how are you supposed to get down there?”
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Convenience/Location
Word of mouth marketing
Transportation
Hours of operation
Quality/variety
Price/affordability due to Healthy Bucks
program
Social and community connection
Child nutrition/”For the kids”
“I heard about the market from the ladies that work with the farmers market and they also work inside the
family health center as dietitians, so I heard about this market through them and also through the WIC
program because my son gets WIC. If Healthy Bucks was going to be at other markets, having it at a family
health center is great because the location is so very important. Lots of people who work at the Family
Health Center use the market and they buy lots of stuff like peanuts, fruits, and collard greens. It’s the
thing to do on Fridays at work. People look forward to the fresh fruits and vegetables. We enjoyed
ourselves at the market the day of this picture and I’m thankful to be able to take part in the Healthy Bucks
program.”
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Significantly increase marketing and outreach of the program
to SNAP recipients and other potential SNAP retailers.
Ensure SNAP recipients are informed of the process of how to
participate in the program once they arrive at a participating
location (e.g., first go to the farmers’ market information tent,
get EBT card swiped, etc.).
Be more inclusive. Ensure SNAP recipients are part of the
power and decision making structures at farmers’ markets
(e.g., advisory councils, committees) and the implementation
stakeholder group.
Provide stipends for “SNAP Champions” in communities
offering the SNAP Healthy Bucks, who can employ community
organizing strategies to increase shopping with SNAP at the
markets (e.g., door knocking in residential communities and at
agencies).
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Process: not sure what the process is; a lot of paperwork; having to cut a check to
farmers— “some vendors don’t want a wooden nickel, they want cash money”;
having to do a 990 at the end of the year; “too daunting for just me”; very labor
intensive; “different departments you have to deal with and they don’t give the
same answers”
Equipment: don’t know how to get equipment; confused about free equipment
process; don’t have phone lines, electricity, or a wireless connection
Cost: cost-prohibitive—equipment/cutting checks to vendors; expensive to
reimburse someone; losing money from accepting SNAP; change in providers
that charges more; “burden on small markets”
Lack of Customer Base or Demand: did a lot of outreach and nobody is coming;
wasn’t using it, so discontinued the services; “we don’t feel that we have a huge
need for it right now”; haven’t had a lot of requests/demands from market
attendees wanting this to be done
Staffing Constraints: no or limited market staff— “can’t sit at one table and
handle everything”; turnover in market staff
Perceptions of SNAP and SNAP Users: social stigma attached to SNAP; “would
need to see if it would change farmers’ opinions of whether they would still come
sell at the market”; public perception
Some farmers markets were not able to articulate any barriers and were not
sure why a farmers markets would not accept SNAP.
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Resources/Capacity: being able to afford to do it; having the machine; free
equipment; electricity and connections; staffing
Understanding the Importance: “those in charge of the market being educated
on how important SNAP is and how much business that it will circulate regardless
of it being a slight hassle”; “to understand that a person may get paid on Friday
and come to the market on Saturday, but that same person needs something to
eat Monday through Thursday. So if they don’t have money and they are receiving
SNAP, you have to make it available for them if you plan on building a community
and care for the people.”; “If you care about your farmers, why wouldn’t you do
it?”
Knowing the Process: connections that help you navigate the system; state
agencies helping; understanding the process; process being easy and online;
customer service being amazing; managers knowing how to use it; having a user
friendly guide of how it works
Being a Part of the Farmers Market Association
Having the Demand
Aligning with Farmers Market Goals/Mission: “part of who we are”; “mission
driven”; “main goal of the farmers market is to encourage healthy eating ...
getting your local fruits and vegetables, so who wouldn’t want to spend $2 to get
$5 back? If we get SNAP set-up in future, we would definitely use the Healthy
Bucks Program”
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Create an easy to use, step-by-step guide for SC farmers markets
that details the following: how to become a SNAP vendor;
equipment processes; how to offer the SNAP Healthy Bucks
Program; the difference between SNAP, WIC farmers market
vouchers, and Senior Nutrition Farmers Market vouchers; contact
information for whom to contact for each program and process; and
information about SNAP usage per county and SNAP user facts to
demystify stereotypes.
To create a farmers market navigator system, that would help
markets and individual vendors navigate the processes, in person, of
becoming a SNAP vendor and offering the SNAP Healthy Bucks
Program.
Identify funding for market staff to manage, operate, and promote
SNAP at the market.
To determine accurate price comparisons between grocery store
and farmers market produce.
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Expanded to additional markets, direct
selling farmers, and a bulk produce box
program
Increased incentive amount from $5 to $10
Significantly more recruitment efforts from
agency
SNAP-Ed collaboration
About $10,000 expended in HB