Employing a Community-Involved Process to Incorporate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education into Community-Supported Agriculture Sites

Abstract

Gaps in food and nutrition security prompted farm to family innovations in Michigan to increase the number of community-supported agriculture (CSA) sites accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) along with financial incentives. In addition, there was a need for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) nutrition education. The Michigan Fitness Foundation, (MFF), recruited SNAP-Ed staff from key organizations to inform resource development framed in a community-involved process. MFF staff followed the community-involved process to promote collaboration and learn how to best meet nutrition education needs for shoppers at Michigan Farm to Family: CSA (MF2FCSA) sites. The methods used in the community-involved process included a listening session with SNAP-Ed staff, a brainstorming session with MFF staff, and a survey with shoppers at MF2FCSA sites. From this, lessons were learned. First, educators should have autonomy to choose the nutrition education activities that fit the needs of their local context. Another lesson learned was the importance of developing strong relationships between nutrition educators and CSA staff to support effective communication, and ultimately, the delivery of nutrition education. These lessons learned informed the development of a resource, called the CSA Food Navigator Playbook. The playbook includes program guidance and a suite of flexible and feasible nutrition education activities designed specifically to meet the needs of shoppers at MF2FCSA sites. Multiple feedback loops and collaboration strategies informed the community-involved process which were key for formative program development.