Effectiveness of a SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Booth at Farmers Markets

Many farmers markets are now accepting federal nutrition assistance benefits through programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), allowing program participants to use their benefits for purchasing locally grown fruits and vegetables. Select farmers markets that accept SNAP benefits offer nutrition education through recipe testing, cooking demonstrations, and recipe cards for market patrons. Minimal data, however, have been collected to determine the effectiveness of the educational materials used at farmers markets. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) program through Utah State University Extension collected initial and follow-up data from farmers market patrons through directly administered questionnaires. These questionnaires measured the impact of the food samples, recipe cards, and produce information posters shared with SNAP and non-SNAP participants at six Utah farmers markets in 2014 and 2015. Farmers market vendors were also surveyed to determine the influence of the SNAP-Ed booth on food sales and market value. Results of this study show that SNAP participants (n=140) are significantly more likely (p<0.05) than non-SNAP participants (n=917) to be influenced by the educational strategies utilized at the SNAP-Ed farmers market booth. Market vendors also reported increased produce sales as a result of having the SNAP-Ed booth at the market. Offering nutrition education at farmers markets that accept SNAP benefits is one way to educate low-income shoppers on how to select, store, and prepare local produce; it may also increase the overall amount of produce purchased at the market.