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Online chat about incentives

Reddit is often called “the front page of the internet” as it allows multiple groups of people to chat about breaking news or specific areas of interest. Today, one post on the front page is about NPR’s story on the FINIP and its role in incentivizing healthy food changes. The thread contains some interesting tidbits of how the “other 96%-98%” think about farmers markets and incentives. It may help markets to better understand the barriers that remain for these programs, from markets promoters to detractors in these comments like this:

Assuming that people eat less junk because of it. Someone getting $100 in benefits that was spending $30 on healthy foods, and $70 on junk, may end up now spending $30 on health, and $85 on junk, or $60 on healthy foods, but still spend $70 on junk. Also, just because you bought food at a farmers market, doesn’t mean it was healthy. You can still buy a lot of junk at a farmers market. And now that there is an incentive for buying at “farmers markets”, I have a feeling that the big companies will find a way to get their foods sold at farmers markets. The intentions are good, hopefully things work out and people make better choices, but I am skeptical over any results.

I believe this is a good idea and SNAP should have been promoting healthier choices a long time ago.
For one thing, buying locally helps local farmers, which helps the rural economy which hasn’t seen economic gains in a long time.
For another, buying fruits and vegetables will lead to more people eating healthier meals instead of processed foods. As a grocery store clerk I often saw people buying crappy food with their SNAP cards. Many people would purchase candy bars and soda rather than nutritional food. This isn’t to say that people shouldn’t treat themselves from time to time, but it doesn’t make sense for the government to subsidize companies making unhealthy food and people who make choices that cause health problems in the long-term.
What would be best is if the SNAP program included cooking classes. It’s so much easier to save money and stay healthy if you cook for yourself. I’ve been a chef at a hostel where we cook healthy meals for guests and staff and I can make a decent meal (chicken and pasta with sides of corn and green beans) for just $2-$3 for a big filling serving. A similar meal at a restaurant would be at least $10, and it’s a lot healthier than whatever you could get from the dollar menu at McDonald’s.

Reddit thread on FINI program

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11/12/2014
DW
civic engagement, farmers markets, farmers/farming information, food policy, incentives, market vendors, national food system work, outreach/marketing, SNAP

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Farmers Market Coalition helping SNAP at markets through USDA contract

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Darlene Wolnik-Helping Public Markets Grow

Recent work (2011-2019) while working as an Independent Researcher and Analyst (as of November 2019, took on role as FMC’s Training and Technical Assistance Director)

•AMS TA project: Mentor for national technical assistance project for current FMLFPP grantees led by the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development at Penn State University.
•Brooklyn NYC: Assisted BDPHO with developing farmers market technical assistance programs.
•Report on BDPHO’s 5-year market capacity project.
•Farmers Market Coalition Senior Research Associate for Farmers Market Metrics project creation (2015-)

• Farmers Market Coalition’s Senior Advisor, focusing on technical assistance for markets and networks (2015-)
•Illinois: Worked with ILFMA on evaluation plan for integration and upgrade of statewide fms and DTC information on integrated platforms.
•Louisiana: Assisted students at Southeastern University in Hammond with food system research and farmers market strategy.
•Louisiana: Assisted ReFresh Market and Garden with evaluation plan (2017)
•Louisiana: Working with Ruston Farmers Market on outreach strategy for new location

• Helping to craft resources and training for 2019 Fresh Central Certified Institute for Central Louisiana markets and producers with CLEDA.

•Louisiana: Organized first statewide farmers market conference for LSU Ag Center archives found at: lafarmersmarkets dot blogspot dot com

•Maine: Researched farmers market job descriptions found at www.helpingpublicmarketsgrow.com

• Mississippi: Providing research and analysis for City of Hernando MS 3-year project to grow flagship market

•Mississippi: Assisted Gulf Coast markets with FMPP project on analyzing access to markets for Gulfport resident and farmers. 2014 Local Food Awareness Report for Gulfport MS, found at www.helpingpublicmarketsgrow.com

•Vermont: Providing analysis and resource development for NOFA-VT’s annual data on farmers markets.
•Vermont: Researched and wrote report on SNAP, FMNP technology and policy answers for VT farmers markets in collaboration with NOFA-VT and VAAFM, 2013 Vermont Market Currency Feasibility Report found at www.helpingpublicmarketsgrow.com
•Vermont: Working with Vermont Law School on legal resources for farmers and market organizations.

•Vermont: Assisting with 3 year project to build capacity for direct marketing farmers and outlets through DIY data collection and use.

Wallace Center: Moderator of FSLN, advisory to the 2020 NGFN Conference to be held in New Orleans in March of 2020

•Why Hunger: Created online toolkit for grassroots communities.

Feel free to contact me at my name at gmail dot com if I might be able to help your market or business.
Thanks
Dar Wolnik

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