Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
The North Coast Growers Association established one of the first certified farmers markets
in California and is now the longest continuously running certified market in
the State.
Farmers can only sell what they have grown.
These markets are bringing back the small family farm by giving the farmer
an opportunity
to sell directly to the consumer and ensure that what people buy is a local
product.
The North Coast Growers Association Farmers Market was established in 1978 by a handful of farmers.
They began selling from the back of their trucks in a vacant lot at the foot
of F and 7th Street in Arcata.
With the 33rd season upon us, membership has grown to over one hundred
members.
Currently there are markets in Eureka, McKinleyville, and Arcata.
The Saturday Arcata Farmer's Market on the plaza goes from mid-April to
mid-November.
Four other locations are open from June to October and include Tuesdays in
Eureka Old Town,
Tuesdays in Arcata at Wildberries, Thursday in Henderson Center, and
Thursdays at the McKinleyville Shopping Center.
There is a large variety of items at the farmers market, including eggs, meat,
vegetables, fruit - dried and fresh,
bedding, plants, shrubs, and trees. In addition, there are plant starts, seeds, jam, honey
and even flour. Along with the farm fresh products, the Saturday Market is
also a weekly celebration with music and special events.
Calfresh, formerly known as food stamps, has been renamed and redesigned
to create a brand that helps reduce the current stigma of food stamps,
while encouraging eligible Californians to take part in the program.
The new brand design captures the goal
of a successful nutrition assistance program.
Eligibility for calfresh is based on personal information such as estimated
earnings,
rent or mortgage, utility bills, daycare expenses, medical bills, child support,
ssi,
social security, or VA payments.
To receive benefits, you or one of your children must be a U.S. citizen or legal
permanent resident.
And your household gross monthly income must be within established limits.
You can still be eligible for calfresh, if you own your own house, a car, or
several cars.
You can have retirement accounts and money in the bank. You can be employed.
In California, there are approximately sixty two thousand households on calfresh
In Humboldt County, about fifteen hundred people receive cal fresh benefits. The local
demand and for benefits has increased 48.8% since
2008,
though at least 39% of the population who are potentially
eligible for calfresh are not receiving benefits.
The Market Max program is an incentive package that offers matching dollars to
calfresh participants who use their benefits at the farmers market.
Customers can visit the market manager's booth,
where they can exchange their benefits for tokens using their EVT cards
and receive up to ten dollars in matching incentive funds.
The Market Max dollars can be used to purchase any specialty crops
which include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, eggs, and food plant starts.
This program is made possible through a partnership with Humboldt County's
Food for People
and Roots for Change, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco.
The North Coast Grower's Association identified two groups of people in
Humboldt County who were eligible for calfresh benefits,
but under utilizing them. These group were new moms and older adults. The Association asked
our group to figure out the most effective ways to promote the Market
Match program, in such a way that it would increase the use of calfresh benefits
among these two groups.
Research showed that moms across geographic locations,
socioeconomic status, and racial diversity all hold these common values:
Health and Safety
Family Enrichment
Value
Simplification
and Time Management.
How do you effectively market to moms?
Research showed that if moms know they're going to get a consistent
product from local farmers,
they're more likely to return to the market and see that farmer.
When marketing to moms, consider:
What is the benefit of using the product? Are you providing solutions to everyday challenges?
Have you identified ways to enrich their children's lives?
What useful ideas or advice can you provide?
The biggest pitfall in marketing to older adult involves underscoring
chronological age in attempts to reach them.
Most people feel cognitively younger than their numeric age.
Furthermore the population of older adults in our communities is growing
quickly, making seniors to diverse to stereotype.
Instead, other themes may be used.
Seniors are interested in life satisfaction and intend to pursue rich
experiences over the acquisition of things.
A successful Market Match
campaign might promote the colorful experience of attending the market, the
high quality of the produce, and the opportunity to support one's community.
Once we gathered marketing information for the two target groups,
we sought to synthesize the information and create promotional materials that
appeal to both seniors and new moms.
In our brainstorming of these ideas, we found that many of the things that
appealed to new moms and seniors also appealed to demographic groups across
the board.
For instance, a strategy to increase the number of Market Match customers in
general involves promotion through recipe.
The seasonal nature of the market makes sharing easy monthly recipes an
effective incentive to come and shop.
Different crops can be focused on each month, to promote the good value
nutrition and creativity of the market. Recipes may focus on easy roasting,
baking,or saute' techniques
with the use of fresh vegetables and herbs in compelling combinations. Monthly
menus could promote
combinations of what's fresh and also happens to be a good buy.
Easy recipes and menus are time savers, that also appeal to seniors and families.
We presented Market Max information to Healthy Moms program staff and
participants. The presentation reflected our research findings about marketing to
moms. The moms were very excited about the ten dollar market matching incentive
and the program director decided that they would take monthly field trips to
the nearby Henderson Center Farmers Market.
If a simple presentation yielded an almost instant change in a small local
program,
what positive change could be accomplished in other areas of our community?
This project showed us how a small group of people, in a small amount of time, could
create some positive change in your own community.
Thank you to Portia Bramble and Dr. Michael Balliro