The West Virginia Family Nutrition Program (WVFNP) is a nutrition education and obesity prevention program targeting low income audiences, funded by the USDA and administered by West Virginia University Extension. WVFNP employees over 40 nutrition educators who work within their counties to provide limited resource youth and adults with nutrition education and create partnerships within their communities to support increased access to healthy foods.
The WV FNP and its partners have worked diligently over the past 7 years to build capacity in the local food system, not only to improve food security of individuals, but of communities. Programs have been launched to reach vulnerable populations in ways that recognize the barriers faced in accessing healthy foods, particularly lack of transportation, finances and knowledge and skills to purchase and prepare fresh produce. In 2014, with support from the Conservation Fund, the kids farmers market program was launched in McDowell County. Children are particularly vulnerable to barriers in healthy food access, in part, because they are dependent upon adults to provide them. Only 1 in 4 adults in West Virginia eats at least 1 fruit or vegetable a day meaning the children they care for are unlikely to have the exposure or access necessary to develop preferences for those foods. The kids market program brings farmers markets to schools and empowers kids by providing them with $4 in tokens to shop. Markets are combined with educational information and activities including taste tests and recipes. In 7 years, the program has expanded to all 55 counties, reaching over 54,000 children and has put over $220,000 in the hands of local farmers. The kids market program helped to establish a network of farmers across the state interested in food access markets. The markets created a demand for larger quantities of produce, forcing local farmers to work together to create aggregation and distribution systems.
As the network of farmers and pathways for aggregation and distribution strengthened, programs to expand access in other communities were added. A SNAP/EBT incentive program at farmers markets, “SNAP Stretch”, provides families with the opportunity to double or triple, if they shop with their children, SNAP/EBT dollars at existing farmers markets. The FARMacy program connects local agriculture with healthcare, making the case that “food is medicine” by providing individuals suffering from chronic disease with produce and education to support improved health outcomes. Food pantries offer another access point for vulnerable populations to receive healthy foods, but they typically lack the storage capacity and systems for receiving and distributing fresh foods. Through support from a Walmart Foundation grant, refrigeration units and connections to farmers are being created to facilitate access. In addition to kids markets, “Pop up markets” have been launched in a variety of settings including low income housing, senior housing child care centers, summer programs and community events, all with the goal of making fresh, local food accessible.
These programs demonstrate how universities can effectively partner with federal agencies, community partners and farmers to create sustainable and equitable food systems.