Safeguarding Fresh Food Access at Farmers Markets to Address Food Insecurity of Vulnerable Populations

The Wisconsin Partnership Program truly catalyzed this important work to address food security during the pandemic which is leading to opportunities for greater systems changes around food solidarity in the Greater Green Bay community. We are very grateful for WPP’s investment in the people of our community.

At a Glance

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greater Green Bay community faced increased food insecurity in vulnerable populations. This project aimed to address this challenge by securing additional funds, sustaining farmers markets’ ability to provide nutritious food and piloting a rapid response mechanism. The project successfully achieved its goals by funding the Double Your Bucks (DYB) and expanding it to non-Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligible Hispanic households through the Pandemic Double Your Bucks (P-DYB) program. The project also supported farmers markets in implementing safety measures and innovative approaches to ensure the access to nutritious food. The success of the project led to procurement of additional funding to expand the reach to low-income African American individuals in the future.

The Challenge

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in food insecurity in the Greater Green Bay community which placed greater strain on resources that address these needs. These disparities were further exacerbated in the area’s Hispanic community, which represents the second largest ethnic group in the Brown County.

Project Goals

This project aimed to create a community-led response focused on safeguarding and expanding access to locally grown fresh food for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 crisis and in the future. This was addressed through three objectives:

1. Secure additional funds to support DYB Incentive program and expand to non-SNAP eligible Hispanic households.
2. Sustain farmers markets ability to provide access to nutritious foods for vulnerable populations.
3. Pilot a rapid response mechanism to maintain and expand access to DYB resources.

Results

This project was successful in achieving each of its objectives. The project piloted a Pandemic Double Your Bucks (P-DYB) program to serve the Latinx population as it is not tied to SNAP-eligibility. Due to the success of the P-DYB program, the project team was able to secure additional funding through Brown County United Way to expand the program’s reach to an additional food pantry, St. Paul Lutheran Church, that serves the Latinx community. As a direct result of this support the P-DYB program was able to serve 120 families through Casa ALBA Melanie and St. Paul Lutheran Church and, in turn, support the economy with direct produce purchases from local farms.

The second objective, which aimed to sustain farmers markets’ ability to provide nutritious food to vulnerable populations was accomplished by supporting the safe operation of farmers markets and the continuation of EBT and DYB programs. The funding from this grant allowed farmers market partners, Downtown Green Bay, Inc., One Broadway, Inc., Market on Military and Oneida Farmers Market, to implement necessary safety precautions such as hygiene and social distancing measures and adopt innovative approaches including drive-up markets and one-way traffic systems. The safe continuation of the markets ensured that local businesses maintained a significant portion of their income despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking to the Future

Due to the success of this project, the team was able to secure a $20,000 grant from Greater Green Bay Community Foundation to expand the reach to include low-income African American individuals.