Farmers Market Food Navigator Program: Key Stakeholder Perceptions and Program Outcomes.

Area of Science:

• Community Nutrition
• Public Health Interventions
• Social Ecological Framework

Background:

• Farmers Markets (FM) are vital for local food systems.
• Vulnerable populations often face barriers to accessing fresh produce.
• Nutrition programs typically rely on incentives, which can be costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Farmers Market (FM) Food Navigator program's impact on access to local foods.
• To assess the program's effectiveness in promoting fruit and vegetable consumption.
• To determine if nutrition programs can succeed without purchase incentives.

Main Methods:

• A social ecological framework guided program design over three years.
• Data collected from Food Navigators, shoppers, FM managers, and vendors.
• Program utilized a Playbook without offering financial incentives for purchases.

Main Results:

• Shoppers interacting with Food Navigators reported increased intent to shop at FMs (80%) and consume/purchase more vegetables (50-52%).
• 26% of repeat-interacting shoppers showed higher vegetable consumption frequency.
• Over 50% of FM managers and vendors agreed Food Navigators boosted fruit and vegetable sales.

Conclusions:

• The FM Food Navigator program effectively influenced multiple levels of the social ecological framework.
• Community nutrition programs can enhance sales and health behaviors without incentives.
• This model offers a sustainable, budget-friendly approach to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.