Farmers' Market Incentives for Low-Income Families: Who Uses, How Much, and Why

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Farmers' market incentive programs aim to improve nutrition and prevent disease in low-income populations.
• Understanding participation and utilization is key to assessing program impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact and contributions of farmers' market incentive programs.
• To evaluate the California Market Match program, the largest of its kind in the U.S.

Main Methods:

• Utilized administrative databases (n=1,469-30,506), participant surveys (n=2,723), and longitudinal interviews (n=163).
• Employed quantitative analysis (contingency tables, multiple regression) and qualitative coding of themes.
• Data collected from 2015-2018 and analyzed from 2018-2021.

Main Results:

• Participation rates were low, ranging from 3.7%-19.8% across localities.
• Market visits averaged 2.18-3.12 per season, yet 77.1% of surveyed participants were repeat customers.
• Inconvenience and high prices deterred utilization; Asian shoppers and non-LA County Southern Californians utilized programs most.

Conclusions:

• Farmers' market incentive programs can benefit population health via committed shoppers.
• Improving participation and utilization requires a deeper understanding of target communities.