KCCUA & Menorah Legacy Foundation Kick Off Double Coupon Planning

Katherine Kelly, from the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, and Gayla Brockman, from the Menorah Legacy Foundation, facilitated a meeting of Kansas City area foundation leaders and healthy food advocates at the Truman Medical center in Kansas City, Missouri on October 9th.
 
The purpose of the meeting was to initiate an action plan to assure that low and moderate income people living in the Kansas city area can fully utilize various coupon programs such as SNAP, WIC, and Senior Coupons at local Farmers' Markets. The resulting action plan calls for a "double coupon" program such as the ones that the Wholesome Wave Foundation is promoting across the United States.
 

Katherine Kelly (left) and Gus Schmacher from the Wholesome Wave Foundation, discuss how Double Coupon Programs, such as the City Heights Farmers' Market sponsored by RAPP partner IRC San Diego, successfully help low-income consumers access fresh, affordable, and locally grown food.
 
Following are the minutes and action plan resulting from the Kansas City Meeting:
 
The meeting of the KC Double Value Coupon Collaboration was called to order by Gayla Brockman at 10:20 am on October 16, 2009 in the board room at Truman Medical Center. Attendees participated in person or via conference call.
 
Present: Gus Schumacher, Michel Nischan and Nessa Richman (Wholesome Wave Foundation), Larry Laverentz (Office of Refugee Resettlement), Dan Krotz (Institute for Social and Economic Development), Rita Cortes, Linda Lyon and Rosemary Gudelj (Menorah Legacy Foundation), Katherine Kelly (Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture), Gretchen Kunkel (KC Healthy Kids), Jane Mosley and Adriana M. Pecina (Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City), Teresa Gerard (Blue Cross Blue Shield of KC), Robin Winner (Synergy Services), Kerry Scott and Sabrina Boyd (Family Conservancy), Joanna Sebelien (Harvesters), Landon Denkler and Tara Atkinson (Jewish Vocational Services), Suzanne Haug and Jim Wheaton (Truman Medical Center).
 
Gayla welcomed all and thanked participants for attending. Everyone was asked to provide a brief introduction of their agencies and roles.
 
Gayla introduced a special guest, Mr. Gus Schumacher, Chairman of the Wholesome Wave Foundation, who flew in from Washington DC for this meeting. Gus provided the group with his background and the history of the farmer’s market coupon program. Most recently, Gus served as the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Prior to his appointment as Under Secretary, he was the Administrator of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Before joining the USDA, Mr. Schumacher served at the World Bank and as the Massachusetts Commissioner of Food and Agriculture.

During his tenure in Massachusetts, farmers markets grew from 34 to 88 locations and roadside stands showed strong growth. Gus created the Farmers Market Coupon program, that provided coupons to low-income mothers and seniors for use at farmers markets and also helped develop new markets for local farmers. The coupon program was replicated by numerous other states and eventually became the federal FMNP (WIC) and SFMNP (seniors) program.
 
Gus, with assistance from Michel and others, provided for the group the statistics and successes of the current double value coupon programs in cities across the country and the vision for the future. Currently, the program is in 55 markets and 10 states with the goal in 2010 to expand to 100 markets in 10 states. Gus outlined for the group the variety of federal funding options that might be available for programs like this including the Specialty Crop money, Farmers Market promotion money, State SNAP outreach program reward and Section 2121 Farm Bill.
 
Gayla provided specific details for the proposed Kansas City program. She explained that this will be both a demonstration project with various phases of activity. For the spring of 2010, the deliverables will include 10 farmers markets, one of which may be mobile, in specifically targeted areas that will have the ability to accept SNAP, WIC and other food subsidy coupons, vouchers, checks or cards. Each market will be provided with a dollar for dollar match to double the purchasing power for those low income families. In addition, each market will be paired with an agency that can provide wraparound education, support and other services as identified at the market, including cooking demonstrations.
Gretchen Kunkel from KC Healthy Kids updated the group on their applications to Robert Woods Johnson for creating healthy communities, areas which may be targeted for the healthy coupon program. Gretchen reported that they have received RWJ monies for the Rosedale community and are awaiting word for a grant to support healthy communities in the Ivanhoe and Argentine neighborhoods. In addition, Gretchen discussed the activities of the Food Policy Coalition and how the double value coupon program fits into that structure.
 
Katherine Kelly from KCCUA provided an overview of existing markets, locations and poverty area maps. She explained which markets were already equipped with the ability to accept food subsidy transactions. The group then identified possible criteria to consider when picking markets which includes: markets that already have infrastructure, well located in targeted areas (along public transportation lines), are in gap areas where a large penetration of low income families live but where no farmers markets exist currently and have established, trusted relationships with social service partners.
 
Kerry Scott from the Family Conservancy and Joanne from Harvesters discussed the lack of understanding by low income families on how to cook/eat fresh produce as compared to canned and the various programs their agencies offer to help overcome that knowledge gap. Kerry suggested other agencies who have already built trusting relationships with targeted populations who should be considered as partners in this project. Those agencies include: Head Start, schools, Catholic Charities and public housing.
 
Next steps:

1. Identify a project steering committee, committees and committee heads
2. Finalize criteria for farmers markets and select markets
3. Develop criteria for agency partners and select agencies
4. Request a service proposal and budget from the Wholesome Wave Foundation
5. Prepare a business plan
6. Connect with Missouri and Kansas USDA, Departments of Agriculture and Departments of Health and Human Services offices. Work to garner WIC support for expanding benefits to be used at area farmers markets.
7. Establish plan for securing USDA waivers for each market
8. Secure funding for phase 1 and future sustainability plans
9. Connect with Daniel Krotz from the Institute for Social and Economic Development to establish data collection and reporting needs
10. Develop Communication plan

 For more information, contact:
 
Gayla Brockman: gayla@menorahlegacy.org
Gus Schmacher: Gussch@aol.com
Katherine Kelly: katherine@kccua.org