FINAL REPORT-reduced

Report by: Erin Allgood, Jody Kenworthy, and Rebecca Gosselin
Sponsored by: Kerry Rickrode (Hillsborough County Conservation District)
and Stacy Luke (Merrimack County Conservation District
Community Food Planning Project Grant December 31, 2015
NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All
Sponsored by the NH Association of Conservation Districts with funding from the
National Institute of Food and Agriculture

NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All Project
Table of Contents
Note to the Reader PAGE
Project Purpose PAGE
Abstract PAGE
Executive Summary PAGE
Methodology PAGE
Project Outcomes PAGE
Recommendations PAGE
Conclusion PAGE
Appendices PAGE
Appendix A: Literature Review PAGE
Appendix B: Kick-Off Roundtable Meeting Materials PAGE
Appendix C: Survey Questions PAGE
Appendix D: Survey Results PAGE
Appendix E: Follow-Up Stakeholder Meeting Materials PAGE
“I wish I had more money to feed my son and myself healthier,
non-GMO, hormone free, free range, organically grown food!”
-SNAP/WIC Client

Dear Reader,
Thank you for your interest in the NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All project conducted by
the NH Association of Conservation Districts. We thank each and every one of you who took the time
to participate in our project; from attending stakeholder meetings, to completing the surveys, to your
continued communication and support in planning our next steps to come closer to ensuring local food
can be enjoyed for all.
The focus of this project was to discern novel ways to bring more local foods to low-income populations
throughout the state while also expanding upon existing successful strategies. We recognize that by
expanding access to local foods will also help farmers become more profitable and develop new revenue
streams that are key to the success of their farm businesses.
After reviewing the results of hundreds of surveys from four target groups and consulting stakeholders,
the project team devised eight recommendations where future efforts should be directed. These
recommendations include both short and long-term solutions. Simple ways to address food access
include more outreach regarding the locations and times of farmers markets to low-income populations,
strengthening the connections between farmers and food providers, and continued coalition building
with various stakeholders. More in-depth solutions include a mobile market pilot program; developing a
toolkit for farmers market managers and farmers who would like to accept SNAP; reinstating the WIC
Farmers Market program; and increasing the distribution of local foods to convenience stores.
We could not have completed this project without the support from the National Institute of Food and
Agriculture’s Community Food Planning grant. We are grateful for the support and look forward to
pursuing future efforts based upon the findings from this project.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the project team to learn more, provide feedback and participate in our
next steps. We very much look forward to hearing from you in the future!
Sincerely,

Note to the Reader
Erin L. Allgood
Food System Consultant
Allgood Eats Local
erin@allgoodeatslocal.com
(603) 953-5765
Stacy Luke
District Manager
Merrimack County Conservation District
info@merrimackccd.org
603.223.6023
Kerry L Rickrode
District Manager
Hillsborough County Conservation District
kerry.rickrode@nh.nacdnet.net
(603) 673-2409 Ext. 100


New Hampshire is experiencing an increase in local food production and consumer demand. But, many
residents do not have the access to nutritious, locally grown food due to numerous barriers. Local food
is difficult for the over 17,000 WIC program participants or the 14% of children who have been
identified as food insecure. Other populations, such as NH’s senior population and its refugee
communities, also struggle for access. Many organizations and agencies have worked on this issue, but
a coordinated effort is still elusive. Also, many ideas of innovative demonstration projects to reach low-
income and socially disadvantaged residents have arisen but still need coordination and capacity
building to be launched. For this reason, the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts
(NHACD) created this planning project The New Hampshire Road Map to Local Foods Access for
All.
NHACD, county conservation districts, and other partners are working in collaboration to make local
foods accessible to all. This includes NHACD working at the local level with agricultural producers,
farmers’ markets, social service agencies, schools, institutions, and consumers to make local food
accessible and available to all. This project drew upon the assets of NHACD to collaborate, problem
solve, and demonstrate new strategies to bring local foods into the home of every NH resident.
The Community Food Planning grant provided funding for this work. This project focused on assessing
current attitudes towards local food access for and amongst low-income populations and uncovered
potential ways to overcome the barriers to local food access that currently exist. The findings from this
project are an accurate reflection of the current atmosphere surrounding local food access within the
state and provide valuable insight into the best practices for moving forward towards this goal.
Project Purpose

The NH Association of Conservation Districts obtained a Community Food Planning grant from
the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to conduct an analysis on ways to bring more local
foods to low-income populations within the state.
There were four primary project activities: (1) kick-off meeting with stakeholders, (2)
developing/distributing individual surveys for each target respondent group, (3) analyzing survey
data, and (4) convening stakeholders for a follow-up meeting.
Findings suggest that there are ample opportunities to improve local food access to low-income
populations in a variety of ways.
Recommendations include both short-term and long-term interventions. Simple ways to address
food access include more outreach regarding the locations and times of farmers markets to low-
income populations, strengthening the connections between farmers and food providers, and
continued coalition building with various stakeholders. More in-depth solutions include a mobile
market pilot program; developing a toolkit for farmers market managers and farmers who would
like to accept SNAP; reinstating the WIC Farmers Market program; and increasing the distribution
of local foods to convenience stores.
Abstract
“There is much room to improve in the way of cost incentives
and educational outreach for the local community. Any help we
can get would be most beneficial to our efforts”
-Food provider

PROJECT BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
As the local food movement gains momentum in New Hampshire, key populations, such as low-income
residents, have been left out of the equation. The purpose of this project was to explore new and existing
ways to improve access to local foods for low-income residents of New Hampshire with the goal of
establishing pilot projects in the future. The funding for this project came from the Community Food
Planning grant through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Definitions:
SNAP- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps
WIC- Women, Infants, and Children program
EBT terminal- AN Electronic Benefits Transfer terminal is used to accept SNAP at farmers markets or
other locations.
Food providers- For the purpose of this project, food pantries and social service providers are designated
as food providers
SNAP/WIC clients- For the purpose of this project, the low-income population that was surveyed
generally accessed SNAP and/or WIC. Throughout the report, this target group is referred to
interchangeably as SNAP/WIC clients or simply as clients.
Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program- a program designed to provide low-income seniors with
coupons that can be exchanged for eligible foods (fruits, vegetables, honey, and fresh-cut herbs) at
farmers' markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture programs.
METHODOLOGY
There were four primary project activities: (1) kick-off meeting with stakeholders, (2)
developing/distributing individual surveys for each target respondent group, (3) analyzing survey
data, and (4) convening stakeholders for a follow-up meeting.
PROJECT OUTCOMES
The findings from this study showed a strong interest in local food access amongst the clients and food
providers surveyed as well as a moderate interest from farmers in exploring new markets with regard to
SNAP and WIC programs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The project team recommends both short and long-term approaches. Simple ways to address food
access include more outreach regarding the locations and times of farmers markets to low-income
populations, strengthening the connections between farmers and food providers, and continued
coalition building with various stakeholders. More in-depth solutions include a mobile market pilot
program, developing a toolkit for farmers market managers and farmers who would like to accept
SNAP, reinstating the WIC Farmers Market program, and increasing the distribution of local foods
to convenience stores.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a strong foundation for local food access work throughout New Hampshire. The recommended
approaches build upon this foundation and seek to expand upon the existing strategies, as well as pilot
novel projects within the Granite State.
Executive Summary

PROJECT OVERVIEW
There were four primary activities associated with this project. For this project, food providers were
considered to be social service agencies and food pantries. SNAP/WIC clients were individuals who
utilized SNAP (also known as food stamps) or benefits from Women, Infants, and Children
Project Activity #1—Roundtable Stakeholder Meeting
In order to understand the unique concerns of farmers, food providers, farmer’s market managers, and
SNAP/WIC clients, an initial stakeholder meeting was held on March 20, 2015 at the Plymouth State
University Ice Arena, in Holderness, NH. The purpose of the meeting was to review current projects as
well as bring together stakeholders to brainstorm ways to get more local food into the hands of low-
income residents and devise survey questions. Materials from the Roundtable Stakeholder Meeting are
included in Appendix B.
Project Activity #2—Survey Design and Distribution
A literature review was conducted to understand past projects and research that has been done in New
Hampshire with regard to low-income populations and local food consumption (see Appendix A for full
literature review). Information from the literature review was used to inform the survey questions.
Surveys were developed for four different target groups: farmers, food service providers, farmer’s
market managers, and SNAP/WIC clients. The surveys were designed using Survey Monkey. Surveys
were distributed to the target groups and responses were monitored throughout the data collection
period. Initial data analysis was performed after the data collection period ended. Survey questions are
included in Appendix C and survey results are included in Appendix D.
Project Activity #3—Follow-up Stakeholder Meeting
A follow-up stakeholder meeting was held on November 30, 2015 at the Red River Theater in Concord,
NH. The purpose of the meeting was to share preliminary data analysis and gain feedback on next steps
for the project. Attendees reviewed the data and engaged in a small-group exercise designed to identify
promising projects and recommendations for next steps. Meeting materials are included in Appendix E.
Project Activity #4—Data Analysis and Recommendations for Next Steps
The survey data were analyzed using graph and text analysis generated by Survey Monkey. Responses
from farmers, food providers (social service agencies and food pantries), SNAP/WIC clients, and
farmers market managers were analyzed to see what trends existed. Selected quotes were also taken
from survey responses to include in the report. Based upon the information provided, recommendations
for next steps and potential pilot projects were proposed.
---------------
Methodology

PROJECT ACTIVITY #1: Roundtable Stakeholder Meeting
Attendants at the Roundtable meeting on March 20th
engaged in discussion. Photo credit: Kerry
Rickrode.
PROJECT ACTIVITY #2: Survey Design and Distribution
Approach
Four surveys were developed to target the following populations: (1) farmers, (2) food providers
(defined as social service agencies and food pantries), (3) SNAP/WIC clients and (4) farmers market
managers (see Appendix C for survey questions). The purpose of the surveys was to perform an
assessment of the current local foods consumptions as well as the barriers and benefits of increasing
local food access to low-income populations across New Hampshire.
Surveys
Survey questions were developed after receiving feedback from the roundtable discussion and after
consulting relevant literature and reports. Survey questions were designed to gauge overall interest in
providing and accessing local food as well as concerns and potential benefits. Additionally, questions
about the preferred types of information, assistance, and attitudes towards providing more local food to

low-income populations were added to the survey. All of the respondents’ answers were compiled and
analyzed. Complete survey questions can be found in Appendix C.
Distribution and Collection
The farmer contact list was generated from the NH Farm to Institution Food Hub Viability Study
through the Hillsborough County Conservation District that was conducted last year. The NH Food
Bank provided a contact list for food pantries and social service agencies in the state. This list was used
to generate the contact list for the food providers target group.
Surveys were distributed through Survey Monkey, and responses were collected from 8/3/2015 –
10/30/2015. Food pantries across the state were contacted via the Gleaning Coordinators for each
respective county and were given a web link to follow or a hard copy of the survey to distribute to
SNAP/WIC clients. Social service agencies were also contacted to administer the SNAP/WIC client
surveys. The contact list for farmers market managers was compiled from existing farmers market
information available on the NH Department of Agriculture website.
In order to increase the number of responses, an email was sent to the NH Food System listserv and the
Small and Beginning Farmers listserv with information about the project and links to the surveys.
PROJECT ACTIVITY #3: Follow-up Stakeholder Meeting
Outreach
The purpose of the follow-up meeting was to brainstorm and gauge stakeholder support for future
projects related to increasing local food access to low-income populations. People who had attended the
original roundtable meeting were invited to the follow-up meeting, as well as other stakeholders who
were interested in hearing updates on the project.
Attendees were presented preliminary data analysis and asked for feedback. The meeting materials and
notes can be found in Appendix E.
PROJECT ACTIVITY #4—Data Analysis and Recommendations for Next Steps
Graphs were generated within Survey Monkey using the responses given by the target groups. For some
open-ended questions, a word cloud was generated using the key words given in the responses. The
more bold and larger the word within the word clouds is indicative that the word appeared more
frequently in the responses. For other open-ended questions, the responses were categorized and tallied.
Selected quotes were taken and are included throughout the report. The trends were analyzed and
recommendations for next steps were based upon the findings from the data analysis and feedback from
stakeholders.

ROUNDTABLE MEETING RESULTS
Meeting Details
The initial roundtable meeting took place on March 20th
, 2015 in Plymouth, NH.
Stakeholders came from a variety of backgrounds and geographical locations throughout
the state.
Workshop Exercise
In both a large group discussion and a small group breakout session, attendees were
asked to help devise survey questions for the target populations. In addition, participants
were asked to brainstorm programs that would improve local foods access as well as
ponder ways in which the group could leverage their collective skills and knowledge. The
small breakout groups were asked to present their findings to the whole group. These
results were considered in how we crafted the survey questions and in our
recommendations for next steps. All of the meeting materials are included in Appendix
B.
SURVEY RESULTS
Demographics
General Respondent Demographics
Three surveys were distributed to target groups on 8/3/2015. A fourth survey was
distributed to farmer’s market managers on 9/9/2015. Follow-up emails were sent to non-
respondents periodically throughout the data collection period. Data collection ended on
10/30/2015. The survey link was also shared multiple times on the NH Food System
listserv and the Small and Beginning Farmers listserv during the data collection period.
Project Outcomes

Table 1: Geographical distribution of respondents.
Each survey group was asked to identify the county or town in which they worked/lived.
County % of
Farmers
% of Food
Providers
% of
Clients
% of
Farmer
Market
Managers
# of respondents n=105 n=98 n=78 n=16
Belknap 11 8 10 6
Carroll 7 6 0 0
Cheshire 8 9 0 0
Coos 2 2 0 13
Grafton 6 10 15 19
Hillsborough 17 28 51 25
Merrimack 22 15 9 13
Rockingham 17 17 1 19
Strafford 13 5 5 13
Sullivan 3 6 1 0
Statewide 5
Other* 2 3
*Respondents came from Maine.
As can be seen from Table 1, the counties with the highest response rate were
Hillsborough, Merrimack, and Rockingham. Sullivan, Coos, and Cheshire counties had
lower response rates. There were three additional surveys being conducted by different
organizations at the same time as these surveys, which could have led to the lower
response rates in some counties from SNAP/WIC clients.
Characteristics of Survey Respondents
Vegetables, fruit, meat, and dairy products top the list of products that food providers
believe that clients would want to come from local sources. Many of the farmer
respondents are producing these items, suggesting that these products are available
throughout the state.

Figure 1: Production vs. Demand for foods
SNAP/WIC clients were asked about the programs in which they participate. As can be
seen in Figure 2, clients accessed food through a variety of means; however, the SNAP
program and food pantries were cited as the programs in which the most respondents
participated [Figure 2]. This finding suggests that one way to increase local food access
in low-income populations is to ensure that SNAP is accepted where local foods can be
purchased or by providing more local food to food pantries.
Farmers Food Providers

Figure 2: Programs in which clients participate
The farmer group responded that the top three ways that they distribute their products is
through farm stands, farmer’s markets, and through a community-supported agriculture
(CSA) share [Figure 3]. Based upon this finding, it would be prudent to expand farmer’s
markets and farm stands to include electronic benefit transfer (EBT) machines to accept
SNAP on premises.

Figure 3: Modes of distribution
Approximately half of the farmers surveyed responded that the farmers market in which
they participate accept SNAP [Figure 4], indicating that there are opportunities to
establish SNAP programs at existing farmers markets.
Another opportunity would be to incorporate EBT machines at farm stands. In rural
areas, farm stands may be a better option than farmers markets for clients to access.
Currently, only a small percentage of farmers currently accept food stamps at their farm
stands, suggesting that there is room to expand in this area [Figure 4].
Figure 4: SNAP acceptance at farmers markets and farm stands

Local Food Procurement
Current local food procurement
Food providers and clients were asked whether or not they currently provided or bought
local foods, respectively. As can be seen from Table 2, 75% of food providers surveyed
did provide local foods to their clients, while 60% of SNAP/WIC clients purchased or
accessed local foods [Table 2]. This finding suggests that there is already an interest in
local food access in NH communities.
Table X: Current Local Food Procurement
Food providers and clients were asked from where they obtained local foods. When food
providers received local foods to distribute to clients, the food would generally come
directly from producers/growers or gleaning efforts [Table 3]. While the number of food
providers that receive CSA shares is small, there is an opportunity to expand the number
of CSA shares going to food pantries or social service agencies. If CSA shares were
purchased by the food providers, that would be beneficial income to the farmer.
Table 3: Sources of Local Foods
Yes No Not Sure
Food Providers 75% 10% 15%
Clients 60% 16% 25%
Food
Providers
Clients
Through a distributor 18%
Convenience/Grocery Store 55%
Directly from the producers/growers 51% 36%
Through a CSA 11% 3%
Food Pantry 53%
I do not currently get any food from local sources 18% 3%
I do not know 1% 4%
Other 24% 8%

Clients responded that they currently purchase or obtain local foods from a variety of
sources, with convenience stores and food pantries being the most frequently accessed
sources of local food [Table 3]. This finding indicates that there are opportunities to
expand local food to more convenience stores or to food pantries. It is not known at this
time how many convenience stores are actually carrying local foods in New Hampshire;
however, a recent study conducted by Wholesome Wave indicates that stocking
convenience stores with local foods is the best way to reach low-income residents in rural
areas, such as Coos County [Appendix A].
This finding also indicates that there is an opportunity to strengthen ties between
convenience store owners and local farmers, which would represent a previously
unexplored revenue stream for many NH farmers.
Purchasing habits of SNAP/WIC clients
An overwhelming 83% of clients stated that they had a farmers market within their area
[Table 4].
Table 4: Area Farmers Markets
Is there a farmers
market in your area?
Yes 83%
No 6%
Not sure 10%
Additionally, when asked if they shopped at a farmers market in their area, 38% of clients
said yes [Figure 5]. The top reasons for not shopping at a market were due to the
perceived cost of the food and a schedule conflict with when the market is open.

Figure 5: Shopping at Farmers Markets
With a considerable number of clients already shopping at farmers markets, this
demonstrates the benefit of expanding SNAP programs to farmers markets across the
state. This finding also reinforces the need to bring more local foods into convenience
stores, where there is less chance that the operating hours of the convenience store
schedule is a barrier.
Lack of transportation is also cited as a barrier to attending farmers markets, however,
most clients responded that they do have access to a personal car [Figure 6].

Figure 6: Modes of transportation
This finding also reinforces the potential benefit of adding more EBT terminals to farm
stands. There is merit in adding farm stands as additional locations to purchase local
foods for those clients with access to a personal car.
Interest in Local Food
While 60% of clients surveyed responded that they are already accessing local food
[Table 2], 92% of respondents said they were interested in accessing more local food
[Figure 7].
Figure 7: Interest in purchasing more local food

This finding demonstrates the need to develop novel approaches to food access as well as
expand upon existing programs to meet the demand for local food in low-income
populations.
Clients were asked what kinds of programs would help them access more local food. The
top choices were 1) a mobile market that accepts SNAP and travels to their
neighborhood, 2) increasing local food available at convenience stores, and 3)
transportation assistance to farmer’s markets [Figure 8].
Figure 8: Programs to increase local food access
Attitudes towards increasing local food access to low-income residents
Disadvantages
Each survey group was asked to respond with what they thought were the disadvantages
associated with providing/purchasing local food to low-income populations. The top
three responses were included for each survey group [Table 5].

Table 5: Disadvantages to increasing local food access
Farmers Food Providers Clients Farmers Market
Managers
More paperwork None Cost None
Unsure if there will be
a benefit to my
business
Space/storage Inconvenient to buy Delay in receiving
income
Length of time for
reimbursement
Cost Seasonality / Taste
(tie)
Extra paperwork
Farmers and farmer’s market managers were concerned about the paperwork and
reimbursement times. The cost of local food was cited as a disadvantage for both food
providers and clients, while the lack of storage space was a disadvantage cited by the
food providers. Additionally, clients responded that local foods were inconvenient to buy
and were deterred by the seasonality and/or the taste of local foods.
On a positive note, food providers and farmers market managers also stated that there
was no disadvantage in offering more local foods to low-income residents.
Benefits
Each target group was asked about the benefits of increasing local food access to low-
income populations. The top three responses were included for each survey group [Table
6].
Table 6: Benefits to increasing local food access
Farmers Food Providers Clients Farmers Market
Managers
Greater connection to
community
Healthier Healthier More customers
New markets of
customers to engage
Fresher Supporting local
farmers
Access
Increased revenue Support local
economy
Less processed foods
Food providers and clients cited healthier food as their top benefit, while farmers cited a
greater connection to the community. Farmers and farmer’s market managers also cited
more customers/increased revenue as benefits also, while clients and food providers cited
supporting farmers and the local economy as additional benefits.

Existing barriers and concerns
Food providers and farmers market managers were asked to respond to the barriers
associated with providing local food to low-income populations. The top 2-3 answers
were included [Table 7].
Table 7: Barriers to local food access
Food Providers Farmers Market Managers
Cost of local food Not enough resources (staff or time)
Lack of connection with local farmers Not enough interest from food stamp clients
Lack of refrigeration/storage space
Food providers cited a lack of connection with local farmers as a barrier to increasing
local food access to their clients. Facilitating connections between local farmers and food
providers would be a relatively easy task to accomplish and would help to strengthen
communities overall.
Food providers were also asked about their concerns with supplying more local food to
their clients [Figure 9]. The top answers included that clients would be unable to afford
local food and that they wouldn’t know how to prepare local food. Additionally, a good
portion of the food provider respondents cited that they had no concerns about providing
more local food to their clients.
“Barriers for small business owners/farmer, etc. are mainly on the administrative side
of things in my opinion. So, making these programs as accessible (to both businesses
and the public) as possible will help participation increase”
-NH farmer

Figure 9: Concerns with providing more local foods to clients
Programs
Farmers, food providers, and farmers market managers were asked questions regarding
the federal nutrition assistance programs, such as SNAP, WIC, and the Senior Farmers
Market Nutrition Program. As seen in Figure 4, approximately half of the farmers
surveyed participate in SNAP programs at farmers markets, while only a small
percentage of farmers have SNAP acceptance at their farm stands.
The WIC Farmers Market program had previously been available in New Hampshire
before the program was cut. For this project, farmers and farmer’s market managers were
asked their thoughts on the WIC Farmers Market program [Figure 10].

Figure 10: WIC Farmers Market program participation
Approximately 50% of farmers market managers surveyed responded that they had
previously hosted the WIC Farmers Market Program at the their market [Figure 10].
Of those farmers market managers that answered they had previously hosted a WIC
Farmers Market Program, all said that the program had been beneficial to their market
[Figure 11]. Approximately 1/3 of farmers surveyed also responded that the WIC
Farmers Market program had been beneficial to their business [Figure 12].
Figure 11: Farmers Market Managers: WIC Farmers Market program
Farmers Farmers Market Managers

Figure 12: Farmers: WIC Farmers Market program
Additionally, farmers were asked if they participated in the Senior Farmers Market
Nutrition program [Figure 13].
Figure 13: Senior Farmers Market Nutrition program participation
“The WIC program was a perfect program in that it was simple, reimbursement was
great and little paperwork involved”
-NH farmer

Only 10% of respondents participate in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program,
while an additional 32% were interested in learning more about the program. This finding
indicates that there is potential to grow the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition program and
also possibly reinstate the WIC Farmers Market Program.
General thoughts on federal nutrition assistance programs:
Food providers were asked an open-ended question regarding their thoughts on whether
federal nutrition assistance programs can help make local food more accessible: “Do you
think it is possible to make local food more accessible using federal nutrition assistance
programs? Please share your thoughts”. The responses were grouped into the following
categories: yes, probably, probably not, not sure, no [Table 8]. Selected quotes were
included also.
Table 8: Thoughts on whether it is possible to make local food more accessible using
federal nutrition assistance programs
Selected quotes:
• “Yes. Absolutely. Paired with the right kind of education and assistance with improving
nutritional standards, food stamps and other ways of cutting costs for those in poverty
would make all the difference in increasing accessibility to the community at large”
• “Not the child nutrition programs. The Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives grants and
FMPP grants are promising areas to get more local fresh food to families. The
reimbursement rates in the child nutrition programs make it very difficult without
additional private funding to augment the cost. Also, volume in NH is an issue”
• “Yes! I wish we had WIC at farmers markets in NH - people (customers) ask about it all
the time - they miss it!”
Over half of respondents felt that it was possible to make local food more accessible to
low-income populations through federal nutrition assistance programs. Approximately
1/3 of food provider respondents weren’t sure if there would be a possibility. This finding
indicates that there is cautious optimism around expanding local food access in low-
income populations.
Percentage
Yes 53%
Probably 2%
Probably not 4%
Not sure 32%
No 2%
Other 9%

Other programs
Farmers were asked to respond to additional questions to gauge their current participation
in other programs, such setting up a CSA share to be donated or allowing gleaning on
their farm [Table 9].
Table 9: Farmer interest in other programs
CSA donated or
purchased?
Gleaning?
Yes 15% 31%
No 40% 57%
No, but interested in
setting up a partnership
with a local organization
10% 13%
N/A- I do not have a CSA
program at my farm
34%
A small percentage of farmers either donated or had a CSA purchased for low-income
residents, while almost one third of farmers had allowed gleaning on their farm before.
There was some interest from farmers in setting up a CSA or gleaning program with a
local organization. This finding represents a potential opportunity to devise CSA
programs or gleaning operations with local organizations.
Assistance required to increase local foods access
Farmers, food providers, and farmers market managers were asked what kind of
assistance would allow them to provide more local food to low-income populations. The
top four responses were included [Table 10].
“We have a 2 year old gleaning program and continue to increase our offerings of local
produce. We still have a long way to go, building relationships with farmers, educating
clients, but most challenging, finding ways to preserve food so that the short season
can impact clients further through the year”
-Food provider

Table 10: Desired assistance in promoting local foods to low-income residents
Farmers Food Providers Farmers Market Managers
Education on which programs I
can participate and how to
participate
Convenient delivery Assistance in marketing to food
stamp clients
None, I am not interested in
accepting these programs
Increased storage space or
refrigeration
Connections to organizations that
serve food stamp clients
Assistance in obtaining a food
stamp terminal
Introduction to growers Education on how to set up a
program to accept food stamps
Assistance in obtaining a food
stamp vendor number
Increased interest from
clients/customers
Assistance in obtaining a EBT
terminal that allows you to accept
food stamps
The survey respondents indicated that they would like assistance in obtaining an EBT
terminal or food stamp vendor number, in addition to education on how to set up a
program or how to participate in federal nutrition assistance programs. Food providers
and farmers market managers requested introductions to growers or organizations that
serve clients, respectively. These responses indicate opportunity in providing targeted
education and assistance to farmers, food providers, and farmer’s market managers in
both setting up SNAP programs as well as other programs.
Information
Food providers, farmers market managers, and clients were asked what kind of
information they would like to provide/receive on local foods [Table 11].
Table 11: Desired information in promoting local foods to low-income populations
Food Providers Farmers market managers Clients
Recipes on how to prepare local
foods
Recipes on how to prepare
local food
Information on farmers market
locations
Nutrition information and
education
Nutrition information and
education
Recipes on how to prepare
local foods
Cooking classes Cooking classes Nutrition information and
education
Marketing/promotional materials Cooking classes

It appeared that food providers, farmer’s market managers, and clients all would like
nutrition information, recipes, and cooking classes with regard to local foods. It is
important to note that the number one request from clients is that they would like to
receive information on farmer’s market locations. This is a simple solution that would
require little effort and could make a big difference.
Additional Comments
At the end of each survey, each respondent was asked to provide any additional
comments. A word cloud generator was used to visualize each survey group’s comments
(words that appear more frequently in the comments are larger). Pertinent quotes were
taken for each group also.
Figure 12. Additional Comments on Local Food Access for Low-Income Populations
Farmers
Selected quote:
• “I participate in EBT at farmers' markets and see the benefit for many other
vendors, but do not see much at my booth. I am very pleased to see the program
available at markers; it is beneficial for the community and the market. It also
allows us to engage the EBT population and discuss nutrition, ways to cook
certain foods, etc. Allows opportunities for teaching/telling about cooking,
nutrition, etc. WIC does a good job educating at appointments. Handouts for EBT

at markets could help do the same thing especially for seasonal or more exotic
veggies. So many possibilities.”
Food Providers
Selected quotes:
• “Most of our local farmers/ citizens try to share the "extras" from their gardens
with our Food Pantry to be able to offer them to our clients”
• “Cost is the biggest issue. Obtaining a sufficient supply. Getting kid friendly
foods in the 10 weeks of summer vacation from school”

SNAP/WIC Clients
Selected quotes:
• “It would be wonderful to be able to use SNAP to buy a CSA”
Farmers Market Managers
Selected quote:
• “Offer cooking classes and food demonstrations on a schedule where people get
to taste the foods”
•

The word clouds show that, while there are barriers, there is also potential and interest in
increasing local food access for low-income populations.
FOLLOW-UP STAKEHOLDER MEETING
Meeting Details
The follow-up stakeholder meeting took place on November 30th, 2015 in Concord, NH.
Invitations were sent to those who attended the kick-off meeting in March, as well as
other stakeholders who expressed interest in attending. Like the kick-off meeting,
stakeholders represented a broad range of expertise and professional backgrounds. The
meeting included an overview of the data collected and lively large group discussion
followed by a small group exercise.
Workshop Exercise
Attendees were asked to review the data and answer what they would recommend for
future projects or share their knowledge on other studies of which they were aware on
this topic. The small groups then presented their findings to the whole group. These
results were considered in how we crafted our recommendations. All of the meeting
materials are included in Appendix E.

There are a number of recommendations for next steps based on the findings of this study. There is
substantial interest from clients, farmers, food providers, and farmer’s market managers to increase the
access of local food to low-income populations that will also help farmers become more profitable.
There are eight main areas the project team believes future efforts should be directed, with both short-
term and long-term solutions suggested.
Short-term solutions
1) When asked what kind of information they wanted on accessing local food, clients cited
“information on farmers market locations” as their top choice. Outreach to client populations
through food pantries and social service agencies to inform them of the locations of farmers
markets in their area would address this gap.
2) Making connections between food providers and farmers to facilitate the donation/purchase of a
CSA or to have gleaners come on their property would lead to greater connection within
communities.
3) There is already a tremendous amount of stakeholder interest in local food access. It is
imperative to continue to build a coalition around this topic amongst diverse stakeholders. The
NH Food Alliance is already in the process of building and strengthening a network of
stakeholders related to the food system and more opportunities for improving local food access
will come from that effort.
Long-term solutions
4) The development of a toolkit with guidance on how to obtain an EBT terminal and set up a
SNAP program at a farmers market or farm stand would be beneficial and was one of the
programs recommended at the follow-up stakeholder meeting. There is a project underway at
UNH for Spring 2016 to begin work on this topic.
5) Clients responded that their top choice for a program to help them access more local food was a
mobile market. We recommend a mobile market pilot program in one community as a way to
investigate the potential of this kind of program.
6) Increasing the distribution of local food to convenience stores would enable low-income
residents greater access to fresh, local foods and give farmers a new and different market for
their products. This solution would alleviate the issues that some clients have in not being able to
make it to a farmers market due to conflicts in their schedule.
7) There was interest from the target respondents in bringing back the WIC Farmers Market
program. Farmers who did use the program cited it as being beneficial to their business. Offering
Recommendations

another option besides a SNAP program for low-income residents at farmers markets would
potentially bring in more people to those markets.
8) The farmer’s market model with SNAP acceptance has proved to be successful across the state.
Many clients are already shopping at farmers markets in their area. By expanding the number of
farmers markets that accept SNAP across the state, a greater proportion of the low-income
population can be reached.
There is no one perfect solution to improving local food access to low-income populations in New
Hampshire. There are limitations to each program proposed, however, with a multi-pronged approach
with both short and long-term solutions, substantial progress in local foods access can be achieved.

The NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All Project conducted by the NH Association of
Conservation Districts provided new insights into novel ways to improve local food access to low-
income populations while simultaneously creating and strengthening revenue streams for farmers.
Findings from this study indicate that there are many opportunities, as well as support, for new projects
that will bring local food into the homes of all NH residents.
All target groups identified potential benefits, disadvantages, and barriers to increasing local food access
within low-income populations. The chief concerns among farmers and farmers market managers was
that there would be additional paperwork to be done or delays in receiving reimbursements. With the
food providers and clients, the main concerns were regarding cost, inconvenience, and lack of storage
space. The perceived benefits of increasing local food access were cited that the food would be fresher
and healthier (clients), as well as an increased connection to community and increased revenue
(farmers). The barriers cited were primarily due to lack of resources (staff, time, storage space).
The assistance that farmers, food providers, and farmers market managers requested were related to
education on how to participate in programs such as accepting SNAP, connections to growers or food
providers, or assistance in obtaining an EBT terminal. The information that was requested by farmers,
food providers, and farmer’s market managers were recipes, locations of area farmers markets, nutrition
education, and cooking classes.
Recommendations from this project include both short and long-term solutions. Short-term solutions
include improving outreach to low-income populations concerning local foods, strengthening
connections between growers and food providers, and continued coalition building amongst
stakeholders. Long-term solutions include a pilot mobile market program, the development of a SNAP
toolkit for farmers and farmer’s market managers, reinstating the WIC Farmers Market program, and
increasing distribution of local foods to convenience stores.
There is already a solid foundation for food access work and local food interest within New Hampshire.
Future efforts should capitalize on the strong stakeholder base that is already active in New Hampshire
as well as develop novel programs to address local food access.
The project team would like to thank the National Institute of Food and Agriculture for funding this
work. For more information about this project, please contact Kerry Rickrode
(kerry.rickrode@nh.nacdnet.net), Stacy Luke (info@merrimackccd.org) or Erin Allgood
(erin@allgoodeatslocal.com).
Conclusion

Literature Review for NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All Project
December 31, 2015
A literature review helped gauge and inform what past and present programs and research had
been done on local food access. Many programs, both governmental and non-governmental,
have aided in connecting local producers/farmers with low-income or socially disadvantaged
populations within communities. Research has been conducted to demonstrate the benefits of
offering local food in convenience stores, food stands, or through CSA shares; and the overall
desire from low-income populations to accessing local food.
A lack of knowledge, travel distance, price, and more than one stop are the main reasons cited in
the literature why low-income consumers do not shop at farmers markets or directly from the
producers. The largest gap in program support is in rural areas where there is more distance
between store and fewer options of where to shop. The programs and research summarized
below suggest several potential ways to link low-income consumers with local food. These
include, but are not limited to, targeted outreach, incentive programs for stores and markets
where there are not enough funds to support accepting SNAP, and creating a network of
stakeholders throughout the state.
Martinez, Steve, et al. Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts, and Issues, ERR 97, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, May 2010.
While there is no unanimity on the definition of what distance between production and
consumption is considered “local,” most view it as travel distance that is less than 400 miles or
product that stays within the state it originated. Farms grossing less than $50,000 in total farm
sales are the majority of farms that sell directly to consumers. Although, most local food sales
may not be direct-to-consumer; in the United States, in 2007, local direct-to-consumer sales were
$1.2 billion, compared to all local food sales that were $5 billion.
“Small, independent grocery retailers, whose identity and store assortment practices have
closer links to specific geographic locations, are better positioned to incorporate local food as
part of their corporate identity.” (11) “For producers of local foods, who often run small-scale
farm operations, it can be difficult to meet intermediary demands for high volumes, consistent
quality, timely deliveries, and out-of-season availability.” (23)
“Lack of investment capital for supply chain infrastructure, such as vehicles,
temperature-controlled storage facilities, and processing plants, can be a significant barrier to
starting local aggregation and distribution businesses.” (25) Research found that many
institutional food buyers are interested in buying regional food, but did not make it a priority
because they felt a lack of support programs and insufficient distribution channels.
Sometimes it is hard to identify what is local because, “once a product is combined
(aggregated) with other, it is no longer identified with the origin and production processes of a
particular farm.” (26)
“Consumers who enjoy cooking, growing a food garden, frequenting health food stores,
and purchasing organic food were more likely to buy local food. On the other hand,
environmental and health-related attitudes and behaviors, while well received among local food
consumers, were not important factors affecting actual food purchases.” (29)
“In other studies, the role of demographic characteristics was somewhat stronger.
Consumers who were female, older, more educated, higher income earners, and members of
environmental groups were more likely to buy local food.” (30) While, “surveys suggest that
reasons for not shopping at a farmers’ market include: absences of availability in the patron’s
Appendix A- NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All Project

December 31, 2015
vicinity; lack of knowledge about market existence; inconvenience (too far to drive); food of
comparable quality at more convenient locations; and prices being too high (possibly due to
timing of survey- beginning of the season).” (30)
Wholesome Wave. The New Hampshire Network: A Proposal to Support the Scaling and
Sustainability of Nutrition Benefit Incentive Programs in the State. January 2014.
“We recommend building a statewide network as a mechanism to strengthen and scale
nutrition incentive programs across New Hampshire, thereby increasing affordable access to
locally grown food in the state. An organized network of stakeholders and incentive program
operators can provide structure through which these initiatives can achieve economies of scale
and more effectively access resources, such as federal funding as it becomes available. A
network also provides a system through which capacity is built among those implementing
incentive programs to foster an increase in reach and impact as the network begins to grow.” (2)
Local Food Research Center. “Farmers Markets for All: Exploring Barriers and
Opportunities for Increasing Fresh Food Access by Connecting Low-Income Communities
with Farmers Markets” Asheville, NC. Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. 2012.
Although the development of new farmers markets has dramatically increased over the
past fifteen years, the number of low-income consumers who shop at these markets has not.
Barriers that are keeping low-income consumers from participating in farmers markets include,
“convenience of markets [including vendors running our of the desirable items early in the day],
pricing concerns, cultural barriers [including language barriers], and issues related to the use of
federal nutrition benefits, as well as an overarching lack of consumer awareness about the
availability of farmers markets and the advantages of shopping at them.” (1) “Studies show that
low-income residents may be less aware of the existence of nearby farmers markets, as well as
have a more difficult time making a trip to these markets than other consumers. Low-income
families and individuals may be juggling multiple jobs, dealing with inadequate transportation,
and struggling to access basic resources, among other things.” (1)
“Research studies have noted a loss of basic cooking, storing, and preserving skills
needed to prepare fresh foods in many low-income communities, skills needed to become
consistent farmers market shoppers. Furthermore, limited experience with different fruits and
vegetables can keep people from trying the variety of offerings available at a farmers market, and
a lack of understanding regarding elements of nutrition and health can lead to an undervaluing of
fresh produce in favor of inexpensive convenience foods.” (4-5)
Low, Sarah A., and Stephen Vogel. Direct and Intermediated Marketing of Local Foods in
the United States. ERR-128, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service,
November 2011.
“For local foods production to continue to grow, marketing channels and supply chain
infrastructure must deepen.” (iii)
“Marketing of local foods, via both direct-to-consumer and intermediated channels, grossed
$4.8 billion in 2008- about four times higher than estimates based solely on direct-to-consumer
sales.” (iii) “Farms marketing food commodities exclusively through intermediated channels

December 31, 2015
reported $2.7 billion in local food sales in 2008- over three times higher than the value of local
foods marketed exclusively through direct-to-consumer channels, and two times higher than the
value of local foods marketed by farms using a combination of direct-to-consumer and
intermediated channels.” (iii)
Eighty-one percent of all local food sales, from farms in 2008, were from small farms
(those grossing less than $50,000 in annual sales). While ninety-three percent of the value of
local food sales that are marketed only through intermediated channels (which most are, 50-66
percent) are from large farms.
“Farms with direct-to-consumer sales are more likely to have neighbors who also
participate in direct sales- this is a neighborhood effect rather than a regional effect.” (10) “Over
half of all farms with local food sales were located in metropolitan counties, compared with only
a third of all U.S. farms.” (12) “More than 50 percent of small local food sales farms were found
in metro counties and 30 percent in rural counties adjacent to metro counties, while nonlocal
food sales farms were, on average, more equally distributed across metro, adjacent rural, and
remote rural counties.” (12)
Karakus, Mustafa, MacAllum, Keith, Milfort, Roline and Hao, Honsheng. Nutrition
Assistance in Farmers Markets: Understanding the Shopping Patterns of SNAP Participants.
Prepared by Westat for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.
October, 2014.
• “SNAP participants most often shopped at large grocery stores for all their groceries and
were most likely to use their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards at these stores.” (27)
• “When shopping for fruits and vegetables, SNAP participants purchased fresh products
more often than frozen/canned products.” (28)
• Shopping at Farmers Markets (FMs)
o “Among SNAP participants, those who were more likely to shop at FMs included
women, people in households with no children, people in households receiving
support from other nutrition programs, and those who were aware of incentives
for EBT card use.” (28)
o “Among SNAP participants, those who were less likely to report shopping at
FMA included African Americans and other non-White race categories,
participants who were unemployed, homemakers, students, those who reported
that they could not work, and people in households with income below $10,000
per year.” (28)
o “The majority of shoppers agreed that they found more variety and better quality
fruits and vegetables at the FM than in other stores.” (28)
o “Most shoppers believed that the prices of fresh fruits and vegetables at FMs were
lower or at least the same as in other stores.” (28)
• “SNAP participants who were aware of financial incentives for EBT card use were more
likely to use SNAP benefits when shopping at FMs.” (28)
• “Among those who did not use their EBT card almost every time they shopped at FMs,
more than one-third were not aware that the card could be used at a FM, one in four ran
out of money on their EBT card, and almost one in ten declined to use it in order to avoid
social stigma.” (28)
• “The rate of using SNAP benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables is highest (89%) at large
grocery stores and lowest (73%) at natural organic stores.” (33)

December 31, 2015
• “When asked where they redeemed most of their SNAP benefits, the majority of focus
group attendees who responded to this question said that they redeemed the bulk of their
SNAP benefits at store locations other than FMs. Attendees often commented that they
tended to spend most of their benefits at the grocery store that was most conveniently
located to them, and by extension, where they tended to shop most regularly.” (33)
• “In essence, rational decision-makers like good deals. Additionally, the store’s
acceptance of the EBT card, a reason that is relevant only to SNAP participants, ranks
very high as well. More than 83 percent of participants stated this was a reason for
shopping at a particular store. The other reasons included availability of high-quality
fruits and vegetables, proximity to residence, easy to get to, and convenient store hours.”
(34)
• “Among the focus group attendees, convenience was commonly mentioned as the main
reason for shopping where they did. These responses correspond to the “easy to get to”
and “close to where I live” items in the survey. Focus group attendees also referenced
the convenient advantages of buying their fruit and vegetables as part of a “one-stop
shopping” preference.” (34)
• “A greater proportion of survey respondents who were born outside the United States
reported shopping at FMs, compared with those born in the United States.” (37)

Lunch
provided
by

Six
Burner
Bistro
The New Hampshire Road Map to Local Foods Access for All
March 20th
, 2015 Roundtable Meeting Agenda
Contact: Erin Allgood at erin@allgoodeatslocal.com, Kerry Rickrode at
kerry.rickrode@nh.nacdnet.net or Stacy Luke at stacy.luke@nh.nacdnet.net
for more information on this project.
10:00-‐10:15AM

Introductions

10:15–10:30AM

Overview
of
Road
Map
Project

10:30–11:00AM
Roundtable
Discussion

• Overview
of
current
research
• Current
success
stories
• Current
barriers
11:00-‐
11:30AM
Breakout
Session

• Brainstorm
survey
questions
o Food
providers
o SNAP/WIC
etc
recipients
• Opportunities
for
overcoming
barriers
11:30–11:45AM

Summarize
brainstorming
thoughts

11:45-‐12:00PM

Summary/Closing

12:00PM-‐1:00PM
Lunch/Networking

U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Institute of Food and
Funding
Provided

by
NIFA

Project
Sponsored

by
NHACD

Appendix B- NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All Project

The New Hampshire Road Map to Local Foods Access for All
March 20th
, 2015 Roundtable Meeting Agenda
Breakout Session
Which area was your group assigned?
• Farmers markets SNAP/WIC
• Food pantries
• Transportation
• Alternative retail markets
• Farm to School
Designing Survey Questions
Part of the directive of this grant is to survey low-income or at-risk individuals
(SNAP/WIC/EBT/Senior Nutrition Food Program recipients) as well as food providers (food
pantries, farmer’s market managers, grocery store owners, etc) to develop targeted strategies for
increasing access to local foods for these populations. Below, please consider what kinds of
questions you think would be useful when surveying these two groups (recipients and providers).
With regard to the area your group was assigned, what kinds of questions do you think are
important to ask the at-risk population (SNAP/WIC recipients) to understand why they are not
accessing more local food?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What kinds of questions do you think are important to ask food providers (farmers, food pantry
directors, grocery store owners, etc) about attracting or providing for more low-income
populations?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
General Brainstorming
What specific ideas do you have that could turn into actions that would improve local foods access
with regard to the area your group is discussing?
In what ways can this group (here at the Roundtable today) collectively leverage our skills,
knowledge and networks to make progress on this agenda?

March 20, 2015 Roundtable Meeting
Last Name First Name Association
Allgood Erin Project Lead- NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All
Barker Heidi UNH Cooperative Extension
Boynton Jessica NH Food Strategy/UNH
Dunn Anne UNH Cooperative Extension
Hemingway Susan Capital Area Wellness Coalition
Higgins Charlene ORIS
Hiza Katy NH Food Bank
Johnson Terry Healthy Eating Active Living (NH HEAL)
Lang Jane NH Farmers Market Association
Littleton Amanda Cheshire County Conservation District
Luke Stacy Capital Area Farm and Community Connection
Lyons Rachelle Center for Rural Partnerships/Plymouth State
Macpherson Gregg USDA Rural Development
Moran Julie North Country Farm Co-op
Obadia Jennifer Healthcare Without Harm
Purslow Stacey NH Gleans/NH Farm to School
Rickrode Kerry NRCS/HCCD
Robinson Katelyn NCIC
St. Clair Christine Small and Beginning Farmers of NH
Stevens Wendy ORIS/NH Farmers Market Association
West Evan New Hampshire Hunger Solutions
White Cheri NH DOE, School Lunch Program
Wnuk Susan Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Inc.

March 20, 2015 NH Roadmap to Local Foods Access for All meeting
Issues:
Transportation – NH state budget currently looking to make cuts.
• Public transportation schedules aren’t consistent and stops aren’t where the markets are.
Training/Certification Requirements – farmers need to get the necessary certifications to be able to
offer their food in places – i.e. GAP certified
• Next step: put together a program to get farmers necessary certifications.
Affordability – must find a way to distribute food at an affordable price.
• Mobile market – go to areas that are inaccessible. Renovate a bus, fill with fresh produce
available for sale.
Getting SNAP recipients to the market is challenging.
• Low-income individuals go food shopping once per month.
• Issue is how they manage their funds and accessibility.
• Solution: advertise at the beginning of the month to come to market and spend EBT funds.
Barriers at the system level?
• Look at social determinants as a way to improve healthy food access.
• Neighborhood model – Manchester
• Public Health Advisory Councils (NH DHHS) not funded
o Community health improvement plans
o Obesity prevention
• NH DOT – integrating equity
WIC only store at public housing site? Figure out a way to bring food to them.
Funding Sources available:
• USDA Local Food Promotion Program
• USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program
• NEW - Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare grant program – focus on local food access
• Local banks to fund SNAP/EBT set-up at Farmers Markets
What’s happening at Community level? State level?
• Introduce short term successes
• Long-term goal: How can we use this to inform policy at a state level?
• How do we want to duplicate efforts? Want to supplement.
• HEAL – roundtable for policy
Brainstorming Ideas:

• People on public transit – bring them to farmers market first, spend their money, then go to
traditional grocery store.
• Collaboration – hospitals, Head Start, healthcare facilities and farmers markets.
• NH Farmers Market Association facebook page

Appendix C- NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All Project

This survey is being administered by the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts
(NHACD) under The New Hampshire Road Map to Local Foods Access for All project and is funded by
a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The NHACD aims to “promote
comprehensive responses to local food access, farm, and nutrition issues” in the state of New
Hampshire.
The purpose of this project is to assess local food production and consumer demand within New
Hampshire. Individuals, food providers, and farmers are being surveyed throughout the state to help
gauge the need, desire, and barriers associated with local food access for low-income families.
Your feedback will help us to understand possible concerns and potential benefits for improved local
food access. Your answers will be kept confidential.
Thank you so much for your time and feedback.
Please feel free to contact Erin Allgood at erin@allgoodeatslocal.com for more information.
Road Map to Local Foods Access for All Project- Farmers
Introduction
1

Farm Information
Glossary of Terms:
New Hampshire Food Stamps
Provides purchasing assistance for food to low- and no-income people living within the United States. Also known as Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in other parts of the country.
WIC FMNP - WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
Provides healthcare, food and nutritional assistance to low-income pregnant or breastfeeding women, and children less than five years
of age and allows recipients to use their benefits at farmer's markets.
SFMNP- Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
Provides assistance to low-income seniors (at least 60 years of age) in the form of coupons to purchase eligible foods from farmers’
markets and farm-stands.
1. In which county is your farm located? (Check all that apply)
Belknap
Carroll
Cheshire
Coos
Grafton
Hillsborough
Merrimack
Rockingham
Strafford
Sullivan
2

2. What of the following do you produce on your farm? (Check all that apply)
Vegetables
Fruit
Beans/Legumes
Meat
Eggs
Grains
Maple syrup
Dairy products
Baked goods/Breads
Processed produce (pickles, jams, etc)
Other (please specify)
3. How do you sell/distribute your products? (please check the top 3 modes of distribution for your farm)
Farm stand
Farmer's market
Wholesale to distributor
Farm to School
Farm to Restaurant
Through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share
3

4. If you participate in a local farmer’s market, does the market accept food stamps?
Yes
No
Not applicable, I do not sell at a farmer’s market
I don't know
5. If your local farmer's market does accept food stamps, do you participate in the program?
Yes
No
6. Do you accept food stamps at your farm stand?
Yes
No
Not applicable, I do not have a farm stand on my property
7. Do you participate in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program?
Yes
No
No, but I would like more information on this program
4

8. Did your local farmer’s market participate in the WIC Farmer’s Market Program in the past?
Yes
No
I don't know
Not applicable, I do not participate in a farmer’s market
9. Was the WIC Farmer’s Market Program beneficial to your business?
Yes
No
Not applicable, my local farmer’s market did not participate in the WIC FMNP in the past
10. Do you have CSA shares that are donated or purchased by/for low-income residents?
Yes
No
No, but I would be interested in setting up a CSA partnership with a local organization
Not applicable, I do not have a CSA program at my farm
11. Do you allow gleaning on your farm?
Yes
No
No, but I would be interested in setting up a gleaning partnership with a local organization
5

12. What kind of technical or financial assistance would you like to receive in order to accept any federal
programs in the future?
Assistance in obtaining a food stamp terminal
Assistance in obtaining a food stamp vendor number
Education on which programs I can participate and how to participate
None, I am not interested in accepting these programs
13. What are the disadvantages you can see in accepting federal assistance programs?
More paperwork
Length of time for reimbursement
Unsure if there will be a benefit to my business
14. What are the benefits you can see in accepting federal assistance programs?
Increased revenue
Greater connection to community
New market of customers to engage
15. Do you have any additional comments on the New Hampshire Food Stamp, WIC FMNP, or SFMNP
programs?
6

Additional Comments
16. May we follow up with any additional questions?
Yes
No
17. Contact Information (Optional)-- You will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card to your choice of
Tractor Supply, Blue Seal or Agway stores within your area.
Name
Company
Address
Address 2
City/Town
State/Province -- select state --
ZIP/Postal Code
Country
Email Address
Phone Number
7

Hampshire.
The purpose of this project is to assess local food production and consumer demand within
communities in New Hampshire. Individuals, food providers, and farmers are being surveyed
throughout the state to help gauge the need, desire and barriers associated with local food access.
Roadmap to Local Foods Access for All- Food Providers
Introduction
1

Basic Information
Glossary of Terms:
Gleaning
Gleaning occurs when farmers intentionally leave a row unharvested, or allow people to enter a field and collect unharvested produce.
Gleaning also refers to the harvesting of fruits and vegetables from farmer's markets individual’s gardens, community gardens, and
community orchards.
CSA- Community Supported Agriculture
Community members purchase a membership to a local farm or group of farms and periodically receive shares of food that the farm(s)
have produced; it joins the consumer and producer in a partnership that allows them to share the benefits and risks in the foods’
production.
1. In which county does your organization serve/operate? (Check all that apply)
Belknap
Carroll
Cheshire
Coos
Grafton
Hillsborough
Merrimack
Rockingham
Strafford
Sullivan
State-wide
2. Which sector do you represent?
Food pantry
Social service agency
3. What population does your organization serve?
2

4. What types of foods are your clients most interested in? (Check all that apply)
Vegetables
Fruit
Beans/legumes
Meat
Eggs
Grains
Maple syrup
Dairy products
Baked goods/breads
Processed foods
5. Does any of the food you provide currently come from local sources?
Yes
No
Do not know
3

6. If you do receive food from local farmers/growers to distribute to clients, from where do you receive it?
Through a distributor
Directly from the producers/growers
Through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture share)
From gleaning efforts
I do not currently get any food from local sources
Not sure
7. Which of the following products would your organization be interested in receiving to distribute to your
clients from local sources ? (Check all that apply)
Vegetables
Fruit
Beans/legumes
Meat
Eggs
Grains
Maple syrup
Dairy products
Baked goods/breads
Processed foods
My customers/clients aren't interested in local foods
4

8. What are the barriers, if any, that prevent your organization from buying/accepting more local food to
distribute to your clients?
Lack of connections with local farmers
Lack of sufficient storage space
Lack of interest from clients/customers
Lack of refrigeration
Inconvenient to work with farmers
Cost of local food
Not applicable
9. What are your concerns, if any, regarding increasing the amount of local food that you offer to your clients?
My clients won’t be interested in local food
My clients aren’t sure how to prepare local food
My clients prefer different foods than is what available locally
My clients cannot afford the higher cost of local food
No concerns
10. What benefits, if any, do you perceive you would gain from offering more local food to your clients?
11. What disadvantages, if any, do you perceive that you would encounter from offering more local food to
your clients?
5

12. What kind of assistance would you like in order to offer more local food to your clients? (Check all that
apply)
Introduction to growers
Convenient delivery
Increased storage space or refrigeration
Increased interest from clients/customers
13. What kinds of information would your customers/clients like to receive regarding local foods?
Nutrition information and education
Marketing/promotional materials
Cooking classes
Recipes on how to prepare local foods
14. Do you think it is possible to make local food more accessible by using federal nutrition assistance
programs? Please share your thoughts.
6

Additional Comments
15. Are there any additional thoughts on the capacity of your organization to offer more local food to your
clients that you would like to share?
Yes
No
17. Contact information (Optional)-- You will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card to a farmer’s market
of your choice.
Name
Company
Address
Address 2
City/Town
ZIP/Postal Code
Country
Email Address
Phone Number
7

Hampshire.
The purpose of this project this is to assess local food production and consumer demand within
communities in New Hampshire. Individuals, food providers, and farmers are being surveyed
throughout the state to help gauge the need, desire and barriers associated for local food access.
Road Map to Local Food Access for All Project-- Clients
Introduction
1

Basic Information
Glossary of Terms:
SNAP- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps)
Federal program that provides purchasing assistance for food to low- and no-income people living within the United States.
WIC- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children
Federal program that provides healthcare, food and nutritional assistance to low-income pregnant or breastfeeding women, and
children less than five years of age.
SFMNP- Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
Federal program that provides assistance to low-income seniors (at least sixty years of age) in the form of coupons to purchase eligible
foods from farmers’ markets and farm stands.
CSA- Community Supported Agriculture
Community members purchase a membership to a local farm or group of farms and periodically receive shares of food that the farm(s)
have produced; it joins the consumer and producer in a partnership that allows them to share the benefits and risks in the foods’
production.
1. In which town do you live?
2. Of the programs listed, in which programs do you currently participate? (Check all that apply)
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Women, Infant and Children Program (WIC)
Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)
Local food pantry
Got Lunch! program
School Lunch Program
School Breakfast Program
Meals on Wheels
Community dinners
Summer feeding programs
Soup kitchens
None
2

3. What is your primary mode of transportation when you go food shopping?
Personal car
Bus
Bike
Taxi, ride share or carpool
Walk
4. How much do you spend per week on food? (include total amount of cash, WIC vouchers and/or food
stamps)
Less than $20
$20-$40
$40-$60
$60-$80
$80-$100
Greater than $100
5. How many people are in your household (including yourself)?
Children
Adults
3

6. Is there a farmer’s market in your area?
Yes
No
Not sure
7. Do you shop at a farmer's market in your area?
Yes
No, due to the cost of local food
No, due to a lack of transportation to a farmer's market
No, the farmer's market times do not align with my schedule
Not sure
4

8. Does any of the food you currently buy come from local sources?
Yes
No
I don’t know
9. If you currently buy food from local sources, where do you get that food? (Check all that apply)
Convenience/Grocery Store
Directly from the producers/growers
Through a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture share)
Food Pantry
I do not currently get any food from local sources
I do not know
10. Are you interested in buying more local food?
Yes
No
5

Benefits and Disadvantages
11. What are the benefits of eating more local food? (Check all that apply)
Healthier food
Supporting local farmers
Less processed food
12. What are the disadvantages of eating more local food? (Check all that apply)
Cost
Inconvenient to buy
Taste
6

13. What kinds of information would you like to receive about local food? (Check all that apply)
Cooking classes
Recipes on how to prepare local food
Information on farmer's market locations
14. What kind of program would be most effective at helping you to incorporate more local food into your diet
and budget? (Check top 3 choices)
Establish a mobile market that accepts SNAP and brings food to your neighborhood
Increase in local food available at convenience stores
Increase in farmer’s markets in your area that accept SNAP
Establish farmer’s markets in your area that accept WIC
Education on how to prepare and access local food
Transportation assistance to farmer’s markets
Access to a CSA share through a local farm
Events with SNAP education, health screenings, and nutrition information
7

Additional Comments
15. Are there any additional comments that you would like to share?
Yes
No
17. Contact information (Optional)-- You will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card to a farmer’s market
of your choice.
Name
Company
Address
Address 2
City/Town
ZIP/Postal Code
Country
Email Address
Phone Number
8

(NHACD) under The New Hampshire Road Map to Local Foods Access for All project and is funded
by a grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The NHACD aims to “promote
Hampshire.
The purpose of this project is to assess local food production and consumer demand within
communities in New Hampshire. Individuals, food providers, farmers, and farmers market managers
are being surveyed throughout the state to help gauge the need, desire and barriers associated
with local food access.
Your feedback will help us to understand possible concerns and potential benefits for improved
local food access. Your answers will be kept confidential.
Introduction
Roadmap to Local Foods Access for All- Farmers Market Managers
1

Basic Information
Glossary of Terms:
New Hampshire Food Stamps
Provides purchasing assistance for food to low- and no-income people living within the United States. Also known as Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in other parts of the country.
WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program
Provides healthcare, food and nutritional assistance to low-income pregnant or breastfeeding women, and children less than five years
of age and allows recipients to use their benefits at farmer's markets. This program is not currently available in NH.
1. In which county does your farmers market operate? (Check all that apply)
Belknap
Carroll
Cheshire
Coos
Grafton
Hillsborough
Merrimack
Rockingham
Strafford
Sullivan
State-wide
2

2. Does your market currently offer a food stamps program?
Yes
No
3. If your market does offer a food stamps program, please describe the features of your program.
4. Did your market offer the WIC Farmers Market Program when the program was offered in NH?
Yes
No
Not sure
5. Was the WIC Farmers Market Program beneficial when it was offered?
Yes
No
Not applicable - my market did not offer the WIC Farmers Market Program
3

6. What are the barriers, if any, that prevent your farmers market from accepting food stamps?
Not enough resources (staff or time) to set up a EBT terminal that will accept food stamps
Not enough interest from food stamp clients
Not applicable - My market already accepts food stamp
7. What benefits, if any, do you perceive you would gain from accepting food stamps at your farmers
market?
8. What disadvantages, if any, do you perceive that you would encounter from accepting food stamps at
your farmers market?
4

9. What kind of assistance would you like in order to institute a food stamp program food at your farmers
market? (Check all that apply)
Assistance in obtaining a EBT terminal that allows you to accept food stamps
Education on how to set up a program to accept food stamps
Connections to organizations that serve food stamp clients
Assistance in marketing to food stamp clients
10. What kinds of information would you like to offer food stamp clients at farmers markets?
Cooking classes
Recipes on how to prepare local foods
11. Do you think it is possible to make local food more accessible by instituting a food stamp program at
farmers markets? Please share your thoughts.
5

Additional Comments
12. Are there any additional thoughts on the capacity of your farmers market to institute a food stamp
program?
Yes
No
Name
Company
Address
Address 2
City/Town
ZIP/Postal Code
Country
Email Address
Phone Number
14. Contact information (Optional)-- You will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card to a restaurant of
your choice that features local food.
6

10.68% 11
6.80% 7
7.77% 8
1.94% 2
5.83% 6
17.48% 18
22.33% 23
16.50% 17
12.62% 13
2.91% 3
Q1 In which county is your farm located?
(Check all that apply)
Answered: 103 Skipped: 2
Belknap
Carroll
Cheshire
Coos
Grafton
Hillsborough
Merrimack
Rockingham
Strafford
Sullivan
0% 10% 20% 30%
Answer Choices Responses
Belknap
Carroll
Cheshire
Coos
Grafton
Hillsborough
Merrimack
Rockingham
Strafford
Sullivan
1 / 36
Appendix D- NH Road Map to Local Foods Access for All Project

Total Respondents: 103
# Other (please specify) Date
1 York, ME 11/4/2015 9:07 PM
2 York, ME 11/4/2015 9:03 PM
2 / 36

72.55% 74
49.02% 50
27.45% 28
45.10% 46
47.06% 48
7.84% 8
28.43% 29
13.73% 14
12.75% 13
17.65% 18
Q2 What of the following do you produce on
your farm? (Check all that apply)
Vegetables
Fruit
Beans/Legumes
Meat
Eggs
Grains
Maple syrup
Dairy products
Baked
goods/Breads
Processed
produce...
Other (please
specify)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Vegetables
Fruit
Beans/Legumes
Meat
Eggs
Grains
Maple syrup
Dairy products
Baked goods/Breads
3 / 36

17.65% 18
1 Other Fish 9/13/2015 2:15 PM
2 Other sunflower oil 9/11/2015 12:00 PM
3 Cider cider - fresh and hard 9/9/2015 10:25 AM
4 Honey Honey 9/9/2015 9:52 AM
5 Other Fiber 9/9/2015 9:32 AM
6 hay hay 9/9/2015 8:33 AM
7 Honey Honey 9/9/2015 8:00 AM
8 soap soap 9/4/2015 5:20 PM
9 Other mushrooms 9/4/2015 3:31 PM
10 Honey Honey 9/3/2015 7:42 AM
11 Honey honey 9/3/2015 7:24 AM
12 Honey Honey 9/2/2015 10:06 PM
13 herbs Herbs 8/10/2015 10:55 PM
14 garlic garlic 8/10/2015 9:00 PM
15 Meat soap Soap, livestock 8/10/2015 5:39 PM
16 Other ready to bake entrees 8/5/2015 2:07 PM
17 Meat Chicken, turkey, pork and beef 8/4/2015 2:19 PM
18 Honey Honey 8/4/2015 10:34 AM
4 / 36

74.51% 76
64.71% 66
17.65% 18
6.86% 7
29.41% 30
41.18% 42
27.45% 28
Q3 How do you sell/distribute your
products? (please check the top 3 modes of
distribution for your farm)
1 direct wholesale to other farmers 10/9/2015 1:53 PM
2 SFMNP Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program 9/17/2015 10:36 AM
3 Direct to consumer To local farm stands 9/17/2015 10:22 AM
4 Retail Store Wholesale retail store, direct selling to retail, online 9/17/2015 7:32 AM
5 Direct to consumer Wholesale wholesale-direct to consumer (coop) 9/17/2015 6:31 AM
6 Direct to consumer Word of mouth 9/12/2015 8:07 PM
Farm stand
Farmer's market
Wholesale to
distributor
Farm to School
Farm to
Restaurant
Through a
Community...
Other (please
specify)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Farm stand
Farmer's market
Wholesale to distributor
Farm to School
Farm to Restaurant
Through a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share
5 / 36

7 Direct to consumer Wholesale Farm to Hospital and Wholesale to Grocery Stores 9/12/2015 7:47 PM
8 Direct to consumer person to person 9/12/2015 12:01 AM
9 Wholesale SUPPLY FOOD PROCESSORS 9/10/2015 3:18 PM
10 Wholesale wholesale to stores 9/9/2015 11:36 AM
11 Direct to consumer website, festival, fairs 9/9/2015 9:32 AM
12 Wholesale Wholesale to Grocer 9/9/2015 9:01 AM
13 Wholesale wholesale to hospital 9/9/2015 8:29 AM
14 Direct to consumer food pantry 9/9/2015 8:00 AM
15 SFMNP Senior Farmer Market Nutrition Program (USDA) 9/4/2015 3:31 PM
16 Direct to consumer This is still a bit of a problem, at my scale, which is that of an ex-CSA (81 members) organic
vegetable producer in Hancock, and presently retired" looking for income, but without urnified resources. I am trying to
effect the small, local markets--they cook, cater, distribute, and serve a significant portion of the population. .
9/4/2015 1:32 PM
17 Direct to consumer direct to consumer 9/4/2015 9:56 AM
18 Wholesale wholesale 9/3/2015 9:00 AM
19 Direct to consumer Retail Store direct store deliveries (DSD) and through a Cooperative 9/3/2015 8:10 AM
20 direct to restaurants sales to restaurants 9/3/2015 7:35 AM
21 Direct to consumer Wholesale Wholesale to grocer, pyo 9/3/2015 7:16 AM
22 Retail Store grocery stores 9/2/2015 9:29 PM
23 Direct to consumer Farm store 8/11/2015 10:35 AM
24 direct to restaurants Wholesale Wholesale directly to coop and restaurants 8/10/2015 10:55 PM
25 Direct to consumer Farm Festival 8/10/2015 9:00 PM
26 Direct to consumer Internet 8/10/2015 5:33 PM
27 Retail Store a local store 8/5/2015 2:07 PM
28 Direct to consumer By ordering ahead from regular customers 8/4/2015 2:19 PM
6 / 36

48.96% 47
12.50% 12
28.13% 27
10.42% 10
Q4 If you participate in a local farmer’s
market, does the market accept food
stamps?
Total 96
Yes
No
Not
applicable, ...
I don't know
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Yes
No
I don't know
7 / 36

46.74% 43
17.39% 16
35.87% 33
Q5 If your local farmer's market does accept
food stamps, do you participate in the
program?
Total 92
Yes
No
Not applicable, I
do not sell at a
farmer’s market
Yes
No
8 / 36

9.38% 9
66.67% 64
23.96% 23
Q6 Do you accept food stamps at your farm
stand?
Total 96
Yes
No
Not applicable, I
do not have a farm
stand on my
property
Yes
No
Not applicable, I do not have a farm stand on my property
9 / 36

10.31% 10
57.73% 56
31.96% 31
Q7 Do you participate in the Senior Farmers
Market Nutrition Program?
Total 97
Yes
No
No, but I would
like more
information on this
program
Yes
No
No, but I would like more information on this program
10 / 36

36.08% 35
13.40% 13
29.90% 29
20.62% 20
Q8 Did your local farmer’s market
participate in the WIC Farmer’s Market
Program in the past?
Total 97
Yes
No
I don't know
Not applicable, I
do not participate
in a farmer’s
market
Yes
No
I don't know
11 / 36

31.46% 28
14.61% 13
30.34% 27
23.60% 21
Q9 Was the WIC Farmer’s Market Program
beneficial to your business?
Total 89
Yes
NoNot applicable, I
do not participate
in a farmer’s
market
Not applicable, my
local farmer’s
market did not
participate in t...
Yes
No
Not applicable, my local farmer’s market did not participate in the WIC FMNP in the past
12 / 36

15.46% 15
40.21% 39
10.31% 10
34.02% 33
Q10 Do you have CSA shares that are
donated or purchased by/for low-income
residents?
Total 97
Yes No No, but I would
be interested in
setting up a CSA
partnership w...
Not applicable,
I do not have a
CSA program at
my farm
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Yes
No
No, but I would be interested in setting up a CSA partnership with a local organization
Not applicable, I do not have a CSA program at my farm
13 / 36

30.93% 30
56.70% 55
12.37% 12
Q11 Do you allow gleaning on your farm?
Total 97
Yes No No, but I would be
interested in setting
up a gleaning
partnership with a...
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Yes
No
No, but I would be interested in setting up a gleaning partnership with a local organization
14 / 36

15.22% 14
10.87% 10
58.70% 54
29.35% 27
10.87% 10
Q12 What kind of technical or financial
assistance would you like to receive in
order to accept any federal programs in the
future?
1 grants to pay staff to do book keeping/run food stamp booth 11/4/2015 9:11 PM
2 N/A not using an outlet that spomsors such programs 9/17/2015 10:32 AM
3 Already participate none, I already participate through farmers markets 9/9/2015 1:45 PM
4 N/A Self-service/Farm Stand our farm stand is self service, the markets we attend provide 9/9/2015 10:28 AM
5 Already participate It is already implemented. How about soil help or food hub help? food truck? 9/9/2015 10:07 AM
6 More information needed would want more information before getting involved 9/9/2015 8:15 AM
7 N/A Self-service/Farm Stand Our farm stand is the honor system cash or check so it wouldn't work for us 9/3/2015 9:06 AM
8 N/A Self-service/Farm Stand self service at farm stand; love the program at the markets 8/16/2015 4:17 PM
9 More information needed Assistance for my Farmer's Market to accept EBT 8/5/2015 7:25 AM
10 Already participate I run a farmers market and have done all of the above for the market 8/4/2015 1:12 PM
None, I am not interested in accepting these programs Other (please specify)
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
None, I am not interested in accepting these programs
15 / 36

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