Eat Linn County Mobile Market

Anne Crotty, MPH 2010 (expected)University of Iowa

7/30/2010

60% of Linn Co. adults overweight or obese2

38 % of CR 5th graders overweight/at risk* Oakhill Jackson 31% Taylor 36% Time Check 42% Cedar Hills 38% Wellington Heights 33%

The Issue

* Unpublished data. See handout.

Why?

Fruits & vegetables not readily available in neighborhoods

Competition with other foods

Cost

Time

Taste preferences/ unfamiliarity

The Issue

Reciprocal Determinism

Expectations

Behavioral Capability

Self Efficacy

Observational Learning

Reinforcements

Social Cognitive Theory6

Availability of Fresh Produce in 5 Neighborhoods Red= convenience store Purple = fast food Green = supermarket Yellow = NewBo City Market

Healthy Linn Care Network1

◦ Community health needs Linn Co. Public Health

Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development3

◦ Protects and develops resources in 5 counties to…

Matthew 25 Ministry Hub4

◦ Addresses community needs through unifying & empowering

Organizations

Vision◦All Cedar Rapids residents will have access to high-

quality and affordable produce…

Mission◦Eliminate health & food security barriers delivering &

affordable produce…

Values◦Sustainability◦Support for local farmers◦Food justice

Vision, Mission & Values

CSA= Community Supported Agriculture5

Contract w/ farmers for 250 shares ($5000 each)

Farmers deliver to NewBo City Market

CSA boxes churches; residents churches

Wholesale distributor in winter

$30 membership fee

$125,000 in salaries

Original Proposal

Contract w/ 5 farmers for 50 CSA shares ($4000 each)

Operates 3 seasons

Serves 50 member families (year 1)

Farmers deliver to Eat Linn County warehouse

Produce truck runs route in neighborhoods, stopping at specific locations

Mobile Market Proposal

Mobile Market Proposal

The Truck◦Shelving, sound system, awning, ramp, solar panels,

biodiesel, logo

Educational displays, cooking demos & samples

Priced at 10% above wholesale cost, plus a $30 annual membership fee per family.

Accept EBT or cash

Mobile Market

Requires 2 volunteer hours per month

◦Warehouse @ NewBo City Market◦Marketing◦Office work◦Neighborhood site or other organization◦Cook for a sick friend; baby-sit, etc.

Eat Linn County Mobile Market

Mobile MarketPossible Designs

http://www.cdcg.org/veggiemobile/ http://laist.com/2009/09/09/redesigning_the_farmers_market.php

Recruit farmers October 2010

Money in hand January 2011

Farmers commit 1 year January 2011

Buy truck & convert January 2011

Recruit Sale Locations March 2011

Market to social service orgs. March 2011

Membership drive May 2011

Timeline

Year 1 Budget

$200,000 through earmark in Farm Bill

Half goes to NewBo City Market renovation

After year 1, relies mostly on grant funding

See handout

Eliminates transportation barrier

Builds community

Self-promoting

Does not rely on inside space

Customers pick items, quantity, & frequency

Provides education

Strengths

Not financially self-sustainable

No dairy or meat products

Only 3 seasons◦Survey, adjustments, grant applications◦Consider 4 seasons after 1st year

Weaknesses

Simplified marketing

Existing resources

Large coalition base

Build community

Mobilize customers to “give back”

Boys and Girls Club youth design logo

Opportunities

Competition with unhealthy foods

Amount of produce vulnerable to weather

Perception that locally grown and healthy foods are for wealthy people

Long-term commitment of sites

Threats

Matthew 25 Ministry Hub

◦Hire administrator, assistant manager & driver (AmeriCorps)

◦Recruit neighborhood sites

◦Administrative tasks & marketing

◦Annual survey

◦Operate delivery truck

◦Grant writing (lead)

Roles & Responsibilities

www.hub25.org

Iowa Valley R & CD◦Recruit & manage contracts with farmers◦Grant writing

Healthy Linn Care Network◦Grant writing ◦Monitor health effects, fruit & vegetable consumption◦Program expansion

Roles & Responsibilities

http://www.ivrcd.org/ & http://www.healthylinn.org

More diverse5

◦80% Caucasian, 20% African American

Younger population5

◦Median Age 33 (CR 35)

More densely populated5

◦3950/sq. mi (CR 1913/sq. mi.)

Market Analysis

Poorer5

◦17% live below poverty (CR 11%)

More single-mother headed households5

◦12.5% (CR 7%)

Most common occupations5

◦Sales/office, service, construction

Market Analysis

Low-income families in neighborhoods

Existing networks

Postcards in businesses (social services, medical, etc.)

Table tents in workplace break rooms

Media

Word-of-mouth

Auditory, visual, olfactory

Marketing Plan

5 neighborhoods

Assessed availability and quality of sidewalks, appearance, safety, etc.

Most had sidewalks on major streets◦Not side streets◦Time Check / Northwest Area

Resistance to sidewalks

Walkability Assessments

Number of member families

Pre-enrollment data via enrollment form

Pounds of produce sold weekly

Press events

Testimonials

Annual anonymous survey◦Health conditions, meals/week eaten at home,

confidence, community engagement

Measuring Success

Public Health Domains & Competencies

Identify the social & community factors in the cause & solution…

Identify stakeholders…

Describe steps for planning…

Describe the merits of the intervention…

Social & Behavioral Sciences

Leadership◦Articulate an achievable mission, core values,

and vision

◦Use collaborative methods…

◦Apply social justice & human rights principles

Interdisciplinary Competencies

Diversity & Culture◦Apply principles of community-based

participatory research

Survey & focus group data

Resident involvement

Member investment & empowerment

Interdisciplinary Competencies

Program Planning◦Describe tasks that ensure implementation

goes as intended

◦Prepare a program budget…

◦Collaborate w/ others to prioritize resources…

Interdisciplinary Competencies

Communication◦Demonstrate effective oral & written

communication skills…

Business plan

Collaboration

Coalition meeting

Interdisciplinary Competencies

1. Healthy Linn Care Network. (n.d.). Healthy Linn Care Network. Retrieved July 25, 2010 from http://www.healthylinn.org/

2. Iowans Fit for Life. (2007). Annual report from the 2007 Iowa Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Retrieved July 22, 2010 from http://www.idph.state.ia.us/brfss/common/pdf/2007BRFSSannual.pdf

3. Iowa Valley Resource Conservation & Development. (2010). Who we are. Retrieved July 25, 2010 from

http://www.ivrcd.org/who_we_are.php

4. Matthew 25 Ministry Hub. (n.d.). Mission of the Matthew 25 Ministry Hub. Retrieved July 25, 2010 from

http://www.hub25.org/about-matthew-25/mission.html

5. Onboard Informatics. (2010). Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Retrieved July 26, 2010 from http://www.city-data.com/city/Cedar-Rapids-Iowa.html

6. National Cancer Institute. (2005). Theory at a Glance. Retrieved July 28, 2010 from http://www.cancer.gov/PDF/481f5d53-63df-41bc-bfaf-5aa48ee1da4d/TAAG3.pdf

References

THANK YOU...

Anne Crotty