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Farmers' Market Fresh

| Tennessee

Farmers’ Market Fresh (FMF) is a social marketing campaign for limited-resource consumers at farmers’ markets. The primary goal of this program is to promote fruit and vegetable consumption. The program is at eligible farmers’ markets that accept SNAP EBT. This program is helping people eat more local fruits and vegetables through education and access.

  • FMF participants report they eat more locally-grown fruits and vegetables.
  • FMF has increased interest from market managers regarding how to accept SNAP/ EBT at local markets.
  • SNAP redemption at the farmers’ markets where FMF has been implemented, increased by 25% in 2015, 9% in 2016, and 47% in 2017.
  • FMF participants report they use the recipes they saw demonstrated and they work to eat more fruits and vegetables at home.
a sample table under a tent at a Farmers Market with two boys trying food

Education at 96 Markets

Since 2015, FMF has been implemented at 96 farmers’ markets across the state. At the markets, UT County Extension Agents, The Tennessee Nutrition and Consumer Education Program (TNCEP) para-professionals, and volunteers offer a series of nutrition education sessions that include food demonstrations, recipe tastings, and information on selection, storage, and preparation of a variety of produce items.

two women serve food samples at a Farmers Market

Getting the Word Out

TNCEP developed and implemented FMF. Farmers’ Market Fresh includes promotional activities for adults, food demonstrations and sampling, and children’s challenge activities. FMF is actively promoted in Tennessee communities through social media posts, newspaper articles, posters, flyers, and community presentations.

sample food table at a Farmers Market

Results

Since its inception, the program has resulted in:

  • 670 food demonstrations
  • 120,000 direct educational contacts
  • 900,000+ indirect contacts ( exhibits, newspaper, publications, social media, and television)

In response to the requests received from market managers to participate in the FMF program, the program continues to expand across the state. Through its growth, FMF is proving to be successful in engaging consumers at farmers’ markets in Tennessee.


This story was submitted by University of Tennessee (UT) Cooperative Extension, a SNAP-Ed Agency. For more information about this program, please contact Christopher Sneed.

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