Wabasha County Food Access Network becomes Food Charter Champions.

The Minnesota Food Charter is roadmap to healthy, affordable, and safe food for all Minnesotans.  It’s a tool to create healthy, prosperous communities and it offers ways to ensure that nourishing food is accessible today and for future generations. Wabasha County Food Access Network, with the support of Wabasha County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), has been busy implementing work in each of the areas found in the Minnesota Food Charter.

The Network started organizing in June 2016. The first meeting was brought together by Sara George, Minnesota Food Charter Champion and Strategic Team member, and was hosted by SHIP. Attendees included WIC, Social Services, Wabasha County Public Health, 3 Rivers, U of M Extension, Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Housing and Redevelopment, and many more. During the kick off meeting, Sara asked “What are you proud of that your organization does or that you do?  What do you wish you could do better?” The group learned there are a lot of great things happening throughout the community and they generated many ideas the group could support and chose to move forward with quarterly meetings facilitated by Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator.

Together they identified the following priorities: 

• Increasing access to healthy foods for seniors

• Reducing stigma attached to receiving services

• Increasing knowledge of healthy food opportunities through outreach, and

• Increasing access to affordable transportation in order to access healthy foods

During our second meeting in October 2016, U of M Extension SNAP-Ed, Annette Shepardson, presented Minnesota Food Charter to the group. In August 2017 Michael Dahl, Director of Minnesota Food Charter, joined the network to discuss in more depth the 5 strategy areas within the charter: food skills, food affordability, food availability, food accessibility, and infrastructure.

The following is a summary of much of the work that has been accomplished since the inception of the Wabasha County Food Access Network:

FOOD SKILLS: Foundations of Healthy Food

• U of M Extension SNAP-Educator, Annette Shepardson, offered multiple Nudging to Health trainings and a Cooking Matters in Your Food Pantry toolkit has been offered to volunteers. This opportunity has sparked partnership and positive change at emergency food systems. Nutrition classes have been offered to food shelf and SNAP eligible residents, but attendance was low. A sub-committee met to brainstorm attendance solutions. Annette assessed the clients’ needs and made modifications to pilot shorter lessons to be held on the days clients were already at the food shelf. When there are no participants, time is spent with volunteers. Annette indicated that this results in relationship building with food shelf and the volunteers. We are celebrating that 41 clients did taste testing/mini lessons May-September 2018.

• Lake City Public School’s students are experiencing new food skills through the kick off of a year-round greenhouse, which opened spring 2017. This has served as a tool for students to learn where food comes from, and a greenhouse course is being implemented this fall. This Tiger Time Childcare Summer Program cared for the plants, and prepared and ate the produce. Tiger Time students and staff have been utilizing a SHIP supported school-based agriculture project at the elementary school since the 2015. The school hopes to collaborate with Lake City Market by the Lake to learn how to sell produce at the market.

• Plainview-Elgin-Millville School District implemented a SHIP supported school-based agriculture project for their SACC (School Age Child Care) program in 2015. The students tended to the garden with the help of the adult SACC workers as well. The students pulled weeds, harvested their vegetables and made snacks.

• 38 Wabasha County child care providers have been offered Farm to Child Care or Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH)-Early Childhood Healthy Eating trainings, technical assistance and resources.

• PoP Club was implemented by Wabasha Farmers Market and Lake City Market by the Lake in 2017. The PoP Club Program allows kids ages 4-12 to receive a free $2 token to spend on fruits and vegetables at each market. “Whole families are learning about and experiencing new foods. We are seeing the kids challenging their parents to try new things! It’s so fun to see the smiles on these kids!”-Sara George, Wabasha Farmers Market Manager.

FOOD AFFORDABILITY: Enough money for enough healthy food

• Wabasha Farmers Market and Lake City Market by the Lake work hard to offer services for people with the greatest inequities and disparities. Wabasha Farmers Market was able to accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) effective May 2013 and the work continues. Starting in May 2016, the market was included in the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and is now able to accept FMNP and Senior-FMNP vouchers. With SHIP support, Lake City Market by the Lake accepted EBT in spring 2015.

FOOD AVAILABILITY: Enough healthy food for all

• With Support of SHIP, community-based agriculture projects were implemented in Wabasha County:

  • Towns/Cities: Zumbro Falls, Elgin, Wabasha (extra produce donated to local emergency food systems)

  • Hospital/Clinic/Supported Living Services: Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center (cafeteria/staff received training on how to utilize herbs grown to increase flavor and reduce sodium) and Great River Homes

  • Affordable Housing: SEMMCHRA has eight raised-bed gardens at Maple Grove apartments

• Emergency Food Systems

  • U of M Extension SNAP-Ed and Wabasha County SHIP teamed up to support the Wabasha Area Food Shelf. As a result, they have been working on the following projects: Developing a website, creating a list of suggested healthy food donations, designing placement of food in the food shelf, food storage, adding signage, and making gradual changes to the foods offered.

  • Lake City Food Shelf is an active member or our Food Access Network and we were fortunate enough to have one of their participants come and speak to us about stigma around using benefits and emergency food systems.

• Senior Dining

  • Semcac (South East Minnesota Community Action Agency) Senior Nutrition partnered with SHIP as a result of a Wabasha County SHIP Health Equity Data Analysis. (HEDA). The purpose of the HEDA was to answer “why do low-income seniors report eating fewer fruits and vegetables than higher income seniors?” Rice, Goodhue, and Wabasha counties supported the purchase of food processing equipment to enhance nutritional content, serve more local foods, and improve taste in Senior Dining Centers.

• Support for Breastfeeding in Worksites

  • Through the Wabasha County SHIP Worksite Wellness Collaborative project, three employers created designated breastfeeding rooms.

  • One of these employers became a designated Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace and the other two worksites are considering applying to become Breastfeeding Friendly Workplaces in the next year.

FOOD ACCESSIBILITY: Healthy food is easy to get

• Farmers’ Market Food Aggregation was developed into a project when Wabasha Farmers Market obtained a Wholesale Food Handler’s License which allows farmers markets to aggregate (or combine) and sell healthy foods to local businesses such as schools, hospitals, child care facilities and restaurants. The effort kicked off after three years of working to break through barriers. With support of Renewing the Countryside, this project expanded to nine other markets in Lake City, Cannon Falls, Rochester, Elk River, Chisago, Cook, Aitkin, Grand Rapids, Richfield (and Wabasha). Wabasha County SHIP funded the addition of Local Orbit, an online ordering platform, for Wabasha and Lake City locations.

• Lake City Thursday and Lake City Saturday Market combined under one umbrella Lake City Market by the Lake with SHIP support in 2017-2018. The goal was to increase EBT usage and awareness and increase local healthy food access and awareness. With funding from the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), they piloted free transportation to the market in 2017. The market did not continue that initiative due to cost. This year, they worked to promoting HART volunteer transportation to get customers to the markets.

• A representative from HART –Hiawathaland Auxiliary Transit presented to the Food Access Network about offering free transportation and seeking volunteers in January 2018.

• Wabasha Farmers Market found they were attracting seniors to the market due to the WIC Senior Farmers Nutrition Program (SFMNP). Once seniors got to the market, it seemed like they would benefit from places to rest. This was immediately addressed during a Food Access Network meeting when Workforce Development indicated they had chairs they could set out at the market.

FOOD INFRASTRUCTURE: Growing, processing, and distributing safe, healthy food

• SHIP and U of M Extension SNAP-Ed share training opportunities and grant with team.

• SHIP facilitates meetings-”Encourage the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, state agricultural grant programs, and other state resources to implement Food Charter strategies.”

• Farmers Market Food Aggregation-Wabasha Farmers Market has been a leader in food aggregation. Learn more at the Farmers’ Market Aggregation page.

Read about Food Charter Champions who have already signed on to implement Minnesota Food Charter strategies. 
Become a Food Charter Champion yourself!

Please join our efforts!  If you would like information on the Wabasha County Food Access Network, please contact Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator, at 651-565-5200 or at tmoen@co.wabasha.mn.us

Wabasha Area Food Shelf promotes healthy choices.

Wabasha County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) values multiple collaborating partners working together to aide Wabasha Area Food Shelf in increasing access to healthy foods for Wabasha area residents. 

In January of 2016, the first SHIP grant application was submitted, developed with the support of U of M Extension’s SNAP Educator, Annette Shepardson, following a Nudging to Health training.  Since this training, Wabasha Area Food Shelf has been in the process of making the following changes: Developing a website (see frequently asked questions here), creating a list of suggested healthy food donations, designing placement of food in the food shelf, adding signage, and improving gradual changes to the foods offered. SHIP funding has supported the food shelf with purchases such as a glass front refrigerator to keep produce fresh and visible.

Collaboration is the key to success. Wabasha Area Food Shelf is a member of the Wabasha County Food Access Network where members explore ways to increase access to healthy eating. SHIP has supported the City of Wabasha and Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Community-Based Agriculture projects and both partners are sharing produce with the food shelf. 

If you would like information on what it means to partner with SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please contact Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator at 651-565-5200 or at tmoen@co.wabasha.mn.us

Wabasha community-based agriculture expands into second year.

City of Wabasha, Public Works Department announces YEAR 2 for their community garden located at the intersection of Franklin Avenue & 10th Street East. 

This year, the annual cost of each food plot (10' by 20') cost $10 and was strengthened with organic fertilizer and tilling. The project now includes raised-bed gardens which will make gardening accessible for more people. Also new raspberry plants and fruit trees will produce fruit available to the public at no cost.  

Plan to be involved next year! Choose to plant and maintain a plot offering free produce to the public or to the food shelf, and the cost of the plots will be free. If you would like to mentor someone in gardening, the cost of the plot will also be free. For more information, please contact Wabasha City Hall, and they will put you in touch with garden coordinator, Mickey Nelson. 

This project was made possible through partnership with Wabasha County SHIP. If you would like information on what it means to partner with SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please contact Tina Moen, SHIP Coordinator at 651-565-5200.  

Wabasha County Food Access Network analysis on why seniors report reduced access to healthy foods.

In 2014, the Wabasha County Adult Survey results showed low income seniors reporting eating fewer fruits and vegetables than seniors with higher incomes. Wabasha County Public Health, with the help of the Food Access Network, questioned county seniors as well as key stakeholders using HEDA (Health Equity Data Analysis) to identify why this is happening. 

A few example questions asked included:
1.       Where are seniors getting fruits and vegetables?
2.       Are you satisfied with the access?
3.       What are the barriers?
4.       What could change?

Grocery stores, food shelves, and farmers markets are a primary source for seniors. Many seniors showed an interest in raised-bed and other forms of gardening. Concern about cost of obtaining healthy foods came up a lot. There is a perception that food is more expensive at farmers markets because seniors pay with cash. A lot of seniors felt access to fresh foods was good, but transportation to get to where they are sold was a barrier. Finally, seniors in wheelchairs or mobile scooters stated increased difficulty with accessibility to food sources.

Through various focus groups representing Wabasha County, it was determined that seniors do not have great access to healthy fruits and vegetables due to financial constraints, barriers with cost when using public transportation, and challenges with food delivery to include cost and quality. It was determined that, with transportation, education, and affordability/funding, we can work toward overcoming these barriers and make healthy fruits and vegetables more available to our seniors.

Wabasha County and the Food Access Network want to make healthy eating for seniors a number one priority.

Changes discussed included:

• Farmers’ market share boxes with senior sites like Maple Grove Apartments

• Better connecting of Three Rivers and SEMCAC with local farmers’ markets

• Partnering with Hiawatha Land Transit to encourage transport to farmers markets

• Promote cooking-for-one classes through senior organizations

• Mobile food trucks

• Future grant-writing

• Collaborating with partners

What else can we do to help our community seniors? Would you like to share your thoughts or become a part of the change? Join the Food Access Network!  Contact Tina Moen, Wabasha County SHIP Coordinator, at 651-565-5200 or at tmoen@co.wabasha.mn.us

Wabasha Farmers Market: Paving the Way

With their goal in mind, the Wabasha County Farmers Market connected with Wabasha County SHIP to implement three new programs:
- Power of Produce
- Aggregation
- Remove stigma surrounding farmers markets

The Power of Produce (PoP) is a farmers’ market incentive program where children ages 4 to 12 receive a $2 token each week to spend on fresh fruits, vegetables and food plants at the farmers market.

PoP goals include:

• Improve the eating behavior of children

• Increase family attendance at farmers markets

• Increase customer base and revenue for local growers

• Build healthy, prospering communities

The PoP program was implemented in the summer of 2017 and after 17 weeks, key findings showed:

• 64 percent of families reported visiting the farmers’ market more often.

• Three out of five vendors reported an increase in sales.

• 85 percent of parents reported their children are interested in attending the farmers market more often.

Wabasha County SHIP provided the Wabasha Farmers Market with items to support this project including cooking tools for children to sample products and signage to direct families to the event. Wabasha County SHIP provided the Wabasha Farmers Market with items to support this project including cooking tools for children to sample products and signage to direct families to the event.

Sara George, Wabasha Farmers Market Manager, also saw a need for development in an aggregation program. The goal was to improve and increase sales from the farmers market to local schools, restaurants and other institutions. Included in this project was a way to deliver boxes of Farmers Market produce to community members unable to attend the market. This system included the process of creating an order taking and delivery system for the farmers market to increase community usage of locally-grown produce. This system also supports the local Wabasha-Kellogg Food Shelf.

SHIP provided assistance to the Wabasha Farmers Market to reach its goal of providing produce to local restaurants, schools and institutions by providing support to get the needed supplies to deliver fresh food. Supplying the Farmers Market with the materials needed in this ordering and delivering system such as containers, table, tent and the conversion of trailer to trailer cooler for safe transport of fresh foods. And, it will be high-tech and will have an online ordering system ready for the 2018 season.

Lastly, SHIP and the Wabasha Farmers Market wanted to improve consumer confidence with the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative. Farmers brought in pictures of how they grow their produce, their farming fields, and their farm, to each farmers market event for customers to see where their food was grown and invite opportunities for conversations and better relationships. This is also a way to educate customers about farming practices and ensure they are getting fresh produce.

George and SHIP are extremely proud of these programs. Other Minnesota Farmers Markets have noticed the developments being made with our community market and are implementing similar aggregation projects. Great job team!

Our very own Sara George is recognized as a Minnesota Food Charter Champion.

For Sara George, Wabasha Farmers Market Manager, food access means that everyone has a variety of healthy food choices available to them regardless of their income, budget, location, or education.

Sara first became involved in improving healthy food access after she applied for SNAP/EBT benefits for the Wabasha Farmers Market. “It was then that I realized that there are many resources for families in need of food security, but it is not always clear who to turn to and what is allowed.” Sara became inspired and she started to recruit others in the community to spread the word about using SNAP/EBT at the farmers market.  Read more on the Minnesota Food Charter website.

"I didn't realize food mattered until I found myself in a situation completely out of my control. I was bit by a snake and one thing led to another and I found myself knee deep in numerous medical issues and needing help putting food on my own table for my family. Upon obtaining SNAP benefits, there was a limit to where we could go in our own community due to the food desert I lived in, plus the stigma associated with WIC was very sad and hard to overcome. This was a challenge for my own family and I wanted to change that."   

- Sara George

The importance of the Wabasha County Food Access Network. It all began with a letter.

“EBT/SNAP CHAMPIONS! Let’s Unite!” wrote Sara George, Wabasha Farmers Market Manager, in 2016. The letter invited those interested to attend a meeting at Wabasha County Public Health to work on increasing EBT usage at the Farmers Market. Today this group continues to meet and work toward increasing access to healthy food across Wabasha County. 

The first meeting occurred in June 2016 with 16 participants who came ready and excited about working to find solutions to increase access to healthy foods for local underserved populations.  As needs were identified, the group decided it was important to continue meeting. Next, a presentation from U of M Extension talked about the Minnesota Food Charter and afterwards we evolved into the Wabasha County Food Access Network (WCFAN). In addition to working with our county’s farmers markets on increasing use of EBT, the group has identified the following priorities: 

• Increasing access to healthy foods for Seniors

• Reducing stigma attached to receiving services

• Increasing knowledge of healthy food opportunities through outreach, and

• Increasing access to affordable transportation.to access healthy foods.