FOOD SECURITY &

ACCESS TO HEALTHY
LOCAL PRODUCE IN
MONTGOMERY
COUNTY, VIRGINIA
Xiaolu Hou

Blacksburg Farmers Market

Started in the 1980s by a small group

of farmers selling on S Main Street
Growth in number of vendors
& diversity of local products
over the years
Friends of the Farmers Market
(FFM) began overseeing
market operations in 2004
Year-round Market (Wed & Sat)
The Roost: Market Store
(Tues Sat)

Mission of the BFM/FFM

BFM: To provide a venue for &

support the sale of locally grown
foods & agricultural products
FFM: To support BFM & the local
community through

Development

Educational programs about benefits

of local food & sustainable agriculture

Special events that enhance BFMs

role as a community gathering place

Low-Income Community Outreach

2009 Share the Spare program

in collaboration with Master Gardeners
2011 New EBT program with
USDA assistance
2012 SNAP Double Value Incentive Program

2013 FFM Awarded 2 USDA grants to conduct

Montgomery County Farm to Community Planning
Project

Needs Assessment

GOAL: To better understand current access to &

consumption of nutritious & preferably local foods
among low-income residents of Montgomery County in
order to develop strategies to increase consumption
METHODS/OBJECTIVES:

Conduct telephone survey of all food venues in Montgomery

County to determine the availability of fresh & local produce
Conduct key informant interviews with BFM/FFM, a hunger
relief organization, & low-income representative better
understand food insecurity/nutritional issues in the county
Use secondary data to supplement assessment of nutritional
& health status of low-income county residents

Results Background

Montgomery County
95,194 residents (87.9% white)

Median household income: $44,231

23.6% poverty rate

38% NSLP student eligibility

14.2% food insecurity

(13,280 residents; 2,620 children)

56% rise in household SNAP participation in 5 years

(3,791 households; 7,896 individuals)

84% adults eating less than 5 servings of fruits/veg per day

62% adults overweight/obese 9% have diabetes

Results Key Informant Interviews

Rated Montgomery County as FAIR with respect to food

security/nutrition
Factors identified to contribute to these issues/
barriers to healthy food access & consumption:

Poverty/Limited Finances
Education



General including literacy & numeracy

Food-specific including cultural upbringing, nutrition knowledge,
& cooking skills

Lack of High-paying Jobs/Unemployment

Time/Transportation Constraints
Stigma/Shame/Feelings of Not Belonging

Results Food Access

13% limited access

to healthy foods in
2012
Portions of county
with Low Income+
Low Access or Low
Vehicle Access
SNAP-authorized
stores increased 41
to 66 (2008-2011)

Results Food Venue Survey

70 food venues in Montgomery County

(~15 large grocery stores)

19% success rate (13 stores)

36% declined rate (25 stores)

Prohibited

Busy

running a business; cant be bothered

Language

No

by company policy
barrier

reason given/hung up on

Results Food Venue Survey

Out of the 13 successful

store interviews

9

sell some fresh produce

5

sell some fresh local produce

11

accept SNAP benefits

Results Food Venue Survey

Barriers

to selling local or any fresh

produce:
 Lack

of organization, variety, capacity, consistency,

& convenience in supply
 No sure how to source
 Not available from current supplier
 Higher cost of local produce
 Not enough demand; rotted
 Lack of storage space/equipment
 Certain fruits not grown locally

Needs Assessment Limitations

Input from only 1 low-income representative

Low success rate/representativeness of
telephone Food Venue Survey
Benefits/challenges
to working within a
larger & longer
assessment project

Future Directions

Complete community food security

assessment of Montgomery County

Try to increase Food Venue Survey

participation rate through in-person interviews
Conduct surveys & focus groups with
low-income consumers & local growers

Potential programs

Farm tables or mobile market to reach rural areas

Promote/expand SNAP Double Value program
Lobbying for WIC & Senior Farmers' Market
Nutrition Program expand to Montgomery County

Community Table Program

Who? Residents of Montgomery County

What? A regular, recurring event to bring together
diverse county residents for healthy, flavorful, &
minimally processed evening meals prepared from
primarily local ingredients

When? Twice every month

Where? Market Square Park during warmer

months; Blacksburg Community Center, YMCA,
churches, etc. during colder months

Why? Increase access to/consumption of healthy

local foods; nurture dialogue/understanding/partnership
across community; provide nutrition/cooking/gardening
education in a fun, social setting

Community Table Program

Outcomes

Initial

Intermediate

Long-term

Evaluation

Potential Challenges

Acknowledgements

Ellen Stewart & Jessica Schultz,

Blacksburg Farmers Market/
Friends of the Farmers Market

Nathalie Gaffuri &

Kara Ellis,
BFM/FFM Food Venue
Survey Volunteers

Freda Cromer &

Vern Simpson,
Interfaith Food Pantry

SNAP Participant/
BFM Customer Key Informant

References
Economic Research Service (ERS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Food Access Research Atlas. Retrieved
November 18, 2013, from http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas.aspx.
Map the Meal Gap | Food Insecurity in your County. Feeding America. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap.aspx.
New River Valley Livability Initiative. Livability in the New River Valley: 2012 Interim Report. Retrieved December 5,
2013, from http://nrvlivability.org/news/livability-initiative-interim-report.
U.S. Census Bureau. American FactFinder SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2007-2011 American
Community Survey 5-Year Estimates: Montgomery County, V.A. Retrieved November 17, 2013, from
http://factfinder2.census.gov.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2013, June 27). State & County Quickfacts: Montgomery County, V.A. Retrieved November 10,
2013, from http://quickfacts.census.gov.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2013, June 27). State & County Quickfacts: USA. Retrieved November 10, 2013, from
http://quickfacts.census.gov.
The Virginia Atlas of Community Health. Data: Health Planning District 4. Retrieved November 20, 2013, from
http://www.atlasva.com.
Virginia Department of Education. (2013, August 28). School Nutrition Program Statistics & Reports School Year
2012-2013 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Free and Reduced Price Eligibility Report: School Level. Retrieved
November 19, 2013, from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/nutrition/statistics.
Virginia Department of Social Services. SNAP Participation Reports. Retrieved November 18, 2013, from
http://www.dss.virginia.gov/geninfo/reports/financial_assistance/fs.cgi.

QUESTIONS?