Sustainable Food Corp

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** BETWEEN 2022-2023, DOUBLE UP TEXAS (DUTX), THE STATEWIDE NUTRITION INCENTIVE PROGRAM LED BY SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER DISTRIBUTED $889,115 IN INCENTIVES TO AN AVERAGE OF 41,807 SNAP HOUSEHOLDS SUPPORTING OVER 500 TEXAS PRODUCERS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT SUPPORTS THE NEXT PHASE OF DUTX, AIMING TO:1) INCREASE NUTRITION SECURITY AMONG TEXAS SNAP PARTICIPANTS BY EXPANDING DUTX NUTRITION INCENTIVES INTO AT LEAST TWO GROCERY STORES IN ALL 11 TEXAS PUBLIC HEALTH REGIONS;2) INCREASE PRODUCE SALES OF TEXAS FARMERS BY EXPANDING DUTX NUTRITION INCENTIVES INTO AT LEAST THREE FARM DIRECT SITES IN ALL 11 TX HHSC PUBLIC HEALTH REGIONS; AND INCREASING LOCAL SOURCING IN AT LEAST TWO DUTX GROCERY PARTNERS;3) INCREASE PARTICIPATION ACROSS ALL DUTX SITES THROUGH NOVEL, REGIONALLY RELEVANT, DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER MARKETING TACTICS; AND4) INCREASE CONSUMPTION OF TEXAS-GROWN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AMONG SNAP HOUSEHOLDS BY PROVIDING CULTURALLY RELEVANT NUTRITION AND COOKING EDUCATION TO DUTX PARTICIPANTS.DURING THE 48-MONTH PROJECT PERIOD, SFC AND ITS PARTNERS WILL PROVIDE MORE THAN $5.2 MILLION IN NUTRITION INCENTIVES TO TEXAS SNAP HOUSEHOLDS, WITH INTENTIONAL EFFORTS TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM TO CURRENTLY UNDERSERVED AREAS, INCLUDING EAST TX (REGIONS 4-6), WEST TX (REGIONS 1,2,9), AND THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY (REGION 11).THE PROPOSED PROJECT SUPPORTS THE GUSNIP NUTRITION INCENTIVE PROGRAM PURPOSE AND PRIORITIES BY INCREASING SNAP HOUSEHOLD PARTICIPATION IN NUTRITION INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AT PARTICIPATING FIRMS THROUGH PROVEN AND EFFECTIVE DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER MARKETING AND BUILDING THE OPERATIONAL CAPACITY OF PARTICIPATING FIRMS, TEXAS FARMERS, AND PARTNERS TO IMPLEMENT SUCCESSFUL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR UNDERSERVED AND/OR UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS.

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE DOUBLE UP TEXAS EXPANSION GUSNIP PROJECT PROPOSED BY SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER AND ITS LEAD PARTNERS, BLUE ZONES PROJECT FORT WORTH AND BROWNSVILLE WELLNESS COALITION, AIMS TO ADDRESS CRITICAL HEALTH AND ECONOMIC DISPARITIES FACED BY LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES WITH LOW ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOODS BY MAKING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES MORE AFFORDABLE THROUGH MATCHING SNAP INCENTIVES. THIS EXPANSION PROJECT WILL BUILD UPON SFC AND ITS PARTNERS' SUCCESS IN INCREASING THE PURCHASE AND CONSUMPTION OF TEXAS-GROWN PRODUCE AMONG SNAP HOUSEHOLDS IN TEXAS BY FURTHER SCALING GROCERY RETAIL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS TO HIGH-NEEDS COMMUNITIES AND EXPANDING FARM-DIRECT PROGRAMS TO ALL REGIONS OF THE STATE. THIS EXPANSION PROJECT IS BASED ON A DIVERSIFIED APPROACH INVOLVING A WIDE VARIETY OF FOOD RETAIL FIRMS, INCLUDING LARGE AND SMALL CHAIN GROCERS IN BOTH URBAN AND RURAL COMMUNITIES, SMALL CO-OPERATIVE AND NONPROFIT GROCERS, NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERS, MOBILE MARKETS, PRODUCER-ONLY FARMERS' MARKETS, FARM STANDS, AND CSA DELIVERY SERVICES.DURING THE 24-MONTH PROJECT PERIOD, SFC AND ITS PARTNERS WILL PROVIDE MORE THAN $1.7 MILLION IN NUTRITION INCENTIVES TO 154,500 SNAP HOUSEHOLDS AT 27 GROCERY RETAIL AND 75 FARM-DIRECT LOCATIONS IN ALL 11 REGIONS OF TEXAS, WITH $474,308 IN SNAP AND DUFB SALES DIRECTLY BENEFITING LOCAL PRODUCERS.THE DOUBLE UP TEXAS GROWTH AND EXPANSION PROJECT SUPPORTS THE GUSNIP NUTRITION INCENTIVE PROGRAM PURPOSE AND PRIORITIES BY INCREASING SNAP HOUSEHOLD PARTICIPATION IN NUTRITION INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AT PARTICIPATING FIRMS THROUGH PROVEN AND EFFECTIVE DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER MARKETING AND BUILDING THE OPERATIONAL CAPACITY OF PARTICIPATING FIRMS, TEXAS FARMERS, AND PARTNERS TO IMPLEMENT SUCCESSFUL INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR UNDERSERVED AND/OR UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES IN TEXAS.

THE BOLSTERING AND BUILDING CAPACITY FOR DOUBLE UP ACROSS TEXAS GUSNIP PROJECT (COVID RELIEF EXPANSION) PROPOSED BY SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER (SFC) AIMS TO ADDRESS THE URGENT HEALTH AND ECONOMIC NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES WITH HIGH FOOD INSECURITY IN THE CENTRAL AND WEST TEXAS REGIONS BY BOLSTERING DOUBLE UP SNAP INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AT PARTICIPATING FARMERS' MARKET, MOBILE MARKET, AND GROCERY RETAILER LOCATIONS. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED BY BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF INNOVATIVE DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER MARKETING AND FOOD DELIVERY STRATEGIES DEVELOPED BY SFC AND FARMSHARE AUSTIN (FSA) DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC IN 2020. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF DOUBLE UP WEST TEXAS (DUWTX) TO SERVE MORE LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS DEEPLY AFFECTED BY THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE PANDEMIC. PROPOSED PROJECT GOALS INCLUDE THE CONTINUED SUCCESS AND FURTHER GROWTH OF DUWTX AND THE OPTIMIZATION AND SCALING OF FSA'S CURBSIDE DELIVERY AND SFC'S FOOD ACCESS HELP DESK OUTREACH AND MARKETING SERVICE. WE AIM TO ACHIEVE THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES OVER THE PROPOSED 36-MONTH PROJECT PERIOD:REALIZE SNAP INCENTIVE SALES OF $352,590 FOR THE PURCHASE OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AT FOUR DOUBLE UP WEST TEXAS GROCERY RETAIL SITES BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 2021 AND AUGUST 2023.REALIZE $30,000 IN SNAP INCENTIVE SALES FOR TEXAS-GROWN FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN CENTRAL TEXAS THROUGH FRESH FOR LESS CURBSIDE DELIVERY SERVICE BY AUGUST 2024.ACHIEVE AN ANNUAL AVERAGE OF 3,000 PARTICIPANTS DIRECTLY ENGAGED THROUGH SFC'S FOOD ACCESS HELP DESK, WITH A CONVERSION RATE OF 25% BY AUGUST 2024.

BOLSTERING AND BUILDING CAPACITY FOR DOUBLE UP ACROSS TEXAS

PLANNING FOR A CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD HUB F

BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL CENTRAL TEXAS MARKETING CAMPAIGN

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM

SUSTAINABLE FOOD CENTER EXISTING EBT PROJECT ENHANCEMENT IN EAST AUSTIN

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM

CENTRAL TEXAS FOODSHED ASSESSMENT

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM

FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM