Progress report for LS24-393
Project Information
The North Mississippi FoodRx program (NMFP) is a food prescription program designed to connect small-scale specialty crop farmers directly with their communities. The Community First Research Center’s (CREW) current research shows one of the top five biggest challenges for small-scale specialty crop farmers in Mississippi is the marketing system. Farmers markets do not provide sufficient income and the number of individual buyers is dwindling. NMFP will provide a framework for two marketing systems, test each system, and modify the systems to create a sustainable food system for farmers and their communities.
The tested marketing systems will be operated as food prescription programs for populations struggling with food insecurity in northern Mississippi. Participating farmers will use sustainable farming practices to grow fruits and vegetables and curate food boxes of their own produce and value-added products for program-enrolled patients in their area. The food is the prescription to assist patients with low access to healthy produce and pre-existing health conditions. This project will test the prescription delivery method and its effects on patient health and farmer wellbeing.
CREW has developed three food prescription programs over the past two years; two of which will serve as the baseline models for this project. One program is a food hub model which currently uses a regional produce wholesale company that focuses on patient health metrics. Another program uses a food delivery model with a local farmer that focuses on delivery logistics. This project will evaluate these two food prescription program models.
During the first year, CREW will partner with participating farmers to develop two sustainable business plans, one for food delivery and the other for a food hub. The second year will test each developed program. CREW will collect biometric data from patients and survey patients and participating farmers to evaluate each program’s success and sustainability. Based on the findings from this year of data collection CREW will modify and combine the original business plans to create a program best suited for patient health and farmer wellbeing, which will be the most likely way to sustain the new food system.
The third year will implement the modified program. CREW will observe the new system’s function, collect patient biometric data, and survey patients and farmers to ensure long-term system sustainability.
This project’s research is meant to evaluate patient health changes over the course of two years and evaluate the success of each food prescription model. Results from this research will curate a food prescription model best suited for small-scale specialty crop farmers and their communities. Results will also provide a better understanding of the effects of healthy food choices on the human body when access barriers are reduced.
- Adapt two existing food prescription program models and create business plans for implementation in new cooperating partners and settings.
- Pilot test the two adapted food prescription programs to determine which program is most effective for patients and sustainable for farmers.
- Roll-out the most effective and sustainable food prescription program for additional recruitment, evaluation, and sustainability plans.
Cooperators
- - Producer
- - Producer
- - Producer
- - Producer
- - Producer
- - Producer
Research
To date, the study team has completed Objective 1: Adapt two existing food prescription program models and create a business plan for implementation in new cooperating partners and settings. The study team used multiple processes and methodologies to complete Objective 1.
The guiding methodology of this research project is Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). CBPR requires that researchers engage relevant community members in all steps of the research process, include community members in the study team, and share equal ownership of the research itself. This is the method the study team is using throughout the project to increase the likelihood of program success, especially when implementing in new cooperating partners and settings.
Business plan development included using the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Program Development Process and the Small Business Administration’s Traditional Business Plan to outline the North Mississippi FoodRx business plan and determine what information should be included. Next, the team met to develop a strategic plan as the first section of the business plan, which included conducting a SWOT analysis and using a TOWS matrix to maximize the usefulness of our current resources and skills.
For market analysis, the team used statistics from the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau to identify the target market and determine other community factors that would influence the program’s success. We also tapped a partnership with Harvard University’s Food Law and Policy Clinic to conduct a market competition analysis.
Other sections of the business plan were initially developed using CBPR facilitation methods where CREW personnel led business plan workshops and brainstorming sessions with the team. A total of 9 farmers participated in the business plan development process. Because of the farmers’ consistent and active participation, the study team was able to identify an opportunity for market sustainability while also serving the community. This required a brief three-month pilot test of a “buy one, give one” sales model after which informal feedback was collected from participants. The study team used participant feedback to inform the business plan’s service description, organization and management, funding and sales, and evaluation sections.
The evaluation of achieving Objective 1 is outlined in the table below:
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Objective 1 Success Evaluation |
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Evaluation Questions |
YES = Success |
NO = Failure |
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1. Did the study team develop a mutually agreed-upon food hub food prescription program model for Coahoma County? |
YES |
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2. Did the study team develop a mutually agreed-upon food box delivery food prescription program model for Quitman County? |
YES |
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3. Did the study team draft business plans for each food prescription program model? |
YES |
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4. Did the CREW and HFP develop a business planning guide for Mississippi vegetable farmers? |
YES |
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The primary goal for this study is to make food prescriptions a sustainable market for Mississippi farmers to have agency in owning their own food prescription as a new market entry point. Participating farmers proposed the concept of a “buy one, give one” sales model to make this program sustainable. So, the study team paused business plan development and pilot tested the feasibility of a “buy one, give one” food prescription model to make food prescriptions sustainable beyond grant funding. The concept participating farmers developed was to charge able consumers double for a food box subscription in order to provide food prescription boxes for homebound/disabled participants. The pilot test lasted three months, began with 30 participants and ended with 12 participants. During this time, the team learned 3 key factors needed for a sustainable launch of the North Mississippi FoodRx:
- “Buy one, give one” needs to be “buy three, give one.”
- Asking participants to pay double ($50) for a 15-20 lbs food box is too much even if it is covering the cost of a homebound/disabled community member’s food box.
- This entails lowering the price per box to $40 and using $10 from three boxes to cover one food box for a homebound/disabled participant.
- The food prescription should be separated from the food box program.
- The food box program for paying customers should be advertised under Happy Foods Project, and the food prescription for homebound/disabled participants should be advertised under North Mississippi FoodRx.
- All customers/participants are given equal opportunity to participate in the research surveys and interviews.
- To gain the number of participants needed to meet research goals, the program will need to span more than just Quitman and Coahoma counties.
- The food box program will span Bolivar, Coahoma, Lafayette, Panola, Tunica, and Quitman counties.
- The food prescription will span Coahoma and Quitman counties.
- The food box program for paying customers should be advertised under Happy Foods Project, and the food prescription for homebound/disabled participants should be advertised under North Mississippi FoodRx.
- Asking participants to pay double ($50) for a 15-20 lbs food box is too much even if it is covering the cost of a homebound/disabled community member’s food box.
- Paying customers are willing to pay more if they can choose delivery frequency and the delivery day and time.
- Delivery frequency options should be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
- This entails having more delivery vehicles and more delivery drivers.
- Increasing the delivery capacity will require a $5 fee per box for participants choosing to have their boxes delivered instead of picking up from our food hub location in Clarksdale, MS.
- This also means having a website for people to subscribe to the program, choose delivery or pick-up, and tailor their deliveries to their needs.
- A slow roll-out of the project in March 2025 will be necessary to build up finances to cover production expansion and initial delivery costs.
- The project will launch with 20 participants using the pick-up model.
- Boxes will initially contain 10 lbs of produce for $25 per box.
- As revenue and production increases, boxes will contain 15-20 lbs of produce and the cost for box pick-up will increase to $40.
- Advertising the food box program and the food prescription program will consist of flyers posted at local establishments, local social media page posts, and word of mouth.
The business plan using the new sales model was written for both the food box delivery and food box pick-up program models. The program models outlined in the business plan are unlike any other program available in Mississippi as they each serve both paying customers and food insecure community members. The program models differ from programs in the United States because 1) they each serve both paying customers and food insecure community members and 2) they are designed by the farmers producing for the programs.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
To date, CREW has hosted 7 virtual workshops on business plan development for participating farmers and others. The number of agricultural professional attendees per session has ranged from 3 to 11, and the number of farmer attendees per session has ranged from 1 to 9. Our study team has collectively developed a business plan for our home-delivered food prescription model and food box pick-up food prescription model. This business plan is written as a farmer-owned food prescription business. The business plan is being used as an example for any of the 100+ farmers in association with Happy Foods Project, Inc. and the Mississippi Delta Council for Farmworker Opportunities, Inc., who are interested in using food prescriptions to expand their market reach.
During the business plan’s development, the study team discussed different ways we could make the food prescription program sustainable past grant funding. Participating farmers expressed an interest in expanding their market but they also did not want to give up the traditional food prescription style of serving the underserved. While discussing funding and sales, farmers expressed interested in making the food prescription a “buy one, give one” model, where customers can pay for a food box and a higher cost and the program can donate a food box to a homebound or disabled community member. The study team decided that before moving forward developing the business plan, we needed to test the feasibility of the “buy one, give one” model. So, the business plan development was paused and the team designed and launched a three-month pilot program testing the idea.
Learning Outcomes
The business plan development process.
The pilot testing process for programming and implementation.
Strategic planning.
Market analysis.
Project Outcomes
The first year of this project has produced outcomes in several areas of agricultural sustainability and has contributed to future sustainability through sustainable market development, sharing information for other farmers to create their own sustainable markets, encouraging others to enter the sustainable farming industry, and cultivating the next generation of sustainable farmers.
The study team, including 9 farmers, has used learnings about sustainable market development from the “buy one, give one” pilot test to complete the North Mississippi FoodRx Business Plan. The business plan has been published on the University of Mississippi’s publication outlet, eGrove, for public use.
As a result of the business plan development process, participating farmer, James Brewer, used what he learned in the business plan workshops to apply for USDA funding and build out a sustainable on-farm agriculture training program for young farmers. Now, Brewer owns a non-profit that provides training and technical assistance for sustainable farming practices and produce aggregation guaranteeing sales for new and beginning farmers.
Participating farmer, Robbie Pollard, has been awarded funding for 2 different projects because of his connection with this food prescription project: 1) another food prescription project with Partnership for a Healthier America and 2) to pilot an on-site school farm at an elementary school in Clarksdale, MS. Pollard has also used the business plan to attract media attention for this project and his own business. Freelance journalist Becky Gillette is writing an article about Pollard’s work lifting up his fellow farmers which includes working to develop the North Mississippi FoodRx project and business plan. This article will be published in the 2025 Spring issue of Delta AG Journal.
Team member and now participating farmer, Casandra Banks, decided to use the business plan development process to apply for funding and open her own farm in Shaw, MS using only sustainable and regenerative methods. Banks now farms several acres with her family producing for her community and for this project. Banks also used her connection with this project to attain additional funding for her non-profit's older adult health program, Creative Minds Academy, to renovate a building for her attendees and as the "food hub" for this project.