PUBLICATIONS
Data from a new USDA-funded survey, National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS), show that households that participate in USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are more likely to use supercenters for their primary food shopping than non-WIC comparison households (non-participating households that contain either a pregnant woman or a child under the age of 5). Over half of WIC households (52 percent) used a supercenter for their main food shopping, compared with 45 percent of non-WIC comparison households with incomes below 185 percent of the poverty threshold and 41 percent of higher-income non-WIC comparison households. Because WIC households are larger and more likely to contain multiple young children compared with non-WIC comparison households, WIC households may be more enticed to shop at supercenters in order to purchase larger-sized products or take advantage of one-stop shopping. A chart appears in “Most U.S. Households Do Their Main Grocery Shopping at Supermarkets and Supercenters Regardless of Income” in the August 2015 issue of ERS’s Amber Waves magazine.
Number of U.S. farmers markets has nearly tripled over the last 15 years - A farmers’ market is a common area where several farmers gather on a recurring basis to sell fresh produce and other farm products directly to consumers. The number of farmers’ markets rose to 8,476 in 2014, up from 2,863 in 2000 and 1,755 in 1994, according to USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service. Farmers’ markets tend to be concentrated in densely populated areas of the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast. Generally, farmers’ markets feature items from local food systems, although depending on the definition of “local,” some vendors may come from outside the local region, and some local vendors may not sell locally produced products. The growing number of farmers’ markets could reflect increased demand for local and regional food products based on consumer perceptions of their freshness and quality, support for the local economy, environmental benefits, or other perceived attributes relative to food from traditional marketing channels. A chart can be found in the ERS report, Local Food Systems: Concepts, Impacts, and Issues, ERR-97, May 2010.
TOOLS
Racial Equity Tools
The recently re-launched Racial Equity Tools compiles resources and curricula for communities and organizations working to advance racial justice. The site features learning modules, films, and discussion guides designed to build understanding of how structural racism and other forms of inequity affect employment, food justice, and other human development issues. The site also includes concrete planning tools for practitioners to launch social media campaigns, create popular education and training strategies, evaluate progress, and advocate for policy and system change. Find Out More»
Entrepreneurial Accelerators.
Funding stakeholders often want to see you make real progress quickly with entrepreneurial development. To address this challenge, the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship field research, conducted over 15 years, has identified five accelerators that make a real difference: (1) targeting entrepreneurial talent, (2) deploying business coaching, (3) developing an area resource network, (4) partnering with high value "go to" resources that serve targeted talent, and (5) launching a youth entrepreneurship effort to energize your community. This is the kind of work that we walk you through in our e2 University online resource. Learn more about crafting your optimal entrepreneurship strategy with our Creating an Entrepreneurial Strategy guide.
Tools You Can Use... A key to NetWork Kansas' success is its preparatory work with communities. This month, the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship is sharing an e2 University resource - our guide on Energizing Your Community. This resource provides insights and tools that you can use to engage your community in support of entrepreneur-focused economic development.
Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food A nutritious diet is important for maintaining good health, but accessing fresh and affordable food can be a challenge for some rural residents. This RAC topic guide provides information on how to address food security issues in your community, including funding and assistance programs, model programs, strategies, and more. Thank you to Laura Griffin and Danielle Berman, USDA Food and Nutrition Service for their assistance in the review and development of this guide.
LEARNING
One Page Cost Benefit Analysis Tool, Thursday, August 20, 3:30 - 4:45pm ET (12:30 - 1:45 PT) - Free! Register Now
“Pencil it out” is shorthand for making good farm investment and purchasing decisions. This session provides a straightforward financial tool for making informed decisions and budgeting for the future.
Making decisions that make good financial sense is difficult. But difficult decisions become a whole lot easier when you have the right tool to walk you through the financial implications of your decision. This session simplifies the concepts of Partial Budget Analysis so that you can “use the parts you’re comfortable with.” The idea is to grow your financial skill set at a pace that makes sense for you, to provide a pathway to improve your abilities rather than terrorize you with details, ratios, and secret formulas intelligible only to accountants.
Join us to learn how this powerfully simple tool can help your business today... and trainers and technical assistance providers who work with farmers or other businesses, learn how you can add this to your toolbox you can provide to your students or clients. Reserve your spot - click here
NADO Research Foundation Co-sponsoring Upcoming Webinar Showcasing Planning Resources Available from Non-Profit Partners
The NADO Research Foundation is pleased to co-sponsor an upcoming webinar, Building Strong Communities: Resources and Assistance from Non-Profit Partner on September 2. The webinar will feature resources, technical assistance opportunities, and other programs available from Audubon International, Community Builders, Project for Public Spaces, and SCOTie to promote better planning, community engagement, and effective results in your communities and regions. Click here to register
