Abstract
In October 2015, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced $8.1 million in grants for projects in 23 states to enhance the effectiveness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) operations at farmers’ markets, including “staff training and technical assistance, creating educational materials, and raising awareness among current SNAP participants that their benefits may be used to purchase the healthy, fresh foods at these outlets.”1 According to the press release about the new funding, “Today’s announcement is part of a USDA-wide effort to support President Obama’s commitment to strengthening local and regional food systems … [and] to boost affordable access to local, fresh and healthy foods, which … benefits the health of all Americans, regardless of income levels.” One of the Healthy People 2020 goals is to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among all U.S. populations. Meeting this public health goal will require interventions that improve access to fruits and vegetables, especially for individuals living in low-income communities and communities of color (Morland 2007; Moore and Diez-Roux 2006).