The Ohio SNAP-Ed Stakeholder Engagement Project to Promote Healthy Food Access (OSSEP) is a partnership between the Mary Ann Swetland Center at Case Western Reserve University and The Ohio State University SNAP-Ed Program.
The purpose of the OSSEP project is to develop tools for engaging diverse stakeholders, including SNAP-Ed practitioners and SNAP and other low-income consumers, in Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) change efforts aimed at promoting healthy food access. The project has the broader goal of influencing healthy food purchasing and consumption among individuals and families receiving federal food assistance program benefits, such as SNAP.
The project currently supports the development, implementation, dissemination, and evaluation of two tools: Produce Path for Customers (formerly FM Engage) and the PSE Readiness Assessment and Decision Instrument (PSE READI)
Produce Path for Customers (formerly FM Engage)
Produce Path is a software that is available as both a mobile and web application that seeks to promote two-way information exchange between farmers markets and low-income consumers to increase integration of farmers markets and related nutrition incentive programming into food shopping routines. The broader goal of this software application is to increase fruit and vegetable purchasing and consumption among people receiving federal food assistance program benefits (i.e., SNAP, WIC).
Learn more about the Produce Path software and its development on our Produce Path page.
Current evaluation OSSEP project activities include:
An implementation study (IRB #: STUDY20231595) to examine the impact of the Produce Path app and community champions* on SNAP and nutrition incentive (i.e., Produce Perks, etc.) use at six farmers markets in diverse settings in Ohio compared to six markets sites not using the app.
- *Community champions are individuals residing near the farmers markets implementing the Produce Path app who are recruited and trained to provide education about and promote the use of the app locally among SNAP consumers.
- Below are all of the farmers markets in Northeast Ohio that are implementing Produce Path at their markets from June to September 2024 as part of this study. The community champion who is serving each respective market and surrounding communities are also listed.