FM Manager (for & not-for-profit), Farms (Direct Mkting)

APPENDIX C1: INTRODUCTORY EMAIL: ENGLISH

ID Number: _____________

OMB Number: 0584-NEW

Expiration Date: XX/XX/20XX

USDA LETTERHEAD

Dear Farmers Market Managers and Direct Marketing Farmers:

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) needs your help in providing children and needy families with better access to healthy foods. USDA is promoting direct-to-consumer agriculture, which includes Farmers markets and direct marketing farmers, so families on USDA nutrition assistance programs can take advantage of fresh produce while supporting local farmers.

To make healthier foods more available, we need to learn more about the Farmers markets and direct marketing farmers in the United States. We want your ideas about how to get:

• Nutrition assistance recipients to buy from Farmers markets and direct marketing farmers, and

• Farmers markets and direct marketing farmers to become licensed to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits

You can help by taking part in the Nutrition Assistance and Farmers/Farmers Market Study by completing the attached Farmers Market Manager OR the Direct Marketing Farmer survey.

Please complete the Farmers Market Manger survey if you manage a farmers market. A Farmers Market is a common facility or area where several farmers or growers gather on a regular, recurring basis to sell a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and other locally-grown farm products directly to consumers.

Please complete the Direct Marketing Farmer survey if you are not a farmers market manager but own a

farm direct business and/or sell your farm products directly to consumers at outlets such U-pick operations, farm or road-side stands, farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) or subscription farming, etc.

While participation in these surveys is voluntary, your ideas will improve our policies and support the growth of all Farmers markets by increasing sales to new customers.

Within the next 2 weeks, please_:

• Fill out either the Farmers Market Manager survey or the Direct Marketing Farmer survey in this packet and return it in the postage paid envelope provided. OR

• Go to our secure website, www.xxx.xxx, to complete either the Farmers Market Manager survey or the Direct Marketing Farmer survey in English or Spanish.

Your opinion is very important to us. We know how busy you are, so we’ve enclosed $5 along with the hard copy survey sent to you via priority mail, to thank you for your time.

Westat, a research organization working for USDA, is conducting the survey. Your answers will be kept private. They won’t be seen by anyone other than the research team. Your answers will be put together with answers from the other people taking the survey. The results will be reported as totals so that no one person or one market can be identified.

Thank you in advance for your help. If you have any questions, please call Westat toll-free at 1.888.XXX.XXXX.

Sincerely,

Kelly E. Kinnison, Ph.D.

Office of Research and Analysis

USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 25 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

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