Shopping Patterns: SNAP Recipient Focus Group (I/H)

APPENDIX E6. FOCUS GROUP MODERATOR GUIDE

FOR FARMERS MARKET NON-SHOPPERS -- ENGLISH

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Farmers Market

Focus Group Moderator Guide

FM Non-Shoppers

Introduction

Thank you for joining us today for a discussion about food shopping at farmers’ markets. My name is ____________________. I will be leading the session today. This is ____________ and s/he will be taking notes. We work for Westat, a research firm hired by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to talk with you about food shopping at farmers’ markets.

Ground Rules:

Before we get started, I would like to mention a few things.

• Today’s discussion should take about one hour.

• This is a research project, and your participation is voluntary.

• There are no wrong answers to any of the questions that we will be discussing today. Your opinions and experiences are important and we want to hear them.

• Participating in this study will not affect any of your SNAP benefits now or in the future.

• We would like to audio record this discussion, so that I can pay attention to all of you today, but also make sure that if I missed or forgot something, I’ll be able to hear it again when I get home. We will destroy the recording and any other form you completed when our project is finished.

• We will not use your name or personal information in any reports. Your comments will be combined with comments from other focus group participants not only in this city, but potentially with comments from participants in the two other cities where we will be holding similar discussions. The information/results from this study may be presented in meetings or in internal reports to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Results from this study and portions of audio recordings (with no identification of individuals by name) may be presented in meetings or oral presentations to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Your name, and any information that can be traced back to you, will not be included in any reports or meetings. We will have our technology people take out any names that might get mentioned in an recorded section before we present it.

• When reviewing the transcripts from today’s session, it is helpful for me to know when we change speakers. So, please identify yourself by your first name or your initials when you speak, or make up a name for today’s session, as long as you use the same name throughout the session. There are name tags; please write the name you plan to use for this session, so we can refer to you by this name.

• Before you leave today, I will give you all your stipend of $60.00, to thank you for coming and sharing your opinions and insights with us.

• I’d like you to read the informed consent form that we handed you and make sure that I addressed everything that is in there before you sign it. Does anyone have any questions? [MOD ANSWER QUESTIONS] Okay, please sign and date your form and hand it to [NAME] who is assisting me today.

If any of my questions are unclear, please let me know. Lots of times, participants get very enthusiastic about the topic and everyone has something to say – which is great! Except when I get back to listen to the audio recording, I won’t be able to clearly hear anyone’s comment. So please wait until someone is finished speaking before you speak. If you need to use the restroom during this time, please feel free – the men’s room is located [DIRECTIONS] and the women’s room is located [DIRECTIONS]. If you haven’t helped yourself to refreshments, please feel free to do so now OR anytime during our discussion.

I am going to turn the tape recorder on now.

Participant introductions

I would like to start by having everyone introduce themselves. Please just use your first name. Tell us a little bit about yourself, how long you’ve lived in <NAME OF CITY/TOWN/ NEIGHBORHOOD> and where you usually get your groceries.

1. General Grocery Shopping

1. As we just heard, people get their groceries from several different locations [MODERATOR – LIST OFF SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT WERE MENTIONED DURING THE INTRODUCTIONS]. Do you get your fruits and vegetables at these places or do you get them someplace else? Do you get FV from more than once place?

PROBES:

[FOR ALT LOCATION SHOPPERS]

• What are some of these other locations?

• Why do you buy your fruits and vegetables there instead of where you usually go for grocery shopping?

[FOR THOSE WHO BUY F/V AT USUAL STORE]

• Have you considered these other locations?

• What are your reactions to the reasons people have given for buying their fruits and vegetables at these other locations? [LIST A COUPLE OF REASONS GIVEN TO JUMP-START THE DISCUSSION]

2. Thinking about all of the places where you get your fruits and vegetables, where would you estimate you redeem most of your SNAP benefits? Explain.

2. Farmers’ Market Awareness, Barriers, and Benefits

Local farmers’ markets are another place people may go to purchase their fruits and vegetables.

1. [NAME] is a Farmer’s Market near you. How many of you have heard about this market? [SHOW OF HANDS]

2. How many of you have thought about going there? [SHOW OF HANDS]

• [IF THOUGHT ABOUT IT] What were you thinking about purchasing there? Why did you end up not shopping at the farmers’ market?

• [IF NOT THOUGHTABOUT IT] What are some reasons you haven’t shopped there?

PROBES:

[MOD – START WITH ITEMS THAT CAME UP MOST OFTEN ON AREA SURVEYS]

• How convenient is the market to you in terms of location and ease of getting there? (public transportation, parking) Explain.

• [NAME OF FM] is open from Time 1 to Time 2, [days of the week]. How convenient is the market in terms of its hours of operation, that is, is it open when usually do your shopping? Explain.

• How safe do you think the location is? Explain.

• How do you think the prices at the market compare to where you usually shop for your F/V? Explain.

• What do you think the quality of the F&V is like at the farmers’ market compared to other places where you get F&V? Explain.

• How likely do you think it would be that you could find good deals on the products you want to purchase? Explain.

• How easy or difficult do you think it would be to use an EBT card or WIC vouchers at this market? Explain.

• To what extent do you think the vendors or other shoppers would be respectful towards you? Explain.

• How sanitary do you think conditions are at the market?

• OTHER AS EMERGED ON THE SURVEYS FROM THIS AREA

3. What do you think might be some of the benefits of shopping at [NAME OF FM]?

PROBES: [SELECT THE 3 OR 4 ISSUES THAT EMERGED MOST FREQUENTLY IN LOCAL SURVEY ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF SHOPPING AT FM and DISCUSS EACH IN TURN]:

Some of the folks who do shop at [NAME OF MARKET] said one of reasons they shop there is because of [FILL]. What are your thoughts about that?

The location is convenient

It sells fruits and vegetables that can’t be found elsewhere

It is located in a safe neighborhood

The hours of operation are convenient

It offers incentives, specials or other deals – HOLD FOR SEPARATE DISCUSSION (SEE III, BELOW)

It sells high quality fruits and vegetables

It has a large selection of fresh fruits and vegetables

Can use SNAP/EBT card

The price of fruits and vegetables is reasonable

It sells locally grown fruits and vegetables

The days of operation are convenient

Staff/vendors are helpful

It is clean

It has parking available

Can use WIC Farmers Market coupons

Can use Senior Farmers Market coupons

Personal health or diet concerns

Offers cooking demonstrations

Offers prepared food or meals

Sells non-food items (such as jewelry, art work, clothing)

Sells plants and seeds

Offers health information, health screening, or immunizations

Has social service representative available

Has a fun atmosphere

Has entertainment or cultural activities

Allows for meeting other members of community

Can talk with vendors who grow the F&V

3. Incentives

Different farmers’ markets offer different types of financial incentives to SNAP/EBT card users. For example, [NAME OF MARKET] offers $ ________ for every $_________ spent using the SNAP/EBT card. How many of you are aware of this incentive? [ASK FOR SHOW OF HANDS] How did you find out about it?

1. [FOR THOSE WHO WERE UNAWARE] Would this incentive increase the likelihood that you would shop at this market? Explain.

• [FOR INCREASE] How often do you think would shop there?

• How much of your SNAP/EBT benefits do you think you would spend there?

• How do you think it would affect you or your family’s consumption of fruits and vegetables?

2. [FOR THOSE WHO ARE AWARE, BUT DON’T SHOP; AND THOSE WHO SAY INCENTIVE WON’T INCREASE LIKELIHOOD OF SHOPPING] What are your thoughts about the incentive and why it’s not an encouragement to shop at the farmers’ market?

4. Recommendations

1. What changes would you suggest that might make the farmers’ market a more attractive shopping option for you personally?

2. What changes would you suggest that might make the farmers’ market a more attractive shopping option for SNAP participants more generally?

THANK AND END

Those are all the questions I had for you. Thank you for sharing your time and thoughts with us. Does any one have any questions for me?

We truly appreciate your joining us, thank you.

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