Strengthening Rural Community and Access to Healthy Foods through Local Grocery Retail Dr. David E. Procter, Director Center for Engagement and Community Development Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas 66506 www.k-state.edu/cecd www.ruralgrocery.org (785) 532-6868 dprocter@ksu.edu 1

Kansas State University’s Center for Engagement and Community Development Mission: To connect the resources and expertise of Kansas State University to the significant issues of public need facing Kansans and communities worldwide.

Why Focus on Rural Food Retail? Because, Rural Grocery Stores Provide: Economic Development Rural grocery stores are an important rural economic driver Food Access Rural grocery stores provide a primary source of nutritious and competitively priced foods Important Community Hubs Rural grocery stores provide important local, civic and social meeting spaces

Economic Development: Why Focus on Rural Grocery Stores? Because, Rural grocery stores are a critical small business Rural grocery stores in KS, on average, contribute $644,000 to the local economy. Grocery stores are resilient businesses in economic downturn times Kansas rural grocery stores provide, on average, 17 local jobs 6 full time; 11 part time Rural grocery stores in Kansas generate 1 out of every 5 tax dollars for local community Locally-owned, small business have a larger economic multiplier SNAP and WIC benefits provide economic stimulus SNAP puts food dollars directly and indirectly into local economies. Food Dollar Leakage: Local grocery stores are critical to capture SNAP dollars

Community Hubs: Why Focus on Rural Grocery Stores? Functions as anchor of community life Helps form community identity Sites where community bonds are created and sustained Social capital built Provides a place for talking with one another Diverse talk takes place small talk Local, state, national politics A community gathering space Clubs, libraries, art galleries Creates habits of public association

Healthy Food Access: Why Focus on Rural Grocery Stores? Because, 8% of rural population (Approx. 4.75 million people) in the U.S. are living in communities lacking access to healthy foods. (Policy Link; Food Trust, 2013) Poverty: 20% of census tract is below poverty level. Lack of Access: 33% of the census tract's population resides more than 10 miles from a supermarket or large grocery store.  6

Healthy Food Access: Why Focus on Rural Grocery Stores? Because, Rural areas suffer the highest obesity rates in the nation. Rural grocery stores offer more healthy foods, at lower cost, than rural convenience stores. Presence of grocery stores in non-metro counties is inversely associated with incidence of obesity. Rural grocery stores are often a distribution point for locally- sourced foods. Provides support for local producers Provides site for fresh produce sales

Kansas State University’s Rural Grocery Initiative Goals: Identify challenges facing rural grocery stores (2,500 or less) Develop responses to those challenges Identify and detail sustainable business models of grocer operation Build virtual and face-to-face information networks for rural grocers Strengthen rural access to healthy foods

Rural Grocer Owner Surveys Top 10 Identified Challenges

RGI Responses to Grocer Challenges: Generating Community Support Highlight the power of community support Walsh, CO Cuba, KS Build community investment FEAST Community Conversations Promote effective grocery store operations Customer service

Building Community Investment: A FEAST event: Brings together diverse community food stakeholders Is a facilitated deliberation about community food system based on community assets Builds community investment and develops change actions to make community more food secure.

FEAST Results Established Farmer's Market connected to local grocery store Increased production of consumable and healthy farm products – high tunnels Developed comprehensive nutrition education program on local food system Created marketing campaign for promoting local, healthy food access

RGI Responses to Grocer Challenges: Food Distribution Identifying rural grocery distribution challenges Facilitating grocery collaborations Facilitating / energizing regional distribution centers Convening food distribution national conversations Exploring ways to increase rural grocery food sales

RGI Responses to Grocer Challenges: Competition with Big Box Stores Make public case for local grocery store Highlight impacts of Dollar General on local grocery store Stress Fresh: Meat, Deli, Produce, Bakery, Local Enact zoning ordinances preserving character of one’s community. Write community’s comprehensive plan to protect locally-owned businesses

Strengthening Healthy Food Access

Tennessee Technical Assistance Needs Based on Action Institute Pre-Survey How to work with food retailers to promote healthy foods How to get “buy in” from food retailers How to work with food retailers

Tennessee Technical Assistance Needs How to work with food retailers to promote healthy foods Relationships Partnerships National initiatives move to “healthy”

Dollar General to Move into Healthy Food Sector

National Assoc. of Convenience Stores to Move into Healthy Food Sector

State Government and Food Wholesaler Moves into Healthy Food Sector

Partnerships are key: RGI Partners Off-Campus Partners The Food Trust The Kansas Rural Center The Center for Rural Affairs U. of Minnesota Extension U of Missouri Extension Kansas Corporation Commission Dozens of rural grocery stores Associated Wholesale Grocers NuVal, LLC Funders: Network KS & IFF Public Health Law Center USDA Rural Development The Kansas Sampler Foundation The Reinvestment Fund Change Lab Solutions The Kansas Health Foundation The Sunflower Foundation Kansas Department of Commerce On-Campus Partners Agricultural Economics Human Nutrition Agricultural Communications Horticulture Sociology Journalism/Mass Communications History K-State Research & Extension Marketing Landscape Architecture Regional & Community Planning Huck Boyd Rural Community Development Center Art

Relevant Resources for Healthy Food Technical Assistance Recruiting Store Owners – Stock Health, Shop Healthy. University of Missouri Extension Incentives for Change: Rewarding Healthy Improvements to Small Food Stores. ChangeLab Solutions

Relevant Resources for Healthy Food Technical Assistance Economic Impact of Healthy Food Programs – Healthier Corner Stores: Positive Impacts and Profitable Changes. The Food Trust Rural Grocery Store Start-Up and Operations Guide. Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs

Relevant Resources for Healthy Food Technical Assistance - Building Effective Partnerships Grocery owners Grocery wholesalers Center for Disease Control Local health departments State department of agriculture WIC / SNAP staff Extension Colleges / Universities Grocery / Convenience Store Associations Food Policy Councils Community Foundations Health Foundations USDA Rural Development State / Local / National Non-Profits Community Development / Healthy Food Access

Information Resources Healthy Access Food Portal. The Food Trust http://www.healthyfoodaccess.org/ Rural Grocery Store Start-Up and Operations Guide. Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs http://www.iira.org/wp- content/uploads/2015/01/Grocery-Store-Start-up- and-Operations-Guide.pdf Healthy Retail: A Set of Tools for Policy and Partnership. ChangeLab Solutions http://www.changelabsolutions.org/healthy-retail- playbook-tools Minnesota Food Charter http://mnfoodcharter.com/resources/

RGI: Building Information Networks for Rural Grocers & Stakeholders Virtual Information Networks www.ruralgrocery.org Rural Grocery FB / Twitter Face-to-Face Networks Rural Grocery Summits (2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018) Healthy Food First Collaborative: A Technical Assistance Center and Learning Laboratory Launch Fall, 2017

Lessons Learned Relationships / Partnerships are key Sustained relationships Stay connected to state / national experts There needs to be some kind of financing infrastructure to support stores CDFIs Find ways for convenings Rely on trusted messengers Grocery owners (peer to peer messaging) Food wholesalers

Thank You Dr. David E. Procter, Director Center for Engagement & Community Development Kansas State University (785) 532-6868 www.k-state.edu/cecd www.ruralgrocery.org dprocter@k-state.edu