A farmer-designed food assistance pilot program

Abstract

The Mississippi Delta experiences persistent food insecurity, particularly among older adults. While produce prescription and food box programs have been implemented, they are often grant funded and difficult to sustain, and they typically exclude par­ticipants from the program design process. This pilot study used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to design and test a home-delivered food assistance program led by local farmers, serving homebound older adults in Quitman County, Mississippi. The project team partnered with the Happy Foods Project, a cooperative of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) farmers, to co-develop a six-month pro­gram providing culturally familiar produce, curated recipes, and weekly delivery. Twenty homebound older adults participated. Mixed methods were used, including participant and farmer surveys, in-depth interviews, and triangulated qualitative analysis. Participants and farmers reported high satis­faction with the program’s delivery, cultural rele­vance of foods, and strengthened community connections. Themes from the qualitative analysis were Community Connection, Innovative Ap­proach, Financial Access, Participant Knowledge, and Health Behaviors. Farmers noted increased market access and guaranteed income. This pilot demonstrates that a farmer-led, CBPR-designed food assistance program can address barriers to healthy food access while supporting local agri­cultural liveli­hoods. Findings highlight the impor­tance of cen­tering participant and farmer input in program design, particularly in rural contexts. Future research should explore scalability and long-term impacts.