Objective: To examine whether an intervention consisting of a WIC-based farmers' market, nutrition education, recipe demonstrations and tastings, and handouts could be implemented as intended and the acceptability of the programme to recipients. The availability, variety and prices of fruits and vegetables (F&V) and the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program voucher redemption rate at the site with market (relative to the rate among fourteen other WIC agency sites) also were examined.
Design: Site-level data were used to evaluate programme implementation. Acceptability was assessed with participant data.
Setting: A large, New Jersey-based, urban WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) agency.
Participants: Fifty-four women who purchased F&V at the market.
Results: Gaps in stakeholder communication and coordination, F&V selling out by midday and staffing levels affected implementation fidelity. On average, 12 (sd 3) F&V were available daily at the market (twenty-five unique F&V in total). For thirteen of nineteen items, prices were lower at the WIC-based market than area farmers' markets. The voucher redemption rate at the site with the market (46 %) was higher than the rate among the fourteen other sites (39 %; P < 0·01). The mean rating of satisfaction with the programme was 6·9 (sd 0·6) on a 7-point scale. All participants reported intending to purchase F&V again at the market, owing to the convenient location, quality of the F&V and helpfulness of the staff. Improving F&V availability and variety were recommended.
Conclusions: The intervention is feasible with improved stakeholder communication and coordination, F&V availability and variety, and staffing.
Keywords: Dietary intervention; Farmers' market; Fruits and vegetables; Process evaluation; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants, and Children.