Face-to-Face Outreach Boosts Produce Intake
A Cornell study links personal communication to higher fruit and vegetable consumption among produce-incentive program participants.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Organic Food
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Cornell researchers found that participants who first heard about Double Up Food Bucks New York through face-to-face communication reported higher fruit and vegetable intake than those reached through mass communication. The study surveyed 417 program participants in August 2024.
Why it matters
The findings suggest the way a nutrition program is promoted may influence how much fresh produce people actually eat. The results could inform outreach strategies for produce incentive programs serving upstate New York communities.
The study was a cross-sectional survey of 417 participants, about 70% of them women with an average age of 46, using a 10-item National Cancer Institute dietary screener. Because participants were not randomly assigned to outreach methods, the causal link between communication type and produce intake remains unconfirmed.
The players
Cornell University
A private Ivy League research university in Ithaca, New York, whose Action Research Collaborative conducted the study.
Field & Fork Network
A Buffalo-based nonprofit that administers Double Up Food Bucks New York and works to expand access to local, healthy food.
The details
Cornell's Action Research Collaborative surveyed participants in the Double Up Food Bucks New York program, which enhances SNAP benefits for fresh produce purchases in 53 upstate counties. Researchers compared fruit and vegetable consumption based on whether participants first learned of the program through in-person contact or through social media, mail and websites.
Timeline
August 2024: Cornell surveyed 417 program participants.
November 4, 2026: Findings were published in Family & Community Health.
Culture Shift
The study adds to the growing use of USDA-backed Double Up Food Bucks incentives, which match SNAP dollars spent on fresh produce, by showing that how a program is communicated may shape whether households change their eating habits. It suggests that personal outreach may matter as much as the incentive itself in shifting food purchasing toward fruits and vegetables.
Families in upstate New York who use SNAP benefits may find that Double Up Food Bucks stretches their budget for fresh fruits and vegetables. The findings suggest that learning about the program directly from others may encourage households to buy and eat more produce.
The takeaway
Personal conversations about nutrition programs may be a practical way to encourage healthier eating. Residents who qualify for SNAP can ask local food access organizations about produce incentive programs in their area.
Further reading
For more on how families are shopping for fresh produce, see Organic Food.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fingerlakes1.
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