[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16376-16377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-6896]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food and Nutrition Service


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request--Nutrition Assistance in Farmers' Markets: 
Understanding Current Operations

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment 
on this proposed information collection. This collection is a new 
collection for the Food and Nutrition Service to examine how nutrition 
assistance programs are currently being implemented in the diverse 
operational contexts of farmers' markets and identify facilitators and 
barriers for farmers' markets' participation in the Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before May 23, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions that were used; and (c) ways to enhance the 
quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected.
    Comments may be sent to: Steven Carlson, Office of Research and 
Analysis, Food and Nutrition Service/USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 
1014, Alexandria, VA 22302. Comments may also be submitted via fax to 
the attention of Steven Carlson at 703-305-2576 or via e-mail to 
[email protected]. Comments will also be accepted through the 
Federal eRulemaking Portal. Go to http://www.regulations.gov, and 
follow the online instructions for submitting comments electronically.
    All written comments will be open for public inspection at the 
Office of the Food and Nutrition Service during regular business hours 
(8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 3101 Park Center Drive, 
Room 1014, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for Office of Management and Budget approval. All comments will 
be a matter of public record.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of this information collection should be directed to Steven 
Carlson at 703-305-2017.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Nutrition Assistance in Farmers Markets: Understanding 
Current Operations.
    OMB Number: 0584-NEW.
    Expiration Date of Approval: Not yet determined.
    Type of Request: New collection.
    Abstract: The USDA, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), is pursuing 
several initiatives to improve access to healthy foods among the 
general public and nutrition assistance program participants. Among 
these are steps to support the availability of farmers' markets and 
direct access to farm products. FNS' overall objective is to promote 
direct-to-consumer agriculture through farmers' markets and provide 
more opportunities for nutrition assistance program participants to 
take advantage of this source of fresh produce. In order to meet this 
objective, FNS needs to understand how the federal nutrition assistance 
programs operate in the diverse settings represented by farmers' 
markets and the factors that influence farmers' markets to participate 
in nutrition assistance programs. To this end, FNS is conducting a 
survey with a representative sample of farmers' markets from four 
strata that are of particular interest to FNS:
    1. SNAP authorized farmers' markets that redeemed benefits during 
the 2010 season;

[[Page 16377]]

    2. SNAP authorized farmers' markets that did not redeem benefits 
during the 2010 season;
    3. Farmers' markets SNAP-authorized for one or more of the 2006 to 
2009 seasons, but not authorized in 2010; and
    4. Farmers' markets that have never been authorized to redeem SNAP 
benefits.
    The data collection activities to be undertaken subject to this 
notice include:
     The survey will be administered to farmers' market 
managers represented in the four categories of farmers markets above. 
Data collection will occur either by mail, web or phone depending on 
the preference of the market manager.
     To supplement the survey data, four focus groups will be 
conducted with SNAP recipients to provide consumer perspectives on 
farmers' market operations. Two groups will be conducted with 
recipients that are current farmers' market shoppers, and two groups 
will be conducted with recipients that are not farmers' market 
shoppers.
    Affected Public: Respondent groups identified include: (1) 
Business-for-profit (Farmers' Market Managers) and (2) Individuals/
Households (SNAP recipients).
    Estimated Number of Respondents: The total estimated number of 
respondents is 2636. This includes 2544 Farmers' Market Managers (80% 
who will complete interviews); 92 SNAP recipients (32 will participate 
in the focus group discussions).
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: Farmers' market 
managers will complete the survey one time. SNAP recipients will 
complete the focus group once.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 2636.
    Estimated time per Response: Farmers' market managers working in 
SNAP-authorized farmers' markets in 2010 or previously SNAP-authorized 
farmers' markets will take approximately 25 minutes (0.4167 hours) to 
complete the survey. Farmers' market managers working in never SNAP-
authorized farmers' markets will take approximately 20 minutes (0.3333 
hours) to complete the survey. Each SNAP recipient will participate in 
the focus group discussion for approximately 2 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 829 hours.

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                                                         Estimated annualized burden hours
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           Respondent                                Number of       Estimated    Average burden
                                     Number of     responses per   total annual    per  response   Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses      (in hours)      (in hours)
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                                         Farmers' Market Manager Survey
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SNAP FMs-with benefits redeemed
 in 2010:
    Completed...................             567               1             567           .4167          236.27
    Attempted...................             142               1             142           .0167            2.37
SNAP FMs-without benefits
 redeemed in 2010:
    Completed...................             319               1             319           .4167          132.93
    Attempted...................              79               1              79           .0167            1.32
SNAP-authorized FMs previously
 not in 2010:
    Completed...................             299               1             299           .3333           99.66
    Attempted...................              75               1              75           .0167            1.25
Never SNAP-authorized FMs:
    Completed...................             851               1             851           .3333          283.64
    Attempted...................             212               1             212           .0167            3.54
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        Survey Total............            2544  ..............            2544  ..............          760.98
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                                        Focus Groups with SNAP Recipients
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Recruitment Screener:
    Completed...................              40               1              40           .0835            3.34
    Attempted...................              20               1              20           .0334            0.67
Focus Group discussion:
    Completed...................              32               1              32               2           64
    Attempted...................               0               1               0  ..............  ..............
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        Focus Group Total.......              92  ..............              92  ..............           68
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            TOTAL...............            2636  ..............  ..............  ..............          828.98
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    Dated: March 18, 2011.
Julia Paradis,
Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-6896 Filed 3-22-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-30-P