Double Up Food Bucks
How
Here’s how:
- Each dollar donated earns an extra 50 cents from Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks.
- So donors contributing $50,000 translates to raising $75,000 for families to buy fresh produce from growers at participating farmers markets for three years.
Who benefits:
Families receiving Bridge Card (food stamp) assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
- That’s more than 22,000 people in Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, and Manistee Counties, where farmers markets will participate. Plus many more in neighboring counties as new markets sign up.
- More than 40 percent of these folks are kids, who need healthy food to grow healthy bodies, avoid obesity, and curb problems like diabetes.
- For every two Bridge Card dollars the families spend, they get $2 in Double Up Food Bucks for fresh, farmers market produce—up to $20 per visit.
- That’s up to $40 per visit for healthy fresh food!
Farmers working hard to make a living by growing healthy food.
- They will tap into the spending power of 22,000 people receiving an average of $122.60 a month in Bridge Card assistance–$2,779,028 monthly!
- Let’s make sure our local farmers—and economy— get some of those dollars!
- $75,000 for Double Up Food Bucks means $150,000 for our farmers.
Who’s Involved:
The Northwest Michigan Food & Farming Network is bringing the Double Up Food Bucks program to Northwest Michigan. To learn more, call Diane Conners at the Michigan Land Use Institute, 231-941-6584, ext. 16 or diane@mlui.org.
The Utopia Foundation in Leelanau County is acting as the fiduciary for Double Up Food Bucks – and is providing a 25 percent match for all donations, up to a total $20,000 match!
Fair Food Network sponsors Double Up Food Bucks. Learn more at fairfoodnetwork.org and doubleupfoodbucks.org.
You! Please contact us about grant opportunities, spread the word, and donate whatever you can.
Questions? Contact Diane Conners at MLUI, 231-941-6584.
Food & Farming Network members supporting this initiative include:
- Jennifer Berkey, Michigan State University Extension
- Cindy Buss, Head Start, Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency
- Diane Conners, Healthy Food for All Project, Michigan Land Use Institute
- Tom Emling, MSU North and Traverse Bay Poverty Reduction Initiative
- Mary Jo Fifarek and Mary Manner, Great Start Traverse Bay/Manistee Collaborative, Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce
- Kristine Lagios, Benzie-Manistee Department of Human Services
- Joyce McClellan, Benodjenh Center, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
- Dawn McLaughlin, Grand Traverse-Kalkaska-Leelanau Department of Human Services
- Kit Mikovitz, Grand Traverse County Health Department
- Jenifer Murray, Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department
- Cassidy Edwards, Fresh Food Partnership
- Michelle Northrup, Traverse Bay Poverty Reduction Initiative-Grand Vision
- Brandon Seng, Manistee Community Kitchen
- Robert Sirrine, MSU Extension community food systems education
- Val Stone, The Northwest Food Coalition
- Pam Ward, Child Care Connections - Northwest Great Start Regional Resource Center
- Brigid Wilson, Child Care Services, Munson Medical Center
Participating Markets
The program has started! The following farmers markets are participating in the Double Up Food Bucks program this year.
- Sara Hardy Downtown Traverse City Farmers Market, Grand Traverse County
- Grow Benzie Farmers Market, Benzie County
- Frankfort Farmers Market, Benzie County
- Crystal Mountain Farmers Market, Benzie County
- Marvin’s Gardens Spot farmers market store, Benzie County
- The Suttons Bay Farmers Market, Leelanau County
- The Lake Leelanau Farmers Market, Leelanau County
- Manistee Farmers Market, Manistee County
Learn more about these and other markets, including time, location, and Web sites, at the Michigan Land Use Institute’s Taste the Local Difference.
Learn which individual farmers who accept the SNAP Bridge Card. Go here and under "Payment Options" select SNAP Bridge Cards.
Apply for a Bridge card here.