DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS WELCOMES 2022 FARMERS MARKET SEASON
posted on Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Double Up Food Bucks Welcomes 2022 Farmers Market Season
New technology and expansion in participating locations planned for 2022
The Double Up Food Bucks program, led by the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative, welcomed the summer farmers market season in June with an expanded list of participating markets, the rollout of new technology, and the award of Specialty Crop Block Promotion and Capacity Building grants in Iowa communities.
Double Up Food Bucks is a healthy food incentive program that allows SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) customers to earn financial incentives on purchases made with their EBT card, up to $10 per day. Double Up Food Bucks incentive dollars can be spent on fresh produce at 90+ participating farmers market and grocery store locations in Iowa.
The Double Up Food Bucks Program has begun the rollout of a new virtual tracking system that will replace the use of paper redemption cards with a reusable plastic incentives card. This will make reporting more efficient for participating locations and marks the first step the Healthiest State Initiative is taking in making the program virtual.
The new technology has been introduced to farmers markets and will be phased into participating grocery stores and local co-ops through the end of 2022.
The Healthiest State Initiative will also directly support 8 local markets, farm stands, or CSA’s through the Specialty Crop Block Grant awarded by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). Through the grant provides technical assistance and financial support to increase the market’s sales of fresh fruits and vegetables beyond implementation of the Double Up Food Bucks program.
RELATED: Find a Double Up Food Bucks location near you
Find a Double Up Food Bucks participating location near you: DoubleUpIowa.org.
The Healthiest State Initiative is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization driven by the goal to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation. By engaging worksites, communities, schools, retail food, organizations ,institutions and individuals, we can inspire Iowans and their communities to improve their health and happiness, and ultimately achieve our goal. For more information, visit https://www.iowahealthieststate.com
