Nutrition incentive or fruit & veggie incentive programs provide extra dollars to help SNAP EBT or WIC and Senior FMNP shoppers purchase more fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. Nutrition Incentive Programs are dedicated dollars that farmers markets raise through fundraising efforts or are secured by the market through grants or monetary donations. Often called bonus dollars, market bucks, double up bucks or produce coupons, these programs are implemented by the farmers market where incentive amounts vary from dollar-to-dollar matches to matched spending increments where you receive $1 for every $5 spent. Most programs set a daily benefit limit, often $10 or $20 per visit. The incentives, typically farmers market specific tokens, are only redeemable at the sponsoring farmers market and participating farmers are reimbursed by the farmers market.  Some nutrition incentive programs have nutrition incentives that may be redeemed at grocery stores, mobile farmers markets, or through community supported agriculture (CSA) shares.  

The two primary nutrition incentive programs relevant to farmers markets are Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) nutrition incentive and Produce Prescription, also known as Produce Rx – the newest healthy foods incentive program.  

• SNAP incentives link extra produce dollars to a purchase made with the shopper’s SNAP EBT benefits card at a participating farmers market.   SNAP-based incentive programs must be registered and comply with the USDA Food and Nutrition Service rules and regulations.
• Produce Prescriptions or Produce Rx are issued by healthcare providers to patients who are food insecure and whose health conditions could be improved by eating more fruits and vegetables. The Produce Rx is then redeemed at a participating farmers market(s). 

SNAP nutrition incentive and Produce Prescription programs are very similar in that they seek improve health of food insecure participants through increasing healthy food consumption, primarily fruit and veggies. Other nutrition incentive programs that a farmers’ market may sponsor, promote, and match (or double) are the WIC and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers or checks. Both WIC and Senior FMNP nutrition incentive programs increase the affordability, access, purchase and consumption of fresh, locally grown fruits and veggies for food insecure women, infants and children and for older adults by doubling the value of the FMNP check or voucher. The way WIC and Senior FMNP nutrition incentive programs are implemented at farmer’s markets and the partners involved may be slightly different than SNAP or Prescription Rx program. Ultimately, however, all nutrition incentive programs help individuals eat more healthy foods and help local farmers keep their business profitable and viable.