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 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.
For more on nutrition incentive programs, visit the Nutrition Incentive Hub and the National Farmers Market Coalition and for information on funding Nutrition Incentive Programs visit the Nutrition Incentive Hub.
For more information on accepting SNAP at farmers’ markets and farm direct outlets,
visit the Nutrition Incentive Hub for Getting Started: Accepting SNAP at Farmers Markets, Budgeting for Incentive Programs and Onboarding New Farmers Markets.
Fresh Bucks Indy is Indianapolis’ nutrition incentive program. Participating farmers’ markets in Indy will double any SNAP EBT amount up to $20 per visit which then may be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market!
For more information on participating Indy farmers’ markets (available in English, Burmese or Spanish), go to Fresh Bucks Indy.
Double Up Indiana is a progrram of St. Joe Foundation (Ft Wayne, Allen County) which provides free fruits and vegetables when you use SNAP EBT. Each pruchase using a SNAP EBT card earns $1 per $1 match (or 50% off) when you buy fresh fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and herbs from partcipating farmers markets, farms stands, CSA, and food co-ops.
For more information and where you can participate in visit: DoubleUpIndiana.
Market Bucks is the Linton Farmers’ Market’s nutrition incentive program that helps make shopping at the market accessible to all members of their community. The Linton Farmers’ Market accepts SNAP, WIC and Senior FMP benefits. The Market Bucks incentive program is supported entirely by local sponsorships and Linton Farmers’ Market fund-raising activities.
SNAP recipients visit the Market Information booth where they swipe their Hoosier works EBT card in return for wooden tokens. For every $1 worth of SNAP funds withdrawn, they receive $2 worth of tokens with a maximum of $20 each visit. For example, withdraw $20 in SNAP benefits and receive $40 worth of Market Bucks!
WIC and Senior FMNP recipients also visit the Market Information booth and present their benefit checks and receive matching Market vouchers (three $8 WIC vouchers or four $5 Senior vouchers). WIC recipients receive an additional $24 for a total of $48 in benefits and Senior FMNP recipients receive an additional $20 for a total of $40 in benefits.
WIC and Senior FMNP checks and vouchers can purchase:
For more information: /lintonfarmersmarket.com/snap-market-bucks