GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Eating healthy is important, we all know that. But buying, preparing, and eating fresh food isn't always doable due to time and cost constraints. The Fair Food Network is trying to tackle this issue in Michigan through its Double Up Food Bucks Program.
The program available to anyone receiving EBT food benefits was launched in 2009.
There is now a list of over 230 farmers markets and grocery stores participating in the program .
Fulton Street Farmers Market in Grand Rapids has participated for years.
“It's just a win for families to be able to take home more fruits and vegetables, it's a win for the local economy, because we're putting the dollars right back here into our communities,” explained Cassidy Strome, associate director for the program.
"And it's a win for those farmers because they're getting additional dollars from those fresh fruits and veggies that they're selling.”
If you want to participate, just approach whatever check-in or customer service counter is available at your participating location.
“Say how much they'd like to spend, and they'll get that amount off of their EBT card in wooden tokens,” Strome explained.
“Then they'll get the matching amount up to $20 in silver Double Up Food Bucks tokens that can be spent on any fruits and veggies.”
The intent is to remove certain barriers families often experience when trying to eat better.
“It's shifting the culture around food assistance,” Dana Eardley, executive director of the Fulton Street Market, said Friday.
“Having that extra money allows people to take it another step further.”
Not only can you use the extra coins to buy fruits and veggies, but you can also purchase plant starters and seeds.
Farmers say the program is helping to boost their customer base as well.
“The farmers who grew your food, you are talking to them, they're giving you your food that you're you're eating that day,” Strome said.
Dominick Kramer of Rakowski Farms in Wayland says people are enthusiastic about the doubled up tokens.
“We've been here for about 20-ish years,” he said.
"I'd say about a fourth of our income that we get on a market day is typically from those [tokens].”
The program is primarily funded by federal funds and donations. It is operated by the Fair Food Network.
Use of the program skyrocketed during the start of the pandemic, increasing by 212% from 2019 to 2020.
You can find everything you need to know about the Double Up Food Bucks program at their website HERE.
**NOTE: A previous version of this story said the program was run by the State of Michigan. While they provide financial support, it is run by the Fair Food Network**
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