SNAP Double Up Food Bucks is a triple win

More locally grown fruits and veggies coming to low-income Oregonians through SNAP Double Up Food Bucks

July 16, 2019 – Fighting food insecurity just got a little easier for SNAP recipients 

“I can hardly afford to feed my growing kids, and junk food is more affordable than healthy foods these days. Thanks to Double Up, I have the opportunity to expose my kids to fresh, local healthy food!” 

The SNAP Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program recently received an investment of $1.5 million from the state of Oregon to make the SNAP DUFB program accessible. DUFB helps SNAP participants access fresh fruits and vegetables at local farmers markets. For every dollar spent on SNAP-eligible foods at participating farmers markets, DUFB recipients will now receive an additional dollar to spend on Oregon-grown fruits and veggies. 

Approximately 600,000 Oregonians, more than a third of whom are children, currently receive SNAP benefits.

For nearly a decade, Farmers Market Fund has worked to connect SNAP participants with local produce. Since 2015, they’ve partnered with Oregon Food Bank to offer Double Up Food Bucks at 53 farmers markets and 31 farm shares across 16 Oregon counties. 

Double Up Food Bucks is a triple win. These state funds will uplift Oregon farmers, improve nutrition of low-income families and support local economies.

But there’s more to do.

Despite Double Up Food Bucks’s success, SNAP matching programs currently exist in only half of Oregon’s farmers markets. This leaves many farmers markets, especially those in rural areas, without any SNAP incentive program. The investment will support the expansion of DUFB to numerous farmers markets in the state, as well as new farm share sites. Oregon Food Bank will help with bringing the program to select grocery outlets, allowing for greater access to fresh fruits and vegetables in areas of the state not currently served by farmers markets. 

Oregon Food Bank’s goal is to raise a total of $3 million to help build access to this critical resource. This would allow Double Up Food Bucks to be offered at every farmers market across the state and in grocery stores located in underserved communities, especially in rural Oregon. It’s our vision that all SNAP recipients benefit from the positive health impacts of regularly eating more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Together, we can make farmers markets a way for communities to support Oregon families, farmers and local economies. It’s a triple win.

You can help by donating $25 today.

The Double Up coalition includes the Farmers Market Fund, Oregon Food Bank, Oregon Farmers Markets Association, the Portland Area CSA Coalition, and the American Heart Association, organizations that approach ending hunger, improving health, and supporting farmers from complementary perspectives. 

Donate $25 today.