The Geary Community Farmers Market continues to offer the Double Up Food Bucks program, a healthy food incentive program that helps low-income families eat more healthy food and supports local farmers.
SNAP participants who shop at the Geary Community Farmers Market can swipe their EBT cards to get tokens to use for food purchases. Through the Double Up program, SNAP participants receive a matching number of Double Up Food Bucks tokens for free, up to $25 per day. This doubles the dollars they can spend on healthy food at the market. The SNAP tokens can be used to buy any SNAP-eligible items at the market, and the matching free Double Up Food Bucks tokens can be used for any fresh fruits and vegetables. The Double Up tokens can be used any time at the market through the 2021 market season.
We’re excited to be a part of a program that helps low-income families stretch their food dollars,” said Kalie Brownlee, market manager “The Geary Community Farmers Market is a family-friendly place where people connect with the farmers who grow their food, try new foods and learn new cooking techniques, and set lifelong habits of eating and loving fresh fruits and vegetables.” To find out more stop by the information tent at the Geary Community Farmers Market Thursdays now through October 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Double Up Food Bucks is funded by grants totaling 8.1-million-dollar grant from the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, a division of the USDA in addition to generous gifts from the Kansas Health Foundation, Health Forward Foundation, the Hall Family Foundation, the Marion & Henry Bloch Foundation, and Blue KC. This year, the program is offered at 45 farmers markets, 29 grocery stores and 3 farm stands throughout Kansas, the Kansas City metro, and west-central Missouri.
Double Up Heartland is a collaboration led by the Mid-America Regional Council; Cultivate Kansas City; Kansas State Research & Extension; West Central MO Community Action Agency; and the University of Kansas MedicalCenter. More information is available online at www.DoubleUpHeartland.org.