Are You a Member of the SNAP/EBT? Double Up on Fresh Food at the Downtown Farmers’ Market

Did you know that for every $1 you spend on any SNAP purchase with your SNAP EBT Card, you can get $1 in Double Up Food Bucks through the Double Up Food Bucks program? Double Up Food Bucks is a healthy food -incentive program that encourages healthy eating with local producers, and it’s available at 94 locations across 35 counties in Iowa, including at many vendors at the 2023 Downtown Farmers’ Market!

Spend $10, Get $10

The Double Up Food Bucks program helps increase spending for local producers, but the most important part of Double Up Food Bucks is that it puts nutritious foods in your bag, and that’s great news if you get stopped and asked, “What’s in your bag?” by The Market team this year. For families around Greater Des Moines (DSM) who utilize the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP as it’s referred to as above, and are making efforts to become self-sufficient but still need help supplementing their food budget, this extra boost can make a huge difference in your eating habits and your budget. According to the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative, nearly 62,000 Iowans benefited from the program last year!

Watch the video below to learn more about the Double Up Food Bucks Program:

 

You can read more about the impact of the Double Up Food Bucks program at iowahealthieststate.com.

How to Use Your Card at The Market

When you get to The Market on Saturday mornings, have your SNAP EBT card swiped at The Market’s Information Booth at Third Street and Court Avenue for the amount you want to use in Market tokens. The Market will do a 1-to-1 match up to $10 in double up food bucks for the amount you swipe your EBT card for.

Left with extra Market tokens at the end of your visit? Put the funds back on your SNAP EBT card that day — keep in mind vendors cannot give you change for SNAP EBT Card currency — or save the Market currency for another Market visit — they’re happening every week through Saturday, Oct. 28!

Learn more about the Downtown Farmers’ Market and check out the vendor list to see who you can expect each week at The Market.

From May to October, experience local artists, live music and entertainment at the Downtown Farmers’ Market featuring nearly 300 family farmers, bakers, artists and crafters from around the state. It’s easy to visit with plentiful and affordable street and ramp parking options. Find the latest updates for The Market each week on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.