SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks
Many of Utah’s farmers markets accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and participate in the SNAP-incentive program called Double Up Food Bucks (Double Up). The Double Up program enables customers to double their dollars up to $60. As more than 80,000 families in Utah utilize the SNAP program, enabling SNAP purchases at your market is a great way to increase access to healthy food, bring new customers to your vendors, and stimulate the local economy.
Below are resources on both programs so that you can get started in creating a SNAP and Double Up program at your market. Please note that your market must be set up to take SNAP before you can participate in the Double Up program. The deadline to apply for the Double Up program is March 15th each year, but you can apply to accept SNAP at any time. Contact the Utah Department of Health at doubleup@utah.gov for more information.
USU and the Utah Farmers Market Network works closely with Utahns Against Hunger to promote SNAP at markets and the Utah Department of Health, which administrates the Double Up program.
SNAP Resources
Utah Farmers Market SNAP Toolkit - step by step guide to help market managers get started with taking SNAP at their markets created by USU in 2020.
Sample Budget for your SNAP program
Farmers Market Toolkit - Selling SNAP Eligible Foods
SNAP Farmers Market FAQs - from USDA
Encouraging SNAP Shopper Participation at Utah Farmers Markets - Information in this guide will expand marketing campaigns across Utah to promote farmers markets already accepting SNAP benefits, especially to minority and low-income populations.
MarketLink Grant Program: MarketLink is a USDA grant program that connects farmers and farmers markets with streamlined, easy-to-use app-based equipment for accepting SNAP/EBT and credit/debit.
Double Up Food Bucks Resources
Program Timeline for DUFB from the Utah Department of Health.
Photo Credit: Header: Ashley Valley Farmers Market; Double Up Food Bucks and Capacity Grant announcement: Tonya Steffey, market manager at Roosevelt Farmers Market