People on the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, can get more for their money at the Lane County Farmers Market.
TheDouble Up Food Bucks program started last week in Lane County. Karen Dunne with Willamette Farm and Food Coalition says when people use their Oregon Trail card at the Farmers Market, they’ll get up to 10 dollars more to spend on veggies.
Dunne: “For many people, fresh produce is increasingly unaffordable and so that’s why this program is so great. It helps to, both encourage people to consume more fruits and vegetable but enables them to be able to do that.”
Dunne says this also helps local farmers to sell more produce. The Willamette Farm and Food Coalition fundraised for the program. Double Up Food Bucks is at other farmers markets throughout the state. The hope is to sustain it beyond this season.