The Double SNAP Dollars program began in 2015 to meet low-income community members’ desire to eat more fresh, healthy, local foods. The number one obstacle to eating more of those foods is being able to afford them on a limited budget – that’s why Double SNAP Dollars doubles the value of SNAP benefits at participating local food retailers. That means if someone spends $20 of their SNAP benefits at the Missoula Farmers Market, for example, they get a bonus – an additional $20 to spend on fruits and vegetables.
In this way, folks with limited incomes can afford more of the healthy food they want while local farmers can capture a larger portion of the federal food assistance dollars being spent in Montana. It’s truly a win-win situation that is helping our local food system become more equitable. With two seasons under our belt we are excited to better understand the cumulative impacts of this program!
The 2016 season unveiled the Double SNAP Dollars logo, brand, and regional collaboration among local food retailers. This initial launch resulted in significant increases in both program participation and SNAP sales of local foods (100% and 29% increases, respectively).
It is inspiration to get out to the farmers market and eat fresh food.
I love the fact that the extra money to buy good food is possible. Before DSD it was a nightmare.
The 2017 season sustained this level of participation, resulting in over $270,000 spent on local foods over the past two years! Check out our 2017 SNAPshot below for more key highlights from the past year.
All told, we continue to see three main benefits of Double SNAP Dollars and look forward to continuing the program into 2018!
- Low-income community members can afford better quality and more of the fresh fruits and veggies they want and deserve
- Local farmers and food businesses expand their customer base and increase their sales
- Thousands of dollars are being injected into Montana communities and staying local
Double SNAP has enabled me to work through the summer and eat healthy, while working as a para for disabled kids – a job that is very important, but that pays less and has a ripple effect in our community. I hope people can understand that poverty is often associated with low-wage jobs – not laziness – and access to healthy food helps us to help others.
This is magical. I appreciate my shopping choices being reinforced and supported by this program. It validates my health goals.
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