“This is really amazing. I will finally have access to a lot of produce and other foods that were previously unaffordable to me. I’m very grateful.“
“Oh my goodness, I was thrilled! I couldn’t believe, I mean, this is a wonderful enough program as is, for those of us who live on a fixed income, but to get the extra (tokens) every week is just a tremendous bonus because there is just so much out here.”
“Everything is fresh, home grown and healthier. I think this is so wonderful to be able to use my QUEST card at the farmers’ market!”
Market Match started in June 2015 and increases access to healthy, local food for customers using FoodShare (formerly known as Food Stamps, federally known as SNAP). Market Match provides a 1-1 match to farmers market patrons who use their FoodShare benefits at the farmers market, up to $10 per week. That means, when a farmers market patron spends $10 of their FoodShare benefit at the farmers’ market, they receive an extra $10, in the form of wooden tokens, to spend on fresh, local food at the market. More money to shop means more food on the table. It also means a greater revenue for local farmers selling at the market!
Market Match is paid for and supported by a group of amazing sponsors around the city. Without them, Market Match would not be possible. You can learn more about becoming a sponsor here.
The Token Program was established in 2012 and sells wooden tokens to anyone using their credit, debit, or FoodShare card. Tokens are used like cash at the farmers market and creates a way for anyone who forgot their cash (or came up short) to shop at the farmers market.
In 2004, SNAP (FoodShare) discontinued the food stamp system and started using electronic benefit transfer cards (EBT) to administer food assistance benefits. While this was a helpful and much needed change in many ways, it prevented the beneficiaries of SNAP from shopping at farmers market because market vendors only deal in cash. SNAP participants, who previously were able to use their food stamps at the market, suddenly could no longer shop there with their food assistance benefit. This ignited a movement around the country to fix this problem. In 2012, the Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market joined the movement and established the Token Program.