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Using SNAP at Farmers Markets and Double Up Food Bucks Programs

By FoodBankLocator Editorial Team · Published · Last reviewed

Many farmers markets accept SNAP, and some will give you extra money to spend on fruits and vegetables when you use your EBT card. Those matching programs go by different names in different places. One well-known name is Double Up Food Bucks. This guide explains how SNAP works at a market, what a nutrition incentive is, how federal funding supports these programs, and how to find out what is offered near you. Because incentive programs differ by state and even by market, the guide stays with what the official sources say and points you to local sources for the details.

Using SNAP at a farmers market

SNAP benefits are carried on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. USDA says that when a participant shops at a SNAP-authorized retail store, the SNAP EBT account is debited to reimburse the store for the food bought. Farmers markets can be authorized to accept SNAP too. USDA's market tips suggest signs that direct SNAP cardholders to the market's information booth, and posters that show which vendors accept SNAP.

Not every market takes SNAP, and a market that does may take it at only some stalls. Three ways to check before you go:

  • Look at the market's own website or social media page, which usually says what payment methods it accepts.
  • Use the USDA Farmers Market Directory. USDA says it is maintained by the Agricultural Marketing Service and lists market locations, hours and accepted forms of payment.
  • Use the USDA SNAP Retailer Locator to see authorized retailers near you. Our county pages list SNAP-authorized retailers drawn from the same USDA retailer data.

At the market, the information booth is the first place to ask how SNAP works there. Procedures differ by market.

What the card can buy

USDA's list of SNAP-eligible food items includes breads and cereals, and seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat. Items USDA says are not eligible include hot foods ready to eat at the point of sale, and vitamins, medicines and supplements. At a market, that means you can generally spend benefits on groceries such as produce, but not on hot prepared food sold for immediate eating. Confirm with the market if you are unsure about a specific item.

What a nutrition incentive is

USDA describes SNAP incentives at farmers markets as matching dollars in the form of tokens or paper coupons that SNAP customers receive for purchases of fruits and vegetables. The purpose, according to USDA, is to increase SNAP customers' purchasing power so they can afford more fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods at the market. USDA adds that these projects are usually funded by private foundations, nonprofit organizations or local government entities.

In plain terms, you spend benefits on produce and the program adds extra produce dollars. The match rates and limits differ by program, so read the sign at the market.

Double Up Food Bucks

Double Up Food Bucks is the name used for a nutrition incentive program. This guide checked Michigan's program against its own website. It says that when you use your Bridge Card (Michigan's EBT card), Double Up matches your fruit and vegetable purchases dollar-for-dollar. The site says it is available at more than 240 participating grocery stores, farmers markets and corner stores across Michigan, and that if you have a Bridge Card you are automatically eligible. It also says frozen fruits and vegetables with no added salt, sugar or fat are eligible "now until further notice," which shows that eligible items can change.

If you do not live in Michigan, a Double Up program or a similar one may or may not operate in your state, under that name or another. This guide does not list them. Search your state's SNAP agency website, using the link in our state-by-state application guide, or ask at the market.

How federal funding supports incentives

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture runs the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). NIFA says GusNIP funds and evaluates projects that increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by SNAP participants. It also says that from 2019 to 2024 GusNIP provided over $330 million in funding to over 250 projects throughout the U.S. GusNIP has three competitive grant programs: Nutrition Incentive, Produce Prescription, and a training, technical assistance and evaluation center program.

The practical meaning: the matching dollars at your market may be partly paid for by a federal grant, a state program, a foundation, or a combination. NIFA describes the program in terms of projects. It does not guarantee that a particular market has one.

WIC, Summer EBT and senior market programs

SNAP is not the only benefit that works at markets.

  • WIC. USDA says the eWIC card can be used at WIC-approved grocery stores and farmers' markets. See the WIC guide.
  • Summer EBT. USDA says many grocery stores, farmers markets, convenience stores and online retailers accept Summer EBT, often the same places that accept SNAP and WIC. See school meals and Summer EBT.
  • Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. USDA says it provides low-income seniors with access to locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey and herbs. It describes seniors as generally at least 60 years old with household income of not more than 185% of the federal poverty guidelines, and says state agencies administer the program. See senior food programs.

Tips for your first trip

  • Check the market's days and hours first. The USDA directory is a good start but may not be current.
  • Ask where to swipe your card and whether the market has a limit on matching dollars.
  • Ask whether match tokens expire and what they can be spent on. USDA describes the matches as being for fruit and vegetable purchases.
  • Bring bags and some cash for items that cannot be bought with benefits.
  • If you do not see a SNAP sign, ask. Not every vendor at a market is authorized.

Sources

Last reviewed: October 18, 2026.