Double Up Food Bucks, a SNAP Doubling Program, Kicks Off in Union County on Saturday, August 3.

Maynardville – The Union County Farmers Market and Seven Springs Farm to Table farm store are excited to announce the kickoff of the Double Up Food Bucks (Double Up) program on Saturday, August 3rd in partnership with Nourish Knoxville and the Tennessee Department of Health.

How DOUBLE UP Works: Customers who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can swipe their EBT cards at the market to match up to $20 per day in Double Up tokens to be spent on fresh fruits and vegetables. For instance, a family that spends $10 in SNAP benefits receives an additional $10 in Double Up tokens to spend at the market. Double Up is a triple win: low-income families eat more healthy food, area farmers gain new customers and increase revenue, and more food dollars stay in the local economy.

How DOUBLE UP Started: In 2009, the nonprofit Fair Food Network (FFN) launched Double Up in Michigan to help low-income families eat more fruits and vegetables while supporting American farmers and growing local economies. In 2019, Nourish Knoxville, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to cultivate healthy communities by supporting relationships between local farmers, producers, and the public, joined the FFN and 20 states nationwide to bring the Double Up to East Tennessee.

“With Double Up Food Bucks, federal nutrition dollars work harder—simultaneously reducing hunger while supporting healthier diets for SNAP households, which can support long-term healthcare savings,” says Charlotte Tolley, Nourish Knoxville Executive Director.

The Union County Farmers Market, located behind the Union County High School in Wilson Park, is open every Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. through October 6. They are excited to kick off this program during their annual Youth and Corn Fest. The Seven Springs Farm to Table farm store, 1472 Hwy 61 E, is open year-round, seven days a week.

“We’re excited to be a part of a program that helps low-income families stretch their food dollars,” said Donna Riddle, co-owner of Seven Springs Farm to Table and Union County Board Member. “Both the Union County Farmers Market and the Seven Springs farm store are family-friendly places where people connect with the farmers who grow their food, try new foods, and set lifelong habits of eating and loving fresh fruits and vegetables.”

For a complete list of markets and farm stores that participate in Double Up in East Tennessee, visit https://www.nourishknoxville.org/programs/snap/.

This project is funded under a Grant Contract with the State of Tennessee.

Contact University of Tennessee Program Assistant Beth Bergeron at 865-992-8038 or bbergero@utk.edu for more information.