FMC Mini-Grants Support SNAP Programs Across the Country

      Posted On: March 20, 2019

Last year, FMC awarded seven $500 SNAP Mini-Grants to farmers markets and farmers across the country who displayed a clear commitment to expanding SNAP programming, and connecting SNAP shoppers in their communities to healthy, affordable food. Here’s a first look at the great work resulting from the funding.

Keya Wakpala Community
Farmers’ Market

Mission, SD

Located on Rosebud Reservation, the Keya Wakpala Community Market is the only community market occurring weekly during the growing season open to any local producers to set up a stand without paying to rent a space. Due to high unemployment rates on the reservation, many tribal members depend on SNAP to feed themselves and their families, so having SNAP processing equipment is crucial. FMC’s Mini-Grant was used to purchase Clover Flex through Merchant Source, a mobile payment device with app-based technology that will allow it to be updated to new software as technology advances.

Raisin’ Roots Farm 

Fort Collins, CO

A relatively small farm with a low profit margin and only two paid staff, Raisin’ Roots Farm reserves 25% of their full season CSA shares for SNAP-using customers. Their FMC Mini-Grant will be used to lease new processing equipment to ensure SNAP users in their community have access to fresh, local produce for the 2019 season and beyond.

Glenwood Sunday Market

Chicago, IL

Glenwood Sunday Market is located in Rogers Park, a diverse community with the highest food insecurity rate on the north side of Chicago. 65% of residents report eating no more than one serving of fresh produce per day. Rogers Park is a welcoming community to people immigrating from around the world — 25% of the community’s population is from Spanish-speaking countries. The market will use FMC’s Mini-Grant to bring together a group of local Latina community leaders to create SNAP promotional materials in Spanish, in order to encourage more Spanish-speaking community members to visit the market.

The Market at Pepper Place

Birmingham, AL

Located in downtown Birmingham in a food desert and with little state support, The Market at Pepper Place is working hard to educate the larger community about the importance of having a SNAP EBT program at their farmers market. With presentations of their success, Pepper Place has encouraged other markets around the state to start offering SNAP with Double Up Bucks.

Mountain View Farmer’s Market 

Anchorage, AK

As the only market in Anchorage that offers matching EBT funds, the Mountain View Farmers’ Market will use FMC’s Mini-Grant to ensure their SNAP program continues to grow, despite funding setbacks.

Local Motive Mobile
Farmers Market

Burgaw, NC

With a community and farmers heavily impacted by Hurricane Florence, ensuring their SNAP program is operational during the long recovery period is important to the Local Motive Mobile Farmers Market. Run by the nonprofit Feast Down East, the market offers year-round, weekly pop-up farmers markets in a total of ten public housing neighborhoods and at various community events and institutions. FMC’s Mini-Grant will be used to purchase new equipment to process SNAP transactions at all ten Local Motive Mobile Farmers Market sites.

Midtown Farmers Market

St. Louis, MO

The Midtown Farmers Market is located in a diverse suburb of St. Louis and positioned on the “Delmar Divide”; a dividing line between high-income neighborhoods to the south and lower-income ones to the north. Offering SNAP and Double-Up Food Bucks (DUFB) allows the market to better serve the low-income families in the area. FMC’s Mini Grant will continue the upward momentum of the new market’s SNAP program, and continue the DUFB program which offers matching funds for program participants to purchase more fresh produce.