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Making Farmers’ Markets for All: Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture Announces Double Up Food Bucks Fundraising Week

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture is excited to announce its first ever Double Up Food Bucks Fundraising Week from March 27 to April 3, 2021.

The week will include opportunities to learn more about the Double Up Food Bucks program, how it supports local farmers, new college student SNAP eligibility policies, volunteer opportunities, and more!

Double Up Food Bucks is a healthy food incentive program that doubles the value of federal nutrition benefits (such as SNAP/EBT, WIC Farmers’ Market Vouchers, and Senior Farmers’ Market Vouchers) when people shop at our local farmers’ markets and Food Hub.

The program helps families have healthier choices, supports local farmers, and keeps food dollars in our community. It’s a win-win-win on market day!

In 2020 alone, 228 families were reached by the program, and over $23,000 were doubled. That’s more than every other year of the program combined, and in 2021 Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture hopes to reach even more community members with this important program.

“The Double Up program has a strong impact on my own personal life. Being a single mother, I use DUFB every week to be able to access organic and local food for my son and me. My son was born with multiple serious medical conditions, and I have noticed a huge impact on his health since moving to Boone and having access to DUFB, giving us the ability to access highly nutritious food we normally wouldn’t have the privilege to afford,” stated a Double Up Food Bucks shopper.

Due to COVID-19, even more of our community members have qualified for federal nutrition benefits over the last year. This includes programs like P-EBT for families with children who qualify for free and reduced school meals.

BRWIA’s Double Up Food Bucks & Farmers’ Market Manager Ellie Mullis stated that “One mother came to the farmers’ market last year with a P-EBT card and told me that she had actually donated to the Double Up program before and didn’t think that she would ever use it. At first she felt guilty for now using it, but she was happy to participate once she learned that anyone with a P-EBT card could participate no questions asked. She was so happy to be a part of a community that helped people buy more local food and supported local farmers.”

What’s Double Up Food Bucks Week About?

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture seeks to raise $5,000 to support the program for the summer growing season.

Throughout the week, community members can learn more about Double Up Food Bucks by talking with BRWIA Staff at the Food Hub 12pm-6pm Wednesday, Friday 4pm-6pm outside of F.A.R.M. Cafe, at the Winter Farmers’ Market 9am-12pm both Saturdays, and on social media all week.

Double Up relies on support from our community members to power the program, including High Country Food Hub customers who contribute to the program each week. In 2020 over 110 Food Hub customers added a donation to Double Up with their weekly order.

For Double Up Week, one Food Hub customer has agreed to match up to $1,500 of individual donations to help reach our goal of $5,000 this week. “We encourage everyone to consider donating to this impactful BRWIA program that helps our neighbors suffering food insecurity,” the donor stated.

How to support and get involved:

Double Up Food Bucks is funded by a combination of grants and caring community members. That is why we need as much support as possible to continue being able to provide fresh, local food to as many people as possible.

  • Donate: brwia.org/doubleup.html#donate
  • Host your own DUFB fundraising event
  • Spread the word about DUFB week on social media
  • Volunteer through our ambassadors program: brwia.org/doubleup.html#ambassador

 

“I love the Double Up Food Bucks program because everyone deserves to have access to fresh, local food. It is so important that as we work to make Farmers’ Markets for all, we include those who may not otherwise be able to afford to shop local. Being able to support local food and farmers helps us to build community relationships and resilience which makes DUFB a win-win-win for families, farmers, and the local economy,” stated Ellie Mullis.

 

About Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture

Formed in 2003, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA) is a women-led organization that builds an equitable, sustainable High Country local food system by supporting producers and cultivating community connections that educate, inspire, and increase the demand for local food. To learn more about BRIWA, please visit www.brwia.org.

For additional information about Double Up Food Bucks, please visit www.brwia.org/doubleup.html, or contact Ellie Mullis, Double Up Food Bucks & Farmers’ Market Manager for Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture at ellie@brwia.org or 828-386-1537.