Double Up Food Bucks Farmers

Market Application

Iowa Healthiest State Initiative Double Up Food Bucks Farmers Market Grant Application

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

The Iowa Healthiest State Initiative will accept applications from farmers markets, farm stands and/or CSA’s who currently do not have the incentive program or Double Up Food Bucks, in operation. Through an application process, the selected locations will receive technical assistance and promotional support from the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative to increase the sales of fresh fruits and vegetables through the following tactics: implementation of the Double Up Food Bucks program, implementation and sustainability planning for the market and incentive program, and digital marketing support and strategies to engage new customers that use their SNAP EBT benefits to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, and food producing plants and seeds.

Back to Double Up Food Bucks

Project Objectives

Increase access to Double Up Food Bucks through partnerships with farmers markets, farm stands, or CSA’s will be selected by the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative during 2024, 2025, and 2026 with priority given to farms/markets located in food deserts or rural locations.
Iowa Healthiest State Initiative will support participating locations with outreach, promotion and partnership building to help engage new shoppers, vendors, and stakeholders.
Iowa Healthiest State Initiative will provide technical assistance and support to participating locations to implement a fruit and vegetable incentive program.
Iowa Healthiest State Initiative will help guide sustainability planning of participating sites through the cultivation of strategic partnerships that can provide long-term support of the market beyond the grant funding cycle.

Eligibility:

Farmers markets, farm stands and/or CSA’s. Farmers markets MUST be centralized and able to reimburse vendors through a centralized process.
Not currently participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program.
Accepts SNAP EBT payments or will begin accepting SNAP EBT payments during the contracted period.
Offer for sale fresh fruits, vegetables, and food producing plants and seeds.
Implement Double Up Food Bucks through a digital-based system, Fresh Incentives.

If selected, Iowa Healthiest State will provide:

All necessary program materials for implementation of Double Up Food Bucks at your farmers market (DUFB script, flyers and posters advertising the program for distribution in your community, and signs for participating vendors)
Required in-person and/or webinar format trainings
Templates and tools for record-keeping and required program reporting.
Technical assistance throughout the season

The Iowa Healthiest State Initiative expects that your farmers market will:

Attend required training sessions
Implement SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) EBT POS and programming (if not already implemented) and adhere to SNAP regulations and policy.
Grant funding cannot be used to implement or sustain SNAP programming and/or equipment
Ensure adequate capacity to operate the program and cover any associated administrative costs following the termination of the grant cycle
Implement Double Up Food Bucks incentive program, distributing and redeeming DUFB to customers at the point of sale through digital incentive program, Fresh Incentives
Provide HSI with third-party verification of SNAP sales at the farmers market during the program season
Promote fruit and vegetable incentive program at your farmers market and in the local community
Complete all grant reporting requirements
Participate in all grant evaluation and data collection methods

APPLICATION FORM:

Name of Farmers Market/Farm Stand/CSA

Address of Farmers Market/Farm Stand/CSA

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Days & Times of Operation

Months of Operation (Ex. May 1st - October 31st)

Does your site currently accept SNAP EBT?

If yes, what point of sale device do you use to accept SNAP? (pax!920, totlpay app)

What is your SNAP FNS Authorization Number?

Fiscal Agent/Operating Organization Information

Organization Name

Mailing Adress

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

Primary Contact Name

First Name

Last Name

Primary Contact Email

Primary Contact Phone

(###)

###

####

Contact Information for day-to-day operations (if different than fiscal agent)

(Day to Day) Organization Name

(Day to Day) Mailing Address

Address 1

Address 2

City

State/Province

Zip/Postal Code

Country

(Day to Day) Primary Contact Name

First Name

Last Name

(Day to Day) Primary Contact Email

(Day to Day) Primary Contact Phone

(###)

###

####

Line

Farmers Market Indicators

Estimated Average Weekly customer Attendance

Number of vendors who sell produce?

Total Number of Vendors?

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)

To help ensure that customers from all economic backgrounds can afford to shop at their local market, many market operators are taking advantage of federal nutrition assistance programs that help customers purchase healthy, fresh food. These programs include the Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) for Women Infant and Children (WIC) and Seniors (SFMNP), as well as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program. By accepting alternative forms of payment—including SNAP, WIC FMNP and SFMNP coupons—farmers markets are creating welcoming environments where everyone, regardless of budget constraints, can feel welcome and shop. SNAP not only allows low-income families greater access to fresh nutritional foods, but also increases farmer/vendor revenue. Currently in Iowa there are 2 ways of offering SNAP as a form of payment in the farmers market setting: the Central POS System and the Individual POS System. The Central POS System that uses script (i.e. tokens) enables a farmers market to have one SNAP authorization from the USDA (FNS permit) and to operate a central point of sale (POS) terminal for all participating vendors. Customers redeeming SNAP benefits swipe their EBT card at a central location at the market and receive tokens or paper scrip which they spend like cash for eligible food at the market. Payment is electronically transferred directly into the market bank account. Market management distributes payments to vendors and assumes responsibility for accounting and reporting requirements. The Individual POS System allows individual farmers/vendors to manage their own SNAP redemption by obtaining their own FNS permit; purchase/lease their own POS terminal; and independently accept SNAP benefits at their stalls. In this system, a customer swipes his/her card at the vendor stall and the sale is completed without the need for tokens or scrip. Payments are directly deposited in the vendor bank account and there is a very limited reporting requirement.

SNAP EBT Point of Sale System

Which type of POS (point of sale) system does your farmers market/farm stand/CSA currently operate?

If applicable, would your farmers market be willing to adopt a central POS system?

If your market is currently operating a central POS system, please answer the following questions.

Who is responsible for SNAP EBT Card acceptance at your farmers market/farm stand/CSA? Is this person paid or volunteer?

What challenges have you encountered with accepting SNAP EBT cards at your farmers market/farm stand/CSA? Or, if your market has not accepted SNAP EBT cards in past seasons, please explain your plans to implement.

Does the same organization that manages the market/stand/CSA also operate the SNAP EBT card program? If not, please explain the relationship between the organizations involved in market management and SNAP operations.

What is your SNAP currency (scrip, tokens, etc.)?

Please describe your SNAP point-of-sale device. What type of device is it? Where is it located in proximity to your market?

Describe your bookkeeping procedures for vendor reimbursement of SNAP sales. What is your frequency of reimbursement (e.g. weekly, monthly)? What types of documentation do you have in place (e.g. receipt of token exchange)?

Education and Outreach

Describe your farmers market/farm stand/CSA current outreach and promotion efforts *

Does your farmers market/farm stand/CSA offer educational or other community programming, either independently or in partnership with other organization?

Funding

In the past year, have you received any grant funding to support your market/stand/CSA or food assistance programs at your market? If you have foundation or other charitable support, please explain.

Please provide link to document of either 1) proof of nonprofit status from the IRS or 2) a completed W-9 form available at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf for all other types of organizations.

Capacity Building

For the purpose of this Capacity Building Grant opportunity, capacity building is defined as: initiatives that are designed to strengthen a farmers’ markets, farm stand or CSA’s ability to enhance the sale of specialty crops in their community. Capacity building is an investment in the effectiveness and future sustainability of the farmers market, farm stand or CSA. (Examples: communications , financial management, staffing, technology, equipment)

Please describe challenges impacting your farmers market, farm stand, or CSA

Please provide a brief description of how you envision spending funds to innovate, build capacity, or address specific programmatic or operational challenges at your market. Include why you believe this will address the challenges described in the previous question.

Please list a simple timeline for activities that you are requesting funds for during the 12-month grant cycle

Is there anything else you would like to share that we have not asked? If yes, please do so here.

If you have supporting information you would like to share, please share the file link here:

Please email with questions:

Jazzmine Brooks

Double Up Food Bucks Program Coordinator
Iowa Healthiest State Initiative

301 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50309

email: jazzmine@iowahealthieststate.com

Double Up Food Bucks Farmers

Market Application

Iowa Healthiest State Initiative Double Up Food Bucks Farmers Market Grant Application

APPLICATION FORM:

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