Double Up Food Bucks Fundraising Week
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture is getting ready for our Double Up Food Bucks Fundraising Week from February 21st to the 26th, 2022!
The week includes opportunities for our community to learn more about the Double Up Food Bucks program, how it supports local farmers, how it increases accessibility to local nutritious food, volunteer opportunities, and more!
Thanks to the generous support of a Food Hub customer, a challenge gift of $1,500 has been shared to help us reach our goal of raising $5,000 for the week!
The week includes opportunities for our community to learn more about the Double Up Food Bucks program, how it supports local farmers, how it increases accessibility to local nutritious food, volunteer opportunities, and more!
Thanks to the generous support of a Food Hub customer, a challenge gift of $1,500 has been shared to help us reach our goal of raising $5,000 for the week!
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Double Up Food Bucks Fundraising Week in February ensures that our community can support the Double Up Program during the summer when there is more availability of fresh produce at the markets, and to keep the daily match unlimited as participation continues to grow.
Donating to Double Up will allow more people to have access to fresh and healthy foods, while also supporting farmers during peak season. Double Up Food Bucks is a healthy food incentive program that doubles the value of federal nutrition benefits (i.e. SNAP/EBT) spent at farmers’ markets, helping people buy local food while supporting our local farmers and economy. According to Grow Watauga, 1 in 5 children in Watauga County and 1 in 7 adults are food insecure. The fundraising week includes opportunities for the community to learn more about the Double Up Food Bucks program, how it supports local farmers, how it increases accessibility to local nutritious food, volunteer opportunities, and more! |
What’s going on during the fundraising week:
- 2/21-Monday: Tabling at App State Student Union- games and information
- 2/22-Tuesday: Lunch and Learn This is a Food and Faith Zoom event where we will discuss the Double Up's impact on our community and program and hear about Food & Faith work in WNC from Sarah Ogltree of Creation Care Alliance.
- 2/23-Wednesday: Trivia at the Food Hub
- 2/23-Wednesday: Fundraising Dinner at Lost Province There will be appetizers, drinks, and special guest speakers!
- 2/25-Friday: Farmer Impact Day
- 2/26-Saturday: Games and information at the Farmers Market
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture envisions an equitable and sustainable food system where producers are thriving and local food is accessible to all.
One Double Up Food Bucks customer said of the program, “The Food Hub accepting EBT and the fact that the Double Up program doubled the amount we spent made it much easier for me to purchase fresh local products that I previously did not have access to. We are a large family and unable to spend much cash on food, especially during the pandemic, and this program gave us access to fresh, local, healthy food."
One Double Up Food Bucks customer said of the program, “The Food Hub accepting EBT and the fact that the Double Up program doubled the amount we spent made it much easier for me to purchase fresh local products that I previously did not have access to. We are a large family and unable to spend much cash on food, especially during the pandemic, and this program gave us access to fresh, local, healthy food."
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"I think it’s an incredible program and that people are essentially able to get their local food for 50% off!” Becca Nenow from Resupply Boone said of the Double Up Food Bucks Program, “It also has so many positive outcomes; from access to food, customers know the source of their food and who is taking care and growing their food, it supports local producers, and consumer money stays in our local economy!"
Each year the program has expanded dramatically. In 2021 we doubled $47,997, which is more than the previous 4 years combined! This means $95,994 went to local farmers and stayed in the local economy. Rachel Kinard, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture's Double Up Food Bucks Coordinator & Farmers Market Manager, said "This program strengthens our local food system by ensuring access to local food for more people and by keeping dollars within the community. Dollars spent at farmers’ markets or the Food Hub that would have otherwise left the community goes back into the hands of producers." |
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To date, over $166,000 has been kept in our community because of the Double Up program.
Most of the funding for Double Up comes from our local community and neighbors. We appreciate the support from the Town of Boone, Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge, St. Mary’s of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Boone, Boone Service League, High Country United Church of Christ, Valle Country Fair, and neighbors like you!
Lauren from Against the Grain Farm spoke about the program, "When I think of the Double Up program I think, you get what you give. It allows us to reach people that need and want to spend their food stamps on local fresh food and it gives back to the community! It is also great that DUFB customers can choose good quality, local meats!"
Most of the funding for Double Up comes from our local community and neighbors. We appreciate the support from the Town of Boone, Women’s Fund of the Blue Ridge, St. Mary’s of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Boone, Boone Service League, High Country United Church of Christ, Valle Country Fair, and neighbors like you!
Lauren from Against the Grain Farm spoke about the program, "When I think of the Double Up program I think, you get what you give. It allows us to reach people that need and want to spend their food stamps on local fresh food and it gives back to the community! It is also great that DUFB customers can choose good quality, local meats!"