Double Up Food Bucks Fundraising Week
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture is getting ready for our Double Up Food Bucks Fundraising Week from February 26th to March 4th, 2023!
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! This week is crucial towards funding the Spring and Summer season so everyone can participate in the program!
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! This week is crucial towards funding the Spring and Summer season so everyone can participate in the program!
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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 and 1 in 7 adults are food insecure in Watauga County. 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:
- Monday 2/27: Trivia night at Lily's- raffle tickets for sale during trivia.
- Wednesday 3/1: Raffle tickets for sale at Food Hub pickup (noon-6:30pm)
- Thursday 3/2: FARM cafe tabling! Raffle tickets for sale at BRWIA table.
- Friday 3/3: First Friday in Boone, raffle tickets for sale
- Saturday 3/4: Double Up Food Bucks Fundraising Day at the Boone Winter Farmers' Market! Raffle ends
A year in review...
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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"People who wouldn't otherwise be able to purchase the unique products the farmers market offers have the opportunity to shop freely." - Iona Jones from Sweetwater Kitchen. "As a vendor and a participant of the Double Up Program, I can shop and not worry about the prices of fresh local food."
Each year the program has expanded dramatically. In 2022 we doubled $65,790. This means $131,580 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." |
Produce from Hedge Family Farm.
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Since 2017, over $300,000 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, Moravian Ministries, Mountainwise, Grow Watauga and neighbors like you! Chip Finch from Boone Fungi on the Double Up Food Bucks program, "The customers are the most loyal and some of the best customers at the markets. Happy faces who are ready to support local food!" |