Double Your Dollars Program Returns to Northwest Arkansas Farmers Markets
| FAYETTEVILLE — Recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SrFMNP), and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits can receive a dollar-for-dollar match on locally grown produce at select Northwest Arkansas farmers markets. This is the first year that the match program is available to WIC recipients.
Through the Double Your Dollars program, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation is working with markets in Benton and Washington counties to increase access to healthy foods among low-income families.
“The Double Your Dollars program is a win-win for everyone involved,” said Hannah Dial, a project manager with the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation. “By providing a match in funding to customers, the local produce becomes half the price and supports our local farmers and farmers markets. It’s very rewarding to know that the Northwest Arkansas local food system is bettering the health of our community one bite at a time.”
SNAP, SrFMNP and WIC recipients can participate in Double Your Dollars by visiting the information booth at one of the participating farmers markets to receive vouchers that are applied at purchase. The vouchers can be used to buy fruits and vegetables, proteins, baked goods, value-added grocery items, and food-producing seeds and plants. Hot foods, alcohol, tobacco products, non-edible flowers, arts and crafts items, and pet foods are not eligible for purchase through the Double Your Dollars program.
UAMS also works with participating markets to host cooking demonstrations — using fresh, in-season produce available at the markets — and Kid’s Day events with activities for the whole family.
“Having the opportunity to bring a group of farmers market managers together who are all passionate about decreasing food insecurity has been incredibly rewarding,” Dial said. “Each year, the number of people served through this program has grown. We’re all very excited to include WIC recipients this year and see how much we grow again.”
Last year, the program served 663 SNAP customers and 576 SrFMNP customers in Northwest Arkansas, providing a total of $53,670 in vouchers at participating markets.
The following markets are participating in the Double Your Dollars program this year:
- Bella Vista Farmers & Makers Market
- Bentonville Farmers Market
- Fayetteville Farmers Market
- Gravette Farmers Market
- Goshen Farmers Market
- Rogers Local Food & Art Market
- Siloam Springs Farmers Market
- Springdale Farmers Market
To learn more about the Double Your Dollars program, visit linktr.ee/nwafarmersmarketalliance. The Double Your Dollars program is supported by funding from the Walmart Foundation and the Alice L. Walton Foundation.
To learn more about the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation, visit communityhealth.uams.edu.
The UAMS Northwest Regional Campus includes 307 medical, pharmacy, nursing and health professions students, 66 medical and pharmacy residents, two sports medicine fellows, and 1,000 community-based faculty. The campus has nine clinics including a student-led clinic, orthopaedics and sports medicine, and physical, occupational and speech therapy. Faculty conduct research to reduce health disparities.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.