Minnesota Lawmakers Urged to Spare Market Bucks Program

(KNSI) – Minnesota lawmakers are being asked to not cut funding for a popular program that allows low-income residents to make more purchases at farmers’ markets.

The Market Bucks program works by giving SNAP customers a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $10 when they make purchases at a participating farmers’ market. So, if a customer spends $20, they can get an extra $10 to buy other food items.

Birdie Pederson, who oversees the Little Falls farmers market, says it’s a win-win because “For the people eligible to use Market Bucks, it advances their opportunity to purchase their food locally. At the same time, to our local farmers, our local vendors, it gives us a greater profit.”

An annual report from the group Hunger Solutions says through SNAP and Market Bucks purchases last year, more than 600-thousand dollars in economic activity was created for communities across the state. The program is funded through a $325,000 state subsidy, but some lawmakers resist renewing it, citing concerns over customers misusing the funds. But program operators say there’s no evidence of that.

Kathy Zeman, of the Minnesota Farmers Market Association, argues the program is widely popular, noting that the available funding gets used up each cycle. And she says there are even more opportunities to connect customers with local producers as “direct-marketing farmers can also accept SNAP, there’s going to be a bigger need to get Market Bucks in their hands.”

Market Bucks, which is co-administered by Hunger Solutions, are accepted at 99 participating markets around the state. Lawmakers are racing to meet a July 1st budget deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

Legislative leaders and the governor have agreed to a framework, but still need to sort out many details.

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