Examining a Wisconsin Farmers' Market SNAP Incentive Program From 2018-2023 Part I

Abstract

Food insecurity is a significant issue facing many American households. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides increased access to food for families in need. Additionally, fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption has been shown to improve health and reduce the risk of a variety of chronic diseases. However, poor nutrition among children and adults, including low FV intake have contributed to rising rates of obesity in America. It is particularly challenging for low-income households to purchase/eat the recommended amount of FV. Farmers’ markets offer a wide variety of fresh, local and healthy foods, especially FV, but data show that low-income households are much less likely to shop at farmers’ markets. The Eau Claire Downtown Farmers’ Market (ECDFM) sponsors a Market Match Program (MMP) incentivizing SNAP households to shop at the market. This presentation uses administrative data to tell the story and describe trends in both utilization and spending by SNAP shoppers at the market from 2018 – 2023. Our results show more SNAP shoppers/SNAP spending at the ECDFM in the first two years of the pandemic, while both measures (utilization and spending) subsequently declined in the next two years coming out of the pandemic.