The 2026 KC Farmers Market Passport is Off and Running!
Double Up Food Bucks Thrives at Kansas City Farmers Markets
It’s proving to be a banner year for food access and Kansas City farmers markets. As of June 2024, farmers market customers and vendors alike have enjoyed nearly $30,000 in extra spending money thanks to the Double Up Food Bucks program—and another $2,000 on top of that thanks to Cultivate KC’s Market Match program.
Double Up Food Bucks
Double Up Food Bucks is a program that gives SNAP customers additional funds to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets and grocery stores. When SNAP customers swipe their EBT card at a market’s manager booth, they receive a match of up to $25 per day. This extra money can only be spent on fruits, vegetables, and seeds or food-bearing plants:
Cultivate KC partners with Mid-America Regional Council to implement DUFB in the Kansas City metro area. To learn more about DUFB (including participating locations and hours), visit the Double Up Heartland website.
DUFB By the Numbers
Fourteen farmers markets and farm stands are participating in the Double Up Food Bucks program in the Kansas City metro area this year. That’s five fewer markets than last year, but it’s already clear that DUFB is bigger and better than ever in Kansas City. Here’s a look at how much DUFB money has been spent at farmers market vendor booths over the past few years:
Nearly every month in the first half of 2024 saw more DUFB activity than in the past two years. This means more people in the KC area have access to fresh, local food. The half-year totals for DUFB in KC tell the same story: Kansas City farmers markets love to support their communities!
- Jan-June 2022: $24,175
- Jan-June 2023: $24,833
- Jan-June 2024: $29,869
Last year, July ended up being the single largest month the Kansas City area has seen for DUFB activity: $33,584 all by itself. Will customers keep up the trend this year, and set a new record in July? We’ll find out in the coming weeks!
SFMNP Market Match
In addition to Double Up Food Bucks, Cultivate KC also offers the Market Match program for customers in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). Qualifying seniors apply for the SFMNP directly with the state, then they present their SFMNP coupons to a participating farmers market manager and receive an additional $20 to spend at the market. For more information about SFMNP, there are websites specific to Kansas and Missouri customers.
This program launches in May and June each year but doesn’t really take off until later in the season. Still, this early data hints at a promising year for this program as well:
- June 2022: $1,280
- June 2023: $936
- June 2024: $1,959
That’s twice as many Market Match dollars spent this year compared to last year! That means more seniors are enjoying the nutrition and community available at Kansas City’s many excellent farmers markets.
