We are dismayed that the Healthy Eating Here at Home program, otherwise known as Market Bucks, was eliminated in the Minnesota Legislature's agriculture budget agreement. The decision is a stunning loss for Minnesota's local food shed, particularly in a year when money is not an issue.
In a time of unprecedented food insecurity, Market Bucks helped low-income Minnesotans stretch their buying power at farmers markets with a $10 match, and those sales went directly to our food farmers and food makers.
This vital program supports those struggling to put food on the table, farmers and local economies. During the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Minnesota farmers markets did such an amazing job at providing local food to their communities that we were one of two national recipients of the Gus Schumacher Award from the Farmers Market Coalition.
Farmers markets around the state have already begun their season with the expectation that Market Bucks would continue to operate as it has been doing successfully for almost a decade. But on July 1, without the funds necessary to continue, the program will come to an abrupt halt — undoubtedly causing confusion and disappointment for all involved.
The loss of funding will also result in farmers markets somehow having to cover outstanding Market Bucks already disbursed, to make both the markets and the vendors whole.
The decision to defund Market Bucks affects many people in many ways:
- SNAP participants who were able to leverage Market Bucks this month to afford healthy local foods will show up to their local markets in July only to learn that the program no longer exists.
- Farmers who have benefited from the program bringing in approximately 13,000 new customers annually will see their customer base diminish.
- Should funds become available in the future to reinstate the program, it will be overshadowed by a degree of uncertainty given the current disruption.
Later in July, the program stands to lose an award from the USDA for a full federal match of $325,000 per year. We will be sacrificing the opportunity to leverage $3 into local economies for every $1 the state invested. Despite untimely frosts and moderate drought throughout Minnesota, 2021 was shaping up to be a great year for farmers markets. Losing Market Bucks and subsequently thousands of SNAP customers who shop at the 99 participating markets will damage the profitability of our food farmers.
We urge legislators to explore options to preserve Market Bucks — a program that feeds the people of Minnesota and builds our state's food shed, and that we cannot afford to lose.
Kathy Zeman is executive director, Minnesota Farmers' Market Association. David Kotsonas is operations director, St. Paul Farmers Market. Colleen Moriarty is executive director, Hunger Solutions Minnesota. More information at www.hungersolutions.org.
