Utahns can double food-stamp benefits at farmers’ markets
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tamsin Clement stocks radishes for Orem's Wilkerson Farm at the opening day of the 2018 Downtown Farmers Market at Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City, Saturday, June 9, 2018.
A Utah program aimed and helping low-income families buy more produce from local farmers is back.
The Utah Department of Health said Monday that the Double Up Food Bucks is now available at more than 20 farmers markets around the state.
It allows families to double their food-stamp benefits by up to $10 when they buy produce at the markets.
Brian Emerson with the group Utahns Against Hunger says more than 6,000 people used the program last year. He says the majority of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients were children, followed by people with disabilities and seniors.
Department of Health dietitian Jess Church says the program benefits families who report eating more fruits and vegetables and Utah farmers who ring up higher sales and show increased interest in growing produce.
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