Hunger Solutions Minnesota

**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS, OFTEN TIMES BUYING FRESH PRODUCE IS JUST FINANCIALLY OUT OF REACH. EVEN WITH HELP FROM PROGRAMS LIKE SNAP, BUYING LOCAL, FRESH HEALTHY ITEMS ISN'T AFFORDABLE SO HOUSEHOLDS GO WITHOUT THE PRODUCE THEY NEED TO BE HEALTHY. MINNESOTA'S MARKET BUCKS PROGRAM HELPS LOW-INCOME CUSTOMERS USING SNAP BENEFITS STRETCH THEIR BUYING POWER AT FARMERS MARKETS AND MOBILE MARKETS THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA. MARKET BUCKS IS A DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR MATCH ON SNAP USER SPENDING ON FRESH, LOCAL FOODS. GUSNIP FUNDS WILL ALSO MATCH SNAP USER SPENDING ON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, HELPING CUSTOMERS AFFORD MORE HEALTHY FOODS AT THEIR FARMERS MARKET.OUR AIM IS TO IMPROVE THE DIET AND ULTIMATELY THE HEALTH OF LOW-INCOME MINNESOTANS BY IMPROVING ACCESS TO FRESH, LOCAL, HEALTHY FOOD ITEMS. WE MEASURE THIS THROUGH USER SURVEYS OF FARMERS MARKET CUSTOMERS, ASKING THEM TO RECALL THE AMOUNT OF DIFFERENT FOODS THEY HAVE EATEN IN THE LAST 30 DAYS.BY IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTHY PRODUCE AT FARMERS MARKETS WE HELP LOW-INCOME MINNESOTANS IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, WE HELP MAKE FARMERS MARKETS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND WE HELP FARMERS SELL MORE PRODUCTS, ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN GREATER ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND MORE VIBRANT COMMUNITIES. DURING THE 2020 FARMERS MARKET SEASON (MAY-OCTOBER 2020), NEARLY 13,000 MINNESOTANS USED MARKET BUCKS AND THE SPENT $276,920 IN SNAP BENEFITS AND $184,365 IN MARKET BUCKS. BY DOUBLING THE MATCH AVAILABLE USING GUSNIP FUNDING, WE WILL HAVE GREATER IMPACT.