Funding Available to Increase Farmers Markets Accepting SNAP Benefits

North Dakota State University Extension is looking to partner with farmers markets to expand North Dakotans’ access to affordable fruits and vegetables during a time of increased need.

 

This partnership will provide funding support, training, supplies and technical assistance to increase the number of farmers markets that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as well as implement Double Up programs in North Dakota. The Double Up program doubles the value of SNAP benefits spent at participating markets, helping people bring home more healthful fruits and vegetables while supporting local farmers.

 

The project runs from December 2020 through September 2021.

 

“All farmers markets that are interested in accepting SNAP and implementing a Double Up incentive program are encouraged to apply,” says Jan Stankiewicz, NDSU Extension community health and nutrition specialist. “Funding will suit the individual needs of the market, including but not limited to staff time for part-time market management, electronic benefits transfer equipment and signage/advertising, as well as funding to operate the Double Up incentive program.”

 

Participating markets must:

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.