The 2024 Farmers Market season brought a mix of encouraging growth and new challenges for farmers markets across the Kansas City area, including here in Excelsior Springs. Local efforts to provide fresh, healthy food options to the community saw significant increases, while regional organizations worked to sustain vital programs like Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) despite shifting resources.
Double Up Food Bucks Program Impact
Alicia Alferman of Cultivate KC shared the season’s successes in the Kansas City area, highlighting the impact of the DUFB program. This initiative helps low-income families stretch their SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) dollars by matching their spending at farmers markets dollar for dollar, doubling their purchasing power for fruits and vegetables.
In 2024, the DUFB program served over 2,000 customers at farmers markets in the Kansas City region, with over $287,000 in SNAP and DUFB funds spent on fresh, local food. This program has been an important point of food access for many families, and its success shows the importance of partnerships like these in promoting healthy eating habits and supporting local farmers.
Excelsior Springs Farmers Market Sees Growth
Here in Excelsior Springs, the Farmers Market celebrated an impressive 45% increase in activity over last season. Market Coordinator Tammy Murphy shared the exciting news that next season, the market will be able to accept Healthy Benefits from select health insurance plans. These benefits allow participants to use insurance funds to purchase healthy, local food. Murphy encouraged residents to check their health insurance plans to see if these benefits will apply, making fresh, nutritious food even more accessible to the community.
Regional Challenges and Resilience
While Excelsior Springs saw growth, Cultivate KC reported a 17% decrease in overall food access activity across the Kansas City region this year, largely due to a reduction in farmers market coverage. Despite this challenge, a 9.3% increase in food access activity was reported across existing markets in 2024, indicating that more customers are utilizing farmers markets where they are available.
The DUFB program has been instrumental in driving food access since its introduction. Funded since the fall of 2020 by a grant from the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) and administered by the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), the program has helped thousands of families access fresh, local food. While MARC’s application for the next GusNIP grant period was not awarded funding, private donors and matching funds have stepped up to ensure the program continues for another year.
Looking Ahead
As the Farmers Market season draws to a close, it’s clear that programs like DUFB and dedicated local markets like Excelsior Springs play a critical role in strengthening food access and supporting local agriculture. With plans to introduce new insurance benefits and a growing community presence, the Excelsior Springs Farmers Market is poised for even more success in the coming year.
For more detailed information about farmers market programs in the Kansas City area, Cultivate KC has published a full recap on their website, providing valuable insights into the season’s achievements and challenges. As the community looks forward to the next Farmers Market season, these efforts reflect the vital role that local markets play in promoting health, sustainability, and community connection.
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