The Gallatin Valley Farmers’ Market will now be accepting SNAP & Double SNAP!
The GVFM will now be accepting SNAP & Double SNAP Dollars to help provide fresh and local foods to program participants and promote a more equitable food system in our community.
SNAP (Orange Tokens) provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being.
Double SNAP Dollars (Green Tokens) is a nutrition incentive program that helps food-insecure Montanans afford more fresh, local produce by doubling the purchasing power of their SNAP benefits. For every dollar spent on SNAP-eligible foods at the market, SNAP recipients receive an extra dollar to spend on fresh, local produce.
SNAP Eligible Items:
Most food items intended for human consumption are eligible for purchase with SNAP benefits. Edible cooking ingredients that are normally consumed only after being incorporated into foods with other ingredients are eligible foods. Examples include lard, vegetables oils, and pectin (used as a base in jams or jellies). Also, vegetable products imparting flavor to food, such as corn husks, banana leaves, grape leaves, and lotus leaves, are eligible foods. In addition, items that may not be labeled as food, such as water, or bags of ice, are eligible foods. Generally, if an item is intended for human consumption, and it is not specifically excluded (below), it is considered an eligible food.
Examples of SNAP Eligible Items:
- Fruits & Vegetables
- Meats, Fish & Poultry
- Dairy Products
- Breads & Baked Goods
- Grains & Flour
- Seeds & Plants
Double SNAP Dollars Eligible Items:
Double SNAP Dollars tokens can ONLY be used on fruits, vegetables, vegetable starts, mushrooms, herbs, lentils, beans or peas. These incentives cannot be used on meats, eggs, dairy, honey or baked goods.
Non-Eligible SNAP & Double SNAP Items
In regards to the farmers’ market, there are some items specifically excluded from purchase with SNAP benefits, including some food items intended for human consumption. In general, the types of items listed below may not be purchased with SNAP benefits:
- Ready-to-Eat/Prepared/Hot Food
- Any food prepared for on-site consumption is not eligible
- Fresh Flowers
- Value-Added Products like soaps, or bison tallow
- Any Non-Food Items
Please see a complete description of eligible and non-eligible items at https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/food-determinations-eligible-foods
Market Procedures
- Customers visit the SNAP/EBT machine located at the market booth to have their Montana Access cards swiped for the dollar amount they would like to spend.
- Customers are provided SNAP/EBT tokens for the value from their Access card. They are also provided with an equal amount of Double SNAP Dollars tokens (up to the maximum match amount – the maximum match is currently at $30 per customer per day through 2024.
- Customers pay vendors with their tokens. SNAP/EBT tokens (Orange) can be used to pay for any SNAP eligible item. Double SNAP tokens (Green) can be used for any fruits or vegetables.
- At the end of the market, vendors exchange all the tokens to the market manager or market staff member. Payment will be given to vendors in the form of a check quarterly (subject to change as we learn what works best for the market and our vendors).
- All transactions will be accurately recorded on the SNAP and Double SNAP Weekly Reports.
- All SNAP and Double SNAP Weekly Reports are submitted to CFAC at the end of each month.
Token Disbursement
- NO CHANGE in cash can be exchanged for ANY tokens
- NO REFUNDS may be provided for Double SNAP Dollars tokens. REFUNDS for regular SNAP tokens may be returned to the customer’s EBT account through your EBT terminal at the customer’s request. The customer MUST return the same dollar amount of Double SNAP Dollars tokens and will only be refunded for the SNAP tokens on their EBT card.
If you are interested in applying to participate in the SNAP program, you can visit the local Public Health and Human Services Department in Downtown Bozeman.
