Program aims to bring local produce into low-income homes

Randi Dale and her 15-year-old daughter walked away from the farmers market in Battle Creek on Wednesday with bags full of locally-grown corn, cantaloupe, peaches and cucumbers.

But instead of cash, the Battle Creek resident made her purchase with a different type of currency — tokens, provided by the Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program.
“It helps me in so many ways,” Dale said. “It allows my kids and my family to eat healthy.”

When customers use their Bridge Card to shop at participating farmers markets, they receive an equal amount of up to $20 of their purchase in DUFB tokens. The tokens can then be used to buy Michigan-grown produce at the market.


Much of the program, which runs from June to November, is funded by community foundations and state government agencies.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/article/20120721/NEWS01/307220001/Program-aims-bring-local-produce-into-low-income-homes