Supporting Healthy Communities

If you’re passionate about local food systems, support healthy food access, and/or live in a community with one of our 230+ partnering grocery stores and markets across Michigan, you might be familiar with Fair Food Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program.

Double Up helps make healthy food an affordable, accessible choice for Michiganders using SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). It also helps put more dollars into the pockets of farmers and gives a boost to local economies. Since Double Up started 15 years ago, the need for the program – and its impact – has only grown across the state.

About Double Up Food Bucks

Double Up Food Bucks provides a dollar for dollar match on SNAP purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables, up to $20 a day, at 230+ participating locations in Michigan. The program has helped hundreds of thousands of Michigan households bring home more healthy food each year.

Double Up supports Michigan farmers and local economies, too. Since 2009, Michigan farmers have sold 45+ million pounds of fruits and vegetables through Double Up and SNAP, driving $73.1+ million in economic benefits back to our Michigan communities.

See how the program has grown over the years.

  • 2009
  • 2010
  • 2011
  • 2012
  • 2013
  • 2014
  • 2015
  • 2016
  • 2017
  • 2018
  • 2019
  • 2020
  • 2021
  • 2022
  • 2023
  • 2024

  • 2009

    2009

    Fair Food Network is born

    Double Up Food Bucks launches at 5 Detroit farmers markets inspired by other healthy food incentive pilots

  • 2010

    2010

    Double Up begins statewide expansion across Michigan

  • 2011

    2011

    Founder Oran Hesterman’s book, Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System for All, is heralded by The New York Times

  • 2012

    2012

    Fair Food Fund launches as impact investing arm providing catalytic capital and wrap around business assistance

  • 2013

    2013

    Double Up grows to 150+ sites across Michigan including grocery stores in one of the first pilots in the nation

  • 2014

    2014

    Inspired by Double Up’s impact in Michigan, 2014 farm bill includes for $100 million for nutrition incentives

  • 2015

    2015

    Kate Krauss joined Fair Food Network as first Chief Operating Officer

    Fair Food Fund reaches $1 million in investments and makes cover of New York Times business section

    Statewide Michigan Good Food Fund initiative launches with Fair Food Network as founding partner and lead of technical assistance and marketing

    Fair Food Network receives first USDA grant to expand Double Up in Michigan & model spreads nationwide

  • 2016

    2016

    State of Michigan and local funders propel Double Up in Flint supporting the city’s recovery from lead crisis

  • 2017

    2017

    USDA supports nutrition incentive tech innovations & grocery expansion in Michigan and with partners in Colorado and Western New York

  • 2018

    2018

    Double Up model in communities from coast to coast inspires 2018 farm bill making support for nutrition incentives a permanent part of future farm bills

    Fair Food Fund celebrates 5 years with $3+ million in investments Every dollar invested leveraged $5 and generated nearly $9 in community benefits.

    USDA support fuels nutrition incentives in hard-to-reach communities with partners in Alabama, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Texas

  • 2019

    2019

    Kate Krauss becomes Fair Food Network’s first Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer

    USDA selects Gretchen Swanson Center to launch the Nutrition Incentive Hub, a new national center supporting nutrition incentive and produce prescription projects with Fair Food Network leading technical assistance and innovation

    USDA and State of Michigan support fuels Double Up expansion to every county in Michigan, deepening reach to 30% of all SNAP recipients

    Team grows to 30+ across Michigan, Washington, D.C., and Northeast

  • 2020

    2020

    Michigan Good Food Fund marks 5 years with $17 million supporting 300 food businesses

    Fair Food Fund expands beyond Northeast with multiple investments in Michigan

    Double Up use soars during COVID with programs in 29 states use totaling $30+ million in SNAP and Double Up supporting families, local farmers, and grocers.

  • 2021

    2021

    Fair Food Network becomes manager of Michigan Good Food Fund charting community-driven process to map next chapter

    New research shows that every $1 invested in nutrition incentives could generate up to $3 in economic impact and nutrition incentive participants reported eating more fruits and vegetables than the average American adult

  • 2022

    2022

    Fair Food Network announces Kate Krauss as next CEO in January 2023 and Oran Hesterman as Founder and Resident Champion

    Usage of Double Up Food Bucks in Michigan grew 212% during the COVID Pandemic (2019 to 2022)

  • 2023

    2023

    Double Up Food Bucks in Michigan receives new investments from Michigan legislators and the USDA to help meet the significant need in Michigan as families struggle to afford high food prices

  • 2024

    2024

    Double Up Food Bucks celebrates 15 years of helping families bring home more healthy food, supporting business for local farmers, and boosting local economies through the program

Double Up Awareness Week

Join us in celebrating our first Double Up Awareness Week, June 10-16! We will be hosting events in Detroit, Flint, and Grand Rapids to sign up new participants and you can follow along to read about our Double Up Champions – or nominate someone you know! We’ll also share recipes from Michigan chefs using Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables shoppers can bring home with Double Up. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and use the hashtag #DoubleUpAwarenessWeek to get involved.

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