Doubling Up on Equity: The Financial Power of Food Assistance at the Market

Ann Arbor has a reputation for being a university town with a relatively privileged, wealthy, white population. Farmers markets tend to have the same reputation. So the importance of SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and Double-Up-Food-Bucks (which allows SNAP recipients to make their assistance go twice as far when buying fresh fruits and vegetables) to customers and vendors at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market might come as a surprise.

But according to Ann Arbor Farmers Market manager Stefanie Stauffer, the Ann Arbor market takes in more money from SNAP and Double-Up-Food-Bucks than any other market in the county. She says there are many “die-hard regulars” who the market staff know by name and who use their food assistance at the market weekly to access more nutritious, more affordable, and sometimes more culturally appropriate foods than they would be able to otherwise. Many of these customers come in from nearby communities like Ypsilanti, due to the size and accessibility of the market (it is located close to the city’s main transit center).

Almost all of the food vendors at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market take SNAP, and in 2024, vendors at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market redeemed over fifty thousand dollars in SNAP and just under fifty thousand dollars in Double-Up-Food-Bucks. Stauffer noted that the Wednesday farmers market is especially frequented by SNAP users; on a recent Wednesday, there were more SNAP token sales than regular credit card token sales.

Stauffer also noted that the market does a lot of outreach to non-English speaking communities so that they are able to fully participate in the market. The largest communities are Chinese-speaking and Russian-speaking, and according to Stauffer, “That’s very Ann Arbor; I’ve never talked to any other market like that.” Last time there was a big change in SNAP benefits, Stauffer hosted information sessions at two nearby senior centers, using a Chinese translator and a Russian translator, to communicate the changes and answer any questions about what this meant for them shopping at the market.

Stauffer notes that the exact SNAP and DUFB amounts matter a lot to the customers, and many of them will regularly check in and confirm how their benefits are changing due to the constantly shifting terrain of food assistance programs. Despite this, she is confident in the resilience of customers who use SNAP at the market to continue to weather changes to the program.

The Ann Arbor Farmers Market is able to be the vibrant, diverse place it is largely because of the robust food assistance programs that less wealthy customers have access to. Without SNAP and double-up food bucks, the market might end up fulfilling the stereotype of being a space mostly for wealthier people.

This post is part of a series by Emma Rose Hardy, a PhD Candidate at the University of Michigan and the Rackham Local Food Systems Intern at Growing Hope. The series aims to highlight the essential role that SNAP and other food assistance programs play in the Washtenaw County local food system.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

It's National Farmers Market Week!

By Julius Buzzard • August 5, 2025

Beloved community, This week, we celebrate something powerful: National Farmers Market Week . Here in Ypsilanti, we take that celebration a step further; thanks to a unanimous proclamation from City Council, this is officially Ypsilanti Farmers Market Week . I had the honor of standing before our City Council to share what many of you already know in your bones: the Ypsilanti Farmers Market is more than a place to buy produce. It’s a cornerstone of our local economy, a launchpad for food entrepreneurs, and a living, breathing expression of food justice. From the dozens of businesses that have found their start here to the thousands of residents who count on us for fresh, affordable food, our market is growing something deeper than vegetables, we’re growing community power. We were the third farmers market in the state of Michigan to accept food assistance , and we're not stopping there. With federal shifts creating instability in food access programs, we’re doubling down, creating new systems and access points to ensure every neighbor has a dignified path to nourishment. Every SNAP match, every Produce Prescription, every Market Navigator is a thread in a safety net we’ve woven together; because no one should fall through. And beyond the programs and policies, something else blooms here: joy . Every Saturday from 9 AM to 1 PM, downtown Ypsilanti becomes a space for connection; where elders, youth, growers, artists, and neighbors gather to build a just, vibrant local food system with their hands and hearts. This week, we’re pulling out all the stops. Come for Ypsi Food Fest on Saturday, stay for local food and produce, live music, youth programming, and the kind of community energy that gives us all hope. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a weekly regular, we’d love to see you there. In solidarity and gratitude, Julius P.S. Don’t miss our Summer SNAP Series on our blog , where we’re following workers, providers, and recipients of SNAP and SNAP-Ed throughout Washtenaw County. Their stories illuminate the human impacts of funding cuts, and offer tangible ways you can stand up for local food systems.

This Place Is Magic

By Julius Buzzard • August 1, 2025

Integrating Food Access and Preventive Care at The Farm at Trinity Health Ann Arbor

A Recipe for Community Health

By Julius Buzzard • July 31, 2025

With SNAP-Ed funding set to expire, Washtenaw County risks losing a low-cost, high-impact program that brought nutrition and joy into classrooms, parks, and farmers markets.

ALL ARTICLES