Melissa Mahon Stein regularly sell her produce at farmers markets around southwest Wisconsin. But the owner of BearStone Acres in Soldiers Grove believes her involvement is about more than moving food from the farm to the customer. It’s also about building a stronger community.
Mahon Stein and fellow members of the Vernon-Crawford chapter of Wisconsin Farmers Union worked together to help launch a Double Dollars pilot program at the Viroqua Farmers Market. The program matches Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) spending at the market — dollar for dollar. This means a shopper planning to spend $20 in SNAP benefits could receive another $20 to spend on eligible products from local farmers.
The program is also creating additional opportunities to connect with customers while selling more locally grown food. Mahon Stein says the benefits reach beyond individual farms…