Kentucky Double Dollars

Kentucky Double Dollars is Kentucky’s statewide nutrition incentive program. Limited resource families can use their SNAP or Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits at one of 70 participating locations throughout the state and receive extra funds for free produce and proteins. This program has had a meaningful impact on hungry Kentucky families as well as Kentucky farmers, as 100% of the produce used in this program is grown by Kentucky farmers.

Since 2017, the program has seen over 4.3 million dollars in economic impact which translates into an outsized health impact as well! Participants report:

Less food insecurity
More physical activity
Better digestion
Better awareness of nutritious foods
Less consumption of processed food¹

Kentucky Double Dollars is part of a larger program from Kentucky-based nonprofit Community Farm Alliance that supports farmers market infrastructure throughout the state. Farmers markets can have important impacts for community health, including:

Communities with farmers markets have increased fruit and vegetable intake²
Proximity to farmers markets can be associated with lower body mass index²
Improves social connections²
Higher vitamin and mineral content for food that has traveled shorter distances³

Kentucky Double Dollars has a long track record of quality partnerships between individual farmers markets and their local hospitals. Examples of successful partnerships have included:

Financial support from the hospital directly to the farmers market
Physical location provided on hospital grounds
Hospital staff providing health checks/screening at farmers markets
Farmers market setting up for hospital health and wellness events
Customer referrals to the farmers market from hospital staff

If your hospital is interested in making a connection to Kentucky Double Dollars or your local farmers market, you can reach out to program staff at jamie@cfaky.org.