Have you been seeing lots of mysterious greens sprouting up at the market lately? Microgreens may be the reason. These luscious, bright spreads of sprout-like leafy veggies are cropping up across Arizona markets, but many customers aren’t sure what they are, or more importantly, how to use them.
Read More“What do you get when you drop a pumpkin? Squash.”
Halloween is just around the corner! It’s time for costumes, haunts, family, and usually lots of sugary snacks. This year, you can ensure your littles ones have tons of fun and cut down on the ghoulish sugar-buzz with festive fruit and veggie snacks.
Read MoreIf you shop with your SNAP Quest card at participating farmers markets, you can double up on Arizona-grown produce with Double Up Food Bucks. Check out this video to learn how it works!
Read MoreNational Hispanic Heritage Month wraps up this week, but there’s still time to celebrate with some festive and appetizing eats.
Read MoreSeptember is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month – an opportunity to raise awareness about the state of children’s health across the country and explore ways to promote healthy weight and lifestyles.
Here at Double Up Food Bucks Arizona, we love fresh produce, and we love sharing ways to eat more of it. One of the best ways to promote healthy weight for your family every day is by adding more fruits and vegetables to your meals. Whether you have a picky eater at home, or you need a little help getting creative with your produce, these tips can help you add a healthy kick to any dish.
Read MoreWhen the leaves turn brown and the weather cools down, many markets open their doors again to offer seasonal fall produce.
New fruits and veggies will be popping up at farmers markets across the state. As summer harvests fade away, delicious sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkins, radishes, green leafy lettuce, kale, Swiss chards, turnips, sweet peppers and more will fill the stands at your favorite market.
Read MoreWhen a farmers market opens in a neighborhood, the entire community benefits. These markets often act as important points of access for healthy food for community members who need it the most. This week, we’re highlighting more Arizona markets that go above and beyond in championing healthy food for all as we take part in the American Farmland Trust’s Farmers Market Celebration.
Read MoreFarmers markets play an important role in bringing healthy food to all Arizonans. Over the next few weeks, we’re highlighting a few of our Arizona markets that go above and beyond when it comes to serving neighborhoods and community members who need it the most.
Read MoreThe American Farmland Trust’s Farmers Market Celebration is raising awareness about the importance of farmers markets to growers and communities across the country, and we’re taking part in it all summer long. Our focus over the next few weeks is on farmers markets and the people that go above and beyond in bringing healthy food to neighborhoods that need it the most. Many farmers markets assist low-income neighbors, work with vulnerable seniors, donate food to local food banks, or accept federal food and nutrition program benefits.
Read MoreRead More“Now is the time for our country to recognize and call on family farmers’ ingenuity, strength and value to our past and our future. We can have strong local economies, green energy, a clean environment, healthy citizens and good food – all of these start with family farmers.”
– Willie Nelson, Farm Aid President
If you visit your local farmers market this June, you might find yourself leaving with eggs, honey, tortillas, and tons of fresh produce. If you’re shopping with your SNAP Quest card at participating markets, you’ll be heading home with even more in-season, Arizona-grown fruits and veggies.
Wondering what to do with all of your fresh finds? Check out these “5 Token Recipes” to start stretching your food budget. The ingredients for these recipes can all be purchased at your local market for approximately $5 spent on your SNAP card, plus your $5 worth of Double Up tokens. Many of these recipes will also leave you with leftover ingredients to use for other dishes.
Read MoreLast week, we celebrated an exciting launch of a new farmers market in El Oso Park in Maryvale, a community located in west Phoenix that has low access to quality food sources. We’re thrilled to work with local organizations and growers to help increase access to healthy food for this community, and hope this effort can serve as an example of the benefits of farmers markets in food insecure areas across the state.
A recent Feeding America study found that 15.8 percent of Arizonans are food insecure. Urban sprawl, lack of grocery stores and inadequate public transportation leave many who reside in food desert communities with the task of traveling though the extreme Arizona heat for basic needs and groceries. Many rural communities face similar challenges. Farmers markets can help bridge this gap and increase access to healthier food in every community.
Read MoreThere are many misconceptions and myths about farmers markets and local goods. Is it really more expensive to buy produce at a market instead of a grocery store? Aren’t organic fruits in the produce section the same as those at market stands? Once you learn more about the misconceptions of farmers markets, you may find you’d like to try shopping at one.
Local farmers markets are great for families, farmers and communities, so why not try something fun and fresh? If you get the chance, check out a market in your neighborhood this season!
Read MoreIf it’s your first time planning a trip to your local farmers market, you may not know what to expect. What should you bring with you? If you’re using your SNAP Quest Card and Double Up Food Bucks, where should you go first? Get the most out of your shopping trip with these tips:
1. Plan ahead.
When it comes to shopping for food, going in with a game plan saves time at the market and cuts down on food waste. Research some recipes beforehand, and have a clear purpose for all the food on your grocery list. It also helps to know which fruits and veggies will be in season at the time of your shopping trip. Here’s a helpful guide to Arizona’s in-season fruits and veggies.
If you shop with your SNAP Quest card at participating farmers markets, you can double up on Arizona-grown produce with Double Up Food Bucks.
Double Up Food Bucks matches each dollar you spend with a Double Up token, up to $10 a day. That means if you buy $10 worth of eggs, bread or other SNAP eligible food items at the market, you will get $10 to spend on fresh Arizona-grown fruits and vegetables.
Learn more about Double Up Food Bucks and find a participating market near you: http://www.doubleupfoodbucksarizona.org
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
We all know the saying, but sometimes getting enough fresh fruits and veggies in our diets is easier said than done. Between busy days and tight wallets, it can be difficult to prioritize nutritious produce on our shopping lists.
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