We want all Arizonans to have access to Double Up. Please email hello@doubleupaz.org to let us know that you want Double Up in your area. Let us know which store or market would be a good fit, and why. In the meantime, potential Double Up partners can start the application to become authorized to accept SNAP benefits.
SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. You might also hear the program called EBT or food/nutrition assistance. The SNAP program was formerly known as “food stamps.”
Double Up Food Bucks helps SNAP customers stretch their food dollars and buy more fruits and vegetables. Double Up Food Bucks is a “buy-one get-one” program. For every $1 of SNAP benefits a customer spends, they receive $1 in Double Up Food Bucks to purchase Arizona-grown fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs; seeds/plants that produce food; and dried beans with no added ingredients. Double Up incentive is unlimited at farmers markets, mobile markets, and farm stands/CSAs. At select corner stores, customers can earn up to $20 in Double Up Food Bucks per day.
These short videos in English or Spanish will guide you through the Double Up purchase process. Learn more here.
Double Up Food Bucks dollars can buy fresh, Arizona-grown fruits and vegetables. This includes cactus fruit, tepary beans, and many other desert-adapted foods. Double Up Food Bucks also can be used to buy dried beans without added ingredients, fresh herbs, and plants that produce food. SNAP/EBT dollars can be used to buy any eligible food item, except for hot and ready-to-eat foods. This includes fruits and vegetables, dairy products, eggs, baked goods, frozen to-go foods, and meats. SNAP dollars can also be used to buy seeds and plants that produce food.
We know that fruits and vegetables are under-consumed by all Americans. USDA’s FINI grant program was created to increase the rates of fruit and vegetable purchases and consumption. Customers can still use their regular SNAP benefits for other eligible food items like meats, dairy, and bread.
Pinnacle Prevention received a Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI, now known as GusNIP) grant from the USDA in 2016 to launch the program in Arizona. Continued support from the USDA NIFA and Arizona Department of Economic Security have allowed Double Up Food Bucks AZ to grow exponentially over the past 6 years.
If you sell Arizona-grown fresh fruits and vegetables, dried beans, and/or plants that produce food, the answer is yes! You will need to sign a contract before accepting any Double Up currency and being reimbursed. Contact us at hello@doubleupaz.org to learn how.
The Double Up program is a triple win – good for families, good for farmers, and good for our economy. By focusing on Arizona-grown fruits and vegetables, we are making sure that more dollars are invested in Arizona farmers. The program hopes to make farmers markets feel more accessible and welcoming to community members of all income levels. We are grateful to partner work with all of our community partners, especially our Double Up host sites.
We use a variety of evaluation tools, including surveys and data reporting, to ensure that Double Up Food Bucks is making a positive impact on all community members involved with the program. We welcome feedback. Email us at HELLO@doubleupaz.org or call us at 1-833-8-DOUBLE (1-833-836-8253).