The Macon County Farmers Market has brought its Double SNAP program back for the 2026 season, hoping to echo the success of previous years on the program through a new grant provider.
The farmers market uses grant funding to double federal contributions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to allow customers to access local fresh fruits, vegetables and honey without burning through their SNAP funds. According to market director Devon Dupuis, the farmers market processed almost $6,000 in SNAP revenue last year, with $5,260 added through the Double SNAP program.
“For the past two years, Double SNAP was funded through a grant from the WNC Community Foundation. After that grant concluded at the end of 2025, we applied for and were accepted into the GusNIP Double SNAP program through ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project). This year's program provides up to $20 in matching benefits per customer each Saturday for the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables and will continue throughout the 2026 market season,” Dupuis said.
In addition to the farmers market, 3 Barn Farm and Deal Farms have been approved to offer Double SNAP. Winding Stair Gardens has a privately funded matching program for SNAP-eligible items.
Advocates say programs like Double SNAP help ensure SNAP benefits go to support local farmers while ensuring SNAP recipients have access to typically fresher, healthier and better-tasting produce than what they might be able to access at the supermarket, while keeping customers connected to where their food comes from.
Under the previous grant, customers would purchase tokens from the farmers market booth, and then use those tokens with participating booths, who then cash out the tokens for their money. The grant would match 100% of SNAP funds spent at the market without a cap up to the $5,260 spent.
Through the GusNIP program, the state will match $20 in funds per Saturday, and customers will receive two types of tokens: standard market tokens which can be spent on all SNAP-eligible purchases and up to $20 in GusNIP tokens which can only go toward fresh produce (excluding meat, honey and baked goods). However, the grant is not limited to a specific amount, so more customers could make use of the program than last year. Dupuis said the majority of SNAP purchases this and last year were for fresh produce and meat.
Dupuis said last year, the market had an average of 35 vendors each Saturday, with an average of 40 to 45 vendors each week this season. In total, more than 90 vendors participated in 2025, and this year more than 80 vendors have participated so far, she said. So far the market is averaging more than the 400 customers seen each Saturday last year, though Dupuis said they are still in the process of collecting data.
Dupuis said there is a host of new offerings at the market this season, including “locally processed organic cacao, cold-pressed juices, decadent homemade pies, moonshine cake and more.”
“We're also grateful for the continued partnership of our dedicated local growers and farmers who return each week with fresh produce, locally raised meats, eggs, baked goods, honey, and many other healthy, locally produced items,” she said. “The continued growth of the Macon County Farmers Market reflects our community's commitment to supporting local agriculture and small businesses. Every purchase helps keep dollars in our local economy while providing residents and visitors with access to fresh, healthy food produced right here in Western North Carolina.”
The market is open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from May through November at Franklin Town Hall.