A partnership between Marshfield Medical Center-Beaver Dam (MMC-BD) and the Beaver Dam Downtown Farmers Market is doubling the produce-buying power of families and seniors receiving nutrition assistance benefits.
 
The program uses tokens and a market manager to connect participants in WI FoodShare, WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) with local producers, while contributing up to an additional $20 to their food benefits.
 
Supplemental nutrition programs support families and individuals in getting the foods and information they need to be healthy. Combining nutrition programs with farmers’ markets also increases the consumption of locally grown foods and assists in the expansion and development of local food production and sales, important to a healthy, local economy.
 
The market is open Tuesdays and Saturdays, May to October. On Saturdays, a market manager is on-site at the market to convert benefits to tokens and provide the match tokens, up to $20 per week. The tokens can be used any day the market is open to purchase eligible products including fruits, vegetables, herbs, dairy products, eggs, meats and breads. The system allows farmers to accept FoodShare EBT even if they do not accept cards.
 
“We're grateful for Marshfield Medical Center's commitment to promoting health and wellness in Beaver Dam,” says Tracy Propst, Executive Director of the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce that manages the market. “This initiative not only supports our local farmers but also ensures that everyone in our community has access to fresh, nutritious food.”
 
In 2023, the first full season, the program served over 200 individuals and provided nearly $3,500 in tokens. Despite several rainy Saturdays this season, program participation is higher than last year. So far this year, the program has served 153 customers and distributed over $2,600 in tokens.
 
Program administrators hope to grow the program even more next year. “As of now FMNP and WIC participation are about six times higher than the FoodShare participation,” said Propst. “We need to do more to get the word out to FoodShare participants.”