Vancouver Farmers Market reports SNAP spending declining

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program spending plummeted at the Vancouver Farmers Market Nov. 1, just as funding for the program ran dry.

The market is a big local distributor of the food assistance program, which was paused this weekend after the federal government ran out of money to fund it.

The Vancouver Farmers Market offers a SNAP Market Match, funded by the Washington State Department of Health. The program allows the market to match up to $25 in SNAP dollars spent there every time a SNAP customer visits the market.

The market, the second-largest farmers market distributor of SNAP in the state, distributed just $638 in benefits and matching dollars on Saturday.

That’s down from $1,729 the market distributed on the same Saturday last year.

Kelsey Allan, director of operations at the market, did say, however, Saturday was particularly rainy, which also may have influenced the difference.

The Vancouver market’s match program has grown by around 450 percent since 2019, Allan said. SNAP customers spent about $212,000 at the market between their SNAP benefits and the market match last year alone.

The market has an umbrella license that lets every small business there accept SNAP benefits, including those that sell fresh fruits and vegetables through the winter months.

The market’s team expects the temporary loss of SNAP benefits will hit close to home.

“This change will have a significant impact on our shoppers, farm and food businesses,” Allan said. “Our team is, of course, disheartened by this news.”

Allan said SNAP participants with unspent benefits can still redeem them at the market.

“We will continue operating as usual and distributing matching dollars to those with unused SNAP funds during the shutdown,” she added.