Double Bucks: How to use Nutrition Assistance Programs at CFM
Have you ever wondered about the purpose of the little wooden tokens at the Information Tent? These tokens represent Double Bucks — a dollar-for-dollar match for nutrition assistance program funds that customers can use with our vendors!
Here at CFM, we are committed to supporting all of our customers. The Double Bucks program is vital for our community, allowing families with SNAP/EBT benefits to double their purchasing power at the market. This means they can buy not just fresh produce, but also local meats and seasonal items, making nutritious food accessible to everyone.
Double Bucks is a TRIPLE WIN!
Supports consumers with limited income in purchasing more fresh, local food
Enhances the economic resilience of our farmer community
Improves the food security and health of SNAP participants
You can get Double Bucks for several programs, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP), and SUN Bucks. CFM also offers cash match for Double Bucks with SNAP/EBT, e-WIC, and Section 8 housing. For example, if you bring $20 in cash, you’ll receive $40 in tokens for SNAP-eligible items around the Market. Visitors can bring a friend who also uses EBT, WIC, or Seniors FMNP and get an extra $5 in tokens!
In 2024 alone, 416 unique SNAP/EBT customers redeemed $65,788 in Double Bucks at Carrboro Farmers’ Market. At the Market, 65 farmers & vendors accept Double Bucks tokens.
TRIANGLE DOUBLE BUCKS
Carrboro Farmers’ Market is not alone in the Double Bucks mission! Triangle Double Bucks is a collaborative effort comprising 8 Orange and Durham counties farmers' markets. The markets started working together in 2019 with a Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Sponsorship to fund and administer Double Bucks to match unlimited purchases to address barriers that households faced to using their benefits at farmers' markets. Prior to 2019, the markets worked individually to secure Double Bucks funding and often matched purchases up to a certain amount, such as $10. In 2024, Triangle Double Bucks saw $177,924 in Double Bucks redeemed at all participating Triangle farmers’ markets.
SUPPORT DOUBLE BUCKS
Want to help support the Double Bucks program? CFM has adorable little tomato enamel pins available for a suggested donation of $10-20 at the Information Tent every Market day. All the proceeds from the pins go directly to our Double Bucks program! You can attach them to your CFM tote bag, hat, or shirt, knowing that you’re supporting access to fresh, local food.
RECIPES
The recipes below feature fall produce and are from Leanne Brown’s cookbook Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day, a great collection of healthy recipes designed to fit a SNAP/EBT budget. Click this link to learn more about the cookbook and download a PDF copy in English or Spanish!
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Farmers Market note: It’s the perfect time of year for squash soup! You can find all kinds of winter squash around the market: butternut squash, of course, and other varieties like acorn and candy roaster. You can also find onions, bell peppers, and garlic for this recipe at the Market.
Squash is a wonderful vegetable for soup: It’s flavorful and has a divinely smooth texture when cooked and pureed. Serve this soup to people who think they don’t like squash or curry, and you’ll change some minds. You can substitute any winter squash for the butternut—I just like the butternut because it’s faster to peel and chop than its many cousins.
SERVES 4
Ingredients:
1 Butternut squash or equivalent amount of other winter squash (about 2 pounds)
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, adn chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can coconut milk, 2 tablespoons reserved for garnish
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Additions:
Sour cream
Chopped scallions
Chopped fresh cilantro
To prepare the squash, peel off the tough skin with a potato peeler. Cut the squash in half lengthwise with a sharp chef’s knife, then scoop out the seeds and goop. (you can save the seeds for a tasty snack later, if you like).
Next, slice off the stem and the very bottom of the squash and throw them away(or compost them)
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add the cubed squash, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne, and stir it all together. Put a lid on the pot and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the coconut milk and 3 cups of water and stir.
Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and let it cook until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed. Soup usually needs a fair bit of salt to bring out the flavors, so be generous.
If you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in the pot. If you have a stand blender, wait until the soup has cooled before transferring it to the blender. Puree until smooth, then taste again and add any more salt and pepper if needed. You can enjoy the soup as is or serve it with a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk or a dollop of sour cream, plus some chopped scallions or cilantro.
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Farmers Market note: You can use double bucks tokens to purchase delicious kale, fresh eggs, garlic, and Romano-style cheeses for this recipe at the market! This recipe is also easily customizable with all sorts of Market additions like spicy peppers, squash, and roasted chicken.
This kale is treated like romaine lettuce in a classic Caesar salad, not the creamy modern version. The bitterness of the greens is delicious alongside the rich, fatty dressing. You could also use Swiss chard. If you’re worried about the raw egg yolk in the dressing, simply omit it. And make the croutons first—they’ll take the longest.
SERVES 2, OR 4 AS A SIDE.
Salad Ingredients:
2 cups bread cubes
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 large bunch kale (dinosaur or lacinato kale is best)
About 2 cups Romano or Parmesan cheese
Dressing Ingredients:
1 raw egg yolk, from a high-quality fresh egg
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, grated (optional)
1 anchovy, finely chopped (optional)
Start by making croutons. Let the butter melt or the oil get hot. Add the bread and toss gently until coated. Let the bread sit for 2 minutes, then flip the pieces over. Keep tossing and turning until the bread is brown all over. Add oil or butter as needed and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
To make the dressing, drop the egg yolk into a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, mustard, and garlic and anchovy, if using. Whisk briskly until the dressing is light and frothy. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking the whole time. Once everything is incorporated, add the salt and pepper, then adjust to your taste. I like it very lemony.
Remove the large stem from the center of the kale leaves (Lacinato kale, sometimes called Tuscan or dinosaur kale, has the easiest stems to remove). Chop the leaves in half lengthwise, then cut into thin ribbons. This method disguises the kale’s tough texture.
Before serving, toss in the croutons and a sprinkling (or more!) of Romano or Parmesan cheese, according to your taste.
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Farmers Market note: Along with the broccoli, garlic, and eggs for this recipe, you can also find flours and cornmeal at the Market!
Every culture has some version of dough stuffed with tasty filling—it’s a perfect combination. The cornmeal isn’t traditional in empanadas—I just like the extra crunch it gives. You can substitute more flour for the cornmeal if you like. MAKES 12 EMPANADAS.
Dough Ingredients:
¼ cup (½ stick) butter
2 cups all-purpose or whole-wheat flour, plus more for rolling the dough
½ cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ cup cold water
Filling Ingredients:
4 cups chopped broccoli, florets and stems
8 eggs
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon chile flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 400℉. Lightly grease the 2 baking sheets.
Make the dough: Place the ¼ cup butter in the freezer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Grate the cold butter directly into the flour mixture. Use clean hands to squish the butter gently into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.
Make a crater in the flour mixture. Crack 1 egg into it and pour in the cold water. Mix with your hands until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. If you’re using whole-wheat flour and the dough seems dry, add another tablespoon of water. Wrap the ball of dough in plastic or cover it with a moist towel.
Make the filling: Place a large pan over medium heat and add the broccoli and 1 cup water. Cover it with a lid and cook until the water is gone and the broccoli is tender.
Meanwhile, crack the 8 eggs into a bowl. Add the garlic, chile flakes, salt, and pepper, nad beat lightly to combine.
Once the broccoli is tender, poru the eggs into the pan with the broccoli and stir until the eggs are just scrambled, abut 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the cheese, and stir again.
Dust a clean countertop lightly with flour. Unwrap the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball with your hands, then use a rolling pin to flatten each ball into a thin circle, a little bigger than a coaster. Place some filling—about a heaping ⅓ cup—on one side of the circle, then fold over the other side to form a half-moon. Pinch the edges together and place the empanada on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat!
Bake until the empanadas turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
We hope this has helped you learn more about Double Bucks and that you’re inspired to cook some fun, fall recipes!