Food Access Resources for Farms
Direct to Consumer Farmers Guide to Accepting SNAP
Farmers, did you know that you are eligible to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for your food products? CSAs, farmers market vendors, farm stands, and other small food producers are all eligible to accept SNAP. Johnson County Local Foods Staff created a guide that shares how to navigate the USDA application as a small food producer.
View a fact sheet about SNAP resources for farmers here.
Make SNAP a Snap!
The Eastern Iowa Young Farmers Coalition (EIYFC) hosted a webinar to explain the steps farmers must take to become authorized to accept SNAP. The webinar begins with an introduction from Natalie Veldhouse, Policy Advocate with Common Good Iowa, about SNAP and its importance. Then, Molly Schintler from the EIYFC and Echollective Farm shares an overview of the USDA application.
Watch the "Make SNAP a Snap!" webinar recording here
Farmers Market Nutrition Program
Farmers can sign up to accept Senior and WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks. Farmers must fill out the online application and complete a training every 3 years in order to participate.
Learn more about the Farmers Market Nutrition Program
CSA Sliding Scale
Sliding scale is a tool that offers more equitable access to CSA while ensuring fair compensation to farmers. Under this model, farmers offer different levels of payment and customers decide what level makes sense based on their income, resources, and life circumstances. The goal is that all customers spend the same percentage of their income on their food.
Farmers can encourage lower levels of payment from customers that:
- support children or other dependents
- have high medical costs not covered by insurance
- have immigration related expenses
- receive public assistance such as WIC or SNAP
Farmers can encourage higher levels of payment from customers that:
- own the home they live in or have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money
- work less by choice
- have a high degree of earning power due to factors such as level of education, class background, or gender and racial privilege
Sliding scale information comes from Soul Fire Farm's Sowing the Seeds of Food Justice SARE Manual. Read the manual to learn more about tools to increase food access.
Table to Table's Farm Recovery Gleaning Program
If you have extra produce in your field with no place to go, consider partnering with Table to Table's gleaning program. Table to Table will bring volunteers out to harvest your leftover produce and donate it to local hunger relief organizations. To become a farm partner, email [email protected] or call 319-337-3400.
Learn more about Table to Table's Gleaning Program here.