By Peggy Sue McRae
Journal contributor
The Fresh Bucks program is a locally funded, community-based program that has been around for years. It helps lower-income San Juan islanders purchase locally grown and produced food each Saturday at the San Juan Island Farmers Market.
The Fresh Bucks program is available to all islanders who live at or up to 200% above the Federal poverty level. Generally, community members who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, WIC (or Women, Infants, and Children), or other food security programs are also eligible for the Fresh Bucks program.
Fresh Bucks recipients receive $20 per individual or $40 per household to spend each Saturday at the Farmers Market. Foods that qualify for purchase with Fresh Bucks are locally grown and produced foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, eggs, seafood, baked goods, honey, plus seeds and plants that will grow into food.
Each Saturday, islanders enrolled in the program can pick up their Fresh Bucks at the San Juan Island Farmers Market booth. The Farmers Market is open every Saturday during the growing season from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Market is located at Brickworks, 150 Nichols St., in Friday Harbor.
To date, 169 local households have enrolled in the program, serving over 300 people. According to our local food bank statistics, our community has seen a 152% increase in household food insecurity in the last three years. These figures are expected to increase significantly this year and into the future. Support for this program and local food production is one way to help create greater food security and community resilience. The Fresh Bucks program not only supports local community members experiencing food insecurity, but it also supports our local farmers market, farmers and food producers by bringing in more dollars to the San Juan Island Farmers Market.
Fresh Bucks is a program of Nourish to Flourish, a coalition of local organizations committed to addressing food security on San Juan Island. This year’s Fresh Bucks program is supported and sponsored by local organizations, including the Mullis Community Senior Center, Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Community Foundation, the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center, the San Juan County Health Department and the San Juan Island Farmers Market. Fresh Bucks depends entirely on donations, and all funds raised go toward providing food for people who need it.
For more information about the Fresh Bucks program, visit the Mullis Center’s Fresh Bucks website page at https://www.mulliscenter.org/fresh-bucks.
Applications for the Fresh Bucks program can be filled out online at https://jlsfrc.org/assistance/nutrition-faq/fresh-bucks/ or in person at the Family Resource Center.
You can donate to the Fresh Bucks program through the Mullis Center at https://www.mulliscenter.org/fresh-bucks or via check; please write Fresh Bucks in the memo line.
