Shopping for groceries on a limited budget feels harder than ever. On top of rising fuel and housing costs, keeping fresh fruits and vegetables on your grocery list may become less of a priority.

There are some programs that can help with that. SNAP-eligible shoppers can use their benefits to explore the variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables at farmers markets, and interact with local farmers and vendors. If the markets are not already part of your weekly grocery shopping routine, but you’re looking to keep fresh produce on your grocery list, your SNAP eligibility opens up some options.

Half of Oregon families say they are buying fewer fruits and vegetables in their grocery trips each week, according to a survey conducted by Advance America. For Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, programs like Double Up Food Bucks help shoppers stretch their dollar further. DUFB is offered at over 100 farmstands and farmers markets in Oregon.

Last fall, people across the country were catapulted into a period of uncertainty when their SNAP funds were delayed. The federal government said that was because of the government shutdown. Roughly 70,000 Oregonians have lost their food aid benefits, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services. And 300,000 Oregonians have been affected by new work rules that determine eligibility for food assistance. 

President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” changed the SNAP program in multiple ways last year, including the addition of an interview requirement for all households applying for or renewing their monthly benefits. Many of these changes have caused confusion, according to Rachael Ward, executive director of the Farmers Market Fund. Still, she added, the Double Up Food Bucks program is not directly impacted by these changes. Though the program works with SNAP dollars, DUFB itself is funded by a separate revenue stream. Ward encouraged people who still have SNAP benefits to make use of the program.

How it works

As its name suggests, the program allows shoppers to double their SNAP dollars at participating farmers markets and farm stands. Shoppers can visit an information booth at participating farmers markets and exchange benefit dollars on their SNAP card for wooden tokens they can then use to buy food in vendors’ stalls. Each person can double up to $20 of their SNAP funds to use at the market. That $20 becomes $40 to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables. ​For first-time DUFB users visiting a participating market, the process may feel like a lot of information to take in, but it gets easier on return visits, said Amber Holland, executive director at Portland Farmers Market.

Understanding hunger

The program is a tool in changing public perceptions of who gets to shop at farmers markets, and a chance to bring lower income shoppers to the market, said Anina Estrem, a food justice advocate and manager at the Montavilla Farmers Market. 

“I think the big battle in front of us right now is helping the world understand that hunger is chronic and you can’t pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” Estrem said. “There are no ‘hacks’ when you can’t make enough money to even pay your rent.”

The issue of hunger is not a mystery according to Estrem.

“Hunger is a money shortage problem,” Estrem said. “It’s not a food shortage problem. Sometimes we oversimplify it, which leads us then to the idea that food pantries can solve hunger, which is absolutely not the case.”

Worried about cyclosporiasis?

Many shoppers may also be wary about shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables amid the Cyclospora cayetanensis outbreak. If ingested via contaminated food or water, the parasite can cause cyclosporiasis and cause symptoms of “explosive” diarrhea. However, Oregon is not currently seeing a significant uptick in cases of the parasitic illness, the Oregon Capitol Chronicle reported. Shoppers should continue to follow local health guidance and thoroughly wash their produce as advised by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

​Holland points to the benefits of buying produce straight from a farmers market as a chance to ask growers themselves about how the food was grown or advice on best practices for how to ensure fresh produce’s safety before consumption.

​“Farmers markets offer the direct connection to the people who grow your food,” Holland said. “You can ask them questions about how your food was grown. You can ask where it came from and how it was handled.”

​Food as a human right

Jesse Nichols is a farmer and founder of CAMPO, an organization that runs a cooperative farm offering educational internships, teaching sustainable agricultural practices, and a larger effort to fight food insecurity through free food distribution.

Nichols’ farm sells at the People’s Farmers’ Market, Woodlawn Farmers Market and the Shemanski Park Farmers Market operated by Portland Farmers Market. Each of these markets offers the Double Up Food Bucks program. He sees participation in these programs as a symbiotic relationship between shoppers and farmers.

Nichols acknowledged the negative stigma some associate with using government assistance, but said he views it as a positive. Shoppers who choose to buy from CAMPOS collective are contributing to the farm’s mission as a nonprofit, whether with cash or their Oregon Trail card.

“Instead of a stigma for us, it’s the opposite,” Nichols said. “We look at people participating in that program as people who are helping those programs continue to exist.”

Market to Table

Try Gregory Gourdet’s Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho with ingredients fresh from a local farmers market

This recipe is reprinted with permission from the Portland Farmers Market Cookbook.

Refreshing and light, this bowlful of luscious tomatoes, juicy melons and bright berries is an easy and elegant way to start a meal. The flavors become more complex and full if you prepare it one or more days before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound red heirloom tomatoes
  • 1 pound watermelon, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1 small red jalapeño, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small garlic clove, smashed
  • 2-inch knob ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. fine sea salt
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
  • Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
  • For the raspberry ice
  • 2 pints (about 4 cups) raspberries
  • 2 tbsp. candied ginger
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. fine sea salt

For the pickled berries

  • 1 1/3 cups hulled, sliced strawberries
  • 1 pint (about 2 cups) raspberries
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 small hot red chili, thinly sliced

Method:
Core the tomatoes, cut them in half horizontally, scoop out the seeds and reserve them. Roughly chop the remaining flesh. Put the seed pulp in a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and press lightly with the back of a spoon to extract all of the juice. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the watermelon, jalapeño, garlic, ginger, vinegar, salt and sugar. Add the tomato juice and, working in batches, puree the ingredients in a blender until completely smooth. Chill until cold.

To make the raspberry ice, combine the raspberries in the jar of a blender with 1 3/4 cups water, the candied ginger, sugar and salt. Blend until smooth and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a shallow pan. Place the pan in the freezer and freeze until the mixture is firm, 4 hours to overnight. Stir the ice with a fork every 30 minutes or so to prevent it from freezing into a solid block.

To make the pickled berries, in a medium nonreactive bowl, combine the strawberries and raspberries. In a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup with the vinegar, add the chili and pour the pickling liquid over the berries. Gently stir to coat the berries with the liquid, being careful not to crush the raspberries.

To serve, break the ice up with a fork, so that it has a flaky, feathery texture. Pour the chilled soup into 4 bowls, garnishing with almost the same amount of raspberry ice. Add some pickled berries with a few drops of their juice. Drizzle each bowl with some oil, add a sprinkle of sea salt and garnish with plenty of cilantro and mint. Serve immediately.

This article appears in July 29, 2026.