The chart below illustrates recent growth in the amount of SNAP benefits that are being used to purchase local foods. Although the majority of those federal dollars are still being spent at mass retailers, there has been remarkable growth in the number of families using their SNAP benefits to shop locally. It’s also important to note that 2015 marked the first year Maine markets were using USDA funds for their nutrition incentives (now called Maine Harvest Bucks), which meant that most incentives were redeemable for produce exclusively. More than $70,000 in bonus produce made it to Maine tables last year! (Note that this chart includes CSA farms and mobile farm stands, not just farmers’ markets. There are currently 35 farmers’ markets participating in the Maine Harvest Bucks program.)
| Maine | ||||
| Year | # Participating Sites | SNAP Sales | Incentive Sales | Total SNAP + Incentive Sales |
| 2011 | 22 | $45,936.00 | $38,228.00 | $84,164.00 |
| 2012 | 25 | $67,725.00 | $49,083.00 | $116,808.00 |
| 2013 | 25 | $78,655.00 | $36,573.00 | $115,228.00 |
| 2014 | 26 | $83,162.53 | $44,707.34 | $127,869.87 |
| 2015 | 41 | $125,071.00 | $77,590.00 | $202,661.00 |
| 2016 | 64 | |||
