This summer, eligible Virginia families will receive SUN Bucks, a grocery benefit designed to help feed children when school is out of session. At some farmers markets, those dollars can stretch even further. WMRA's Anjoleigh Schindler reports.
[sounds from the farmers market]
Fresh fruits and vegetables can be hard to afford. For many Virginia families, that’s especially true during the summer, when many school meal programs pause and grocery bills rise.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that retail fresh vegetables were nearly 12% more expensive in May compared to this time last year – prices for fresh tomatoes, alone, were up 32%.
State programs such as SUN Bucks and Virginia Fresh Match aim to help bridge the gap between families’ income and having fresh produce on the plate. SUN Bucks, which launched in 2024, provides a one-time payment of $120 per child to families who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals or receive other income-based public benefits. That money can be used to buy fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and whole grains at grocery stores and farmers markets authorized by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
JESS MCCLELLAND: Summer can be a really hungry time for kids.
Jess McClelland is communications manager for Virginia Fresh Match.
Fresh Match doubles the value of each SNAP and SUN Bucks dollar spent on fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets and grocery stores.
MCCLELLAND: If I spend $10 in SNAP at the Waynesboro Farmers Market, I'll get $10 in tokens to spend on any SNAP-eligible items, so that could be bread, eggs, meat, anything like that. I’ll get an additional $10 in tokens to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables or food-producing plants and seeds.
For Am Showers, a single mother visiting the Waynesboro Farmers Market, healthy food often comes with difficult choices.
AM SHOWERS: Groceries are really freaking expensive right now.
Showers was recently approved for SNAP benefits after previously relying on them several years ago.
SHOWERS: Having SNAP benefits has opened up opportunities to eat healthier and not sit there and second guess if I can afford to make sure we're both fed all week long with healthy choices.
She says programs that make fresh food more affordable can make a real difference for families living paycheck to paycheck.
SHOWERS: It sucks because it's so expensive to live healthy.
McClelland says that's a challenge she hears often.
MCCLELLAND: Fruits and vegetables are often one of the first things that people cut out of their grocery budgets when they fall on hard times.
McClelland frequently gets feedback from Fresh Match beneficiaries that –
MCCLELLAND: “This makes a huge difference for my family."
But, she says the benefits extend beyond individual shoppers.
MCCLELLAND: All of that money is being spent with local producers, local businesses, people who actually live in the communities and work there and create jobs there.
Virginia Fresh Match estimates that more than $2.2 million in SNAP and matching funds were spent through the program last year, generating roughly $4.1 million in economic impact statewide. The organization says more than 1,000 farmers benefited from those purchases.
Brian Jones owns Poplar Ridge Farms in Goshen, which sells produce at the Waynesboro Farmers Market. He says accepting SNAP and Virginia Fresh Match helps connect more families with fresh, locally grown food.
BRIAN JONES: Well, it opens up a lot of doors as far as access goes. Not only for us to be able to sell to more folks who might not otherwise be able to purchase our stuff, but also just from the standpoint of them being able to get high quality stuff for their family.
Jones says those purchases ripple through the local economy.
JONES: I think if they knew how many folks they were supporting behind the scenes – it is a family operation, but we employ a large number of people, and they’re all local. All of our employees come from the community, from the area, and they have families as well, so they’re supporting not only our farm, but also five other families as well.
Many eligible families are automatically enrolled in the SUN Bucks program, and benefits are being issued on a rolling basis. To check eligibility requirements and apply for the program, visit the Virginia Department of Social Services website.
