UWEC CERCA 2026

Despite the central role of fruits and vegetables (FV) in a healthy diet, cost and access remain barriers for low-income households. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) addresses food insecurity on a broad scale; however, FV consumption remains low among SNAP participants, who are also less likely than higher-income shoppers to purchase from farmers' markets. The Eau Claire Downtown Farmers Market implements Market Match, a nutrition incentive program that allocates additional funds for FV purchases to SNAP households. Eight years of administrative data (2018–2025) from 2,457 unique households were analyzed to describe long-term participation patterns and economic contributions to the local food system. Descriptive statistics were used to examine annual participation, seasonal return patterns, and vendor-level SNAP redemption. More than one-third of households returned for multiple years, and over 100 participated for at least three seasons, demonstrating sustained engagement. In 2025, SNAP shoppers spent $29,082 at the market; using a conservative economic multiplier of 1.6, this spending likely generated more than $46,500 in local economic activity. Findings underscore the role of nutrition incentives in expanding farmers' market access for low-income shoppers, strengthening Wisconsin's local food economy, and providing evidence to inform a statewide nutrition incentive model.