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Doubling Food Access and Farmer Sales at Red River Gorge Farmers Market

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Building Community Resilience, One Market at a Time: Red River Gorge Farmers Market and Kentucky Double Dollars

When the Red River Gorge Farmers Market (RRGFM) opened in 2019, it began with a vision: grow a farmers market that not only serves the local community, but strengthens the people growing the food. Nestled in Slade, Kentucky, a region better known for its natural beauty than access to fresh produce, the market became a gathering space and a lifeline.

But like many small rural markets, RRGFM faced a challenge: How do you serve a low-income community while still sustaining your vendors?

That’s where the Kentucky Double Dollars (KDD) program made a difference.

Meeting the Moment

In 2023, as RRGFM planned for its third season, the team applied to join the KDD program, which matches SNAP, WIC, and Senior nutrition benefits for fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and more. They were accepted, and immediately began the work of onboarding vendors, setting up outreach, and integrating the program into market operations.

Fast forward to 2025—now in their fifth season and third year as a KDD market—and the results speak volumes. Sales are up. Farmer participation is strong. And most importantly, more people in the community are able to access the food they want to eat.

As Market Leader Jann Knappage puts it:

“I see KDD as a program that helps bolster community resilience while making the work of small-scale growers more sustainable. It’s about neighbors supporting neighbors.”

Shared Success

In 2025, RRGFM offered multiple KDD-eligible products—from fruits and vegetables to meats, eggs, and dairy—through SNAP and other KDD matching. This not only gave customers more choices, it also helped farmer vendors expand their income, improve predictability, and feel more invested in the long-term viability of the market.

The market used KDD not just as a financial tool, but as part of a broader strategy to center food access and farmer well-being together.

  • Customers using SNAP, Senior Nutrition, and WIC could stretch their dollars
  • Farmers could sell more of what they grow, knowing their customers could afford it
  • The market could measure impact, helping to secure local support and funding

This is the power of KDD—not a one-time boost, but a platform that markets can build from.

A Note of Thanks

This success story was possible because of collaboration—from the farmers and organizers on the ground to the funders who believe in long-term investment in local food systems.

CFA and RRGFM extend deep thanks to:

  • USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
  • Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund
  • Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky
  • Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky

And individual supporters—people like you, who believe in the future of Kentucky’s farmers and communities.

What’s Next

As markets across Kentucky prepare for 2026, stories like Red River Gorge show what’s possible when markets are trusted with resources, and farmers are seen as key players in food access work—not just producers, but community leaders.

Programs like KDD don’t just grow sales—they grow stability. They grow relationships, and they grow a food system rooted in dignity.

Want to support markets like Red River Gorge and help expand KDD across the state? Become a member of CFA today!

Become a member of CFA
Learn More about Kentucky Double dollars

Member Story

Michelle Howell’s CFA Story

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Michelle’s path as a farmer and community leader began with her own vision for what food justice could look like in her community. Drawing on her lived experience and deep commitment to her neighbors, she built her farm and food work one step at a time — grounding it in dignity, sustainability, and shared leadership.

As she and her husband Nathan grew their farm business, Michelle navigated the realities of markets, production, and community needs with determination and insight. At the same time, they worked to create a new farmers market – one that was helping to serve the whole community, not just those able to purchase local food as a luxury. Her work created new points of connection: between families seeking fresh food, farmers looking for stable markets, and community members working for healthier food systems.

With growth came new challenges — not because she lacked skill, but because the systems surrounding farmers are often complex, under-resourced, or not designed with women farmers and small farmers. Michelle’s leadership has meant navigating those systems while staying focused on her mission and her community.

CFA walks alongside Michelle by offering spaces where farmers lead the conversation, share strategies, and shape policy and programs together. Through these partnerships, Michelle’s voice and experience help guide broader work on food access, regional markets, and values-based food systems. Her leadership is shaping the future of farming in Kentucky.

Member Story

LeTicia Marshall’s CFA Story

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LeTicia lives in Jefferson County, Kentucky, and comes from a long line of farmers. Her own farming path began on an urban lot in Louisville, where she grew food and shared it with neighbors, building relationships rooted in care and community.

As her vision grew, she made a significant step: purchasing farmland and a home near the metro area. That transition meant navigating financing, zoning, infrastructure, and markets—systems that can be especially challenging for new and beginning farmers.

With determination and a clear sense of purpose, she built BearFruit & Grow, an aggregation-based business that connects local farmers with Louisville eaters. Her work strengthens food access, supports farmers, and deepens community networks across the county.

Growth also brought new pressures. As a Black woman and emerging farm leader, she often stepped into spaces where her experiences weren’t always reflected. She sought places where her perspective could shape the conversation.

CFA is one of the partners walking alongside her. Through shared storytelling, community conversations, and leadership spaces shaped by farmers, CFA supports and amplifies the insights LeTicia brings to building a fair, values-rooted food system. Her leadership continues to guide the work forward.

Member Story

Birch Bragg’s CFA Story

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Birch’s journey began in Metcalfe County, where he grew up close to the land and the people who work it. His love for food and farming led him into both worlds, first as a farmer and later as a restaurant and food hub owner. Today, he co-owns Locals Food Hub and Pizza, with one location in Louisville and another in Frankfort.

Locals is more than a restaurant; it is a model of what a community-led food system can look like. With locally sourced cheese, vegetables, and meats, plus a small grocery that features Kentucky producers, Birch has built a business that keeps farmers at the center.But his work has also shown him the challenge: despite their essential role, farmers often lack the platform or power to influence the decisions that affect their livelihoods. Communities want to support local food, but without strong farmer leadership, the systems around them aren’t built to last.

Through his deepening involvement with CFA, Birch saw how farmers’ voices could be lifted in meaningful, respectful ways. Birch was able to share his experiences directly—at meetings, in advocacy efforts, and through community storytelling. He also worked with CFA and Kentucky Double Dollars to bring a SNAP Triple Match program to Locals, funded by local business partners. For Birch, this was more than a program; it was a way to align his values with tangible action, making fresh, local food accessible to more families.

Birch’s experience demonstrates how leadership grows when farmers are supported, trusted, and connected. His work stands as proof that when farmers have a platform, communities strengthen, local economies thrive, and real change grows from the ground up.