The combined Kentucky Double Dollars (KDD), Market Manager Cost-Share (MMCS), and the Farmers Market Resiliency Program (FMRP) grant application for 2023 is now open. The FMRP grant application closes on January 8, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET and the KDD and MMCS grant applications close on January 20, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Applicants can apply for one or more of the 2023 programs through one grant application. For more information, see the below descriptions and links. For questions about the application, contact margie@cfaky.org.
IMPORTANT! We have reached a point where grant funding has become more competitive than in years past. We will be grading your market’s capacity to successfully manage grant funds and looking closely at the data you submit, so please complete your application as accurately as possible. This also means that for returning markets, timely and accurate completion of past reports will be given more weight than in previous years. If you have challenges managing incentive programs, please consider applying for the Farmers Market Resiliency Program.
For each grant program, the market will be required to have two different market stakeholders who will commit to being points of contact for the program(s) for which the market is applying.
- The primary point of contact will receive all primary correspondence, will be responsible for ensuring program policy adherence at the market, and will be integral in sharing important information with other market stakeholders. This person will need to be able to reliably respond to communications from CFA staff, primarily via email.
- The secondary point of contact will hold a position that directly works with the market as a vendor, board member, manager, or another primary stakeholder for the market and cannot be the same person as the primary contact. They will need to understand all aspects of the program for which the market is applying. This person must be willing to step in if the primary contact is unable to fulfill the obligations of the grant. For the FMRP, the secondary point of contact must be someone other than the market manager.
Kentucky Double Dollars
The Kentucky Double Dollars (KDD) Program gives farmers market customers the ability to double the value of their federal nutrition benefits (SNAP, WIC FMNP, and Senior FMNP) to purchase fresh, local food. CLICK HERE for more information about the program.
Kentucky Double Dollars is a reimbursement-based program. Markets will only receive funds for incentives (vouchers and tokens) redeemed by farmers at their market, for which the market has already reimbursed the farmer. Markets apply for an award of 75% of their overall budget for each program. Markets are responsible for contributing or fundraising the remaining 25% of their budget.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible to receive KDD, a market must be incorporated and legally allowed to accept funds, or use a fiscal sponsor.
To be eligible to receive Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program funding, the farmers market must be currently registered with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP).
To be eligible to receive Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program funding, the farmers market must be currently registered with the Kentucky Department for Public Health WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (WIC FMNP).
To be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding, the market must be an authorized SNAP retailer with the USDA Food & Nutrition Service and have a valid FNS number and functioning EBT machine.
If you would like assistance in enrolling in any of these nutrition incentive programs, please contact Jamie Fitzwater (jamie@cfaky.org).
REQUIREMENTS
All new and returning markets to the KDD program will be required to send two market leaders to attend training about how to implement the KDD program. Although the software for tracking KDD is not complex, it does require basic technical literacy and comfort with data collection. The market’s KDD administrator must have reliable access to the internet and be available for regular email communication.
The market will be required to submit monthly reimbursement requests as well as accounts of daily customer transactions, vendor gross sales, and vendor reimbursements.
AWARDS
KDD awardees are typically notified in March or April. Markets can apply for up to $5500 with the following limits:
- KDD SNAP Fruits & Vegetables has a $2000 award max.
- KDD SNAP Meat, Eggs, & Dairy has a $1500 award max.
- KDD WIC/Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program has a $2000 award max. that can be divided between the two programs or be applied to just one program at the market’s request.
Market Manager Cost Share
In 2023, CFA’s Market Manager Cost-Share Program is transitioning to a model which prioritizes support of food access programs at farmers markets, and funds will now be limited to markets planning to employ a paid market manager to implement or manage Kentucky Double Dollars (KDD) at the market. CFA will provide markets with a 1:1 match up to a max total of $2000 that is reflective of the administrative oversight required for the implementation of each of these programs. Successful applicants will be chosen based on their demonstrated ability to implement KDD programs, including maintaining data collection and reporting requirements, and the ability to provide a community-based match. With this transition to supporting the market’s administration of KDD, there is no longer a three-year limit for MMCS awards.
The MMCS grant options available are as follows:
- SNAP KDD (including SNAP FV & SNAP MED): $1000 max to support KDD admin. for markets participating in SNAP FV, or both SNAP FV & SNAP MED.
- FMNP KDD (including Senior FMNP & WIC FMNP): $1000 max to support KDD admin. for markets participating in WIC FMNP, Senior FMNP, or both programs.
Not yet ready to participate in KDD? CFA recognizes that it takes time for markets to build the capacity to implement KDD programs and will continue to provide a limited number of markets with a market manager cost-share that falls outside of the above criteria. Select markets will be eligible for up to $2,000 in market manager cost-share funds. Markets will be required to match the award $1 for $1. This funding will go towards supporting markets that do not yet offer incentive programs, with the intention that those markets will implement a KDD program in 2024.
For more about the Farmers Market Support Program and the MMCS, CLICK HERE.
ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible, a market must be incorporated and legally allowed to accept funds, or use a fiscal sponsor. Although a market may apply for a cost-share in anticipation of hiring a market manager, funds will not be awarded until the market manager has been onboarded to your market.
Markets are eligible for up to three years of MMCS funding. Those who have received three or more years of funding may apply for a MMCS, but will be placed on a waiting list should additional funding be secured. In past years, CFA was able to secure more funding for markets with three or more years of previous funding but we cannot guarantee it.
AWARDS
Notification of the MMCS awards is typically sent out in March or April. It may be a bit later for markets that have previously received 3 years of funding. One-half of the MMCS award will be disbursed upon receipt of a signed Memorandum of Understanding and the farmers market’s 2023 market manager job description and contract. The final disbursement of the award will be upon receipt of the mid-season MMCS report.
REPORTING
The market will be required to submit midseason and final reports. These reports must include testimonials about the impact of the market manager and monthly accounts of customer attendance, vendor sales, and market manager hours and wages.
Farmers Market Resiliency Program
The Farmers Market Resiliency Project (FMRP) is a customized training and support program for board members, market managers, and farmers market vendors to increase long-term resiliency at Kentucky farmers markets. Working alongside project partners, the FMRP responds directly to challenges unique to your community and helps to build a comprehensive support system for your market. For more about the FMRP’s goals and curriculum, CLICK HERE.
ELIGIBILITY
The FMRP is open to any Kentucky farmers market or community market which is interested in strengthening its organizational structures to create a sustainable future for the market. Eligibility priorities include:
- Markets whose leadership, vendors, and/or community represents a socially disadvantaged population.*
- Markets with a high turnover of board members, market managers, and/or vendors.
- Markets that are wanting to establish or already have established a healthy food access program including but not limited to WIC or Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, SNAP, Fruit & Veggie Rx, and/or Kentucky Double Dollars.
- New and emerging markets with 5 or fewer years in operation.
*Defined as those belonging to groups that have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice. This includes those who are Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian or Pacific Islander, and/or a member of a racial or ethnic minority.
PROGRAM ACCEPTANCE
Notification of acceptance into the FMRP will be emailed in late January or early February. Although there is no direct payment of funds associated with this program, the market’s board, manager, and vendors will receive free training specific to the needs stated by the market leaders.
REPORTING
The market will be required to submit a final report that will include customer counts, vendor sales, and a testimonial about the FMRP from the market manager, a board member, and a vendor.
Documents and Data Needed for the Application:
- Estimated redemptions for SNAP, Credit/Debit, Produce Prescription Programs, and Children’s Produce Incentive transactions as applicable to your market.
- FNS SNAP Authorization Number (KDD SNAP applicants)
- Vendor counts and demographics for the previous year (ALL applicants)
- Your fiscal sponsor’s or (if incorporated) your market’s EIN/Federal Tax ID# (KDD & MMCS applicants)
- Contact information for important stakeholders (ALL applicants)
For questions about the application, contact margie@cfaky.org.