Use Michigan Bridge Card to make your food dollar bloom

Julia Darnton<darntonj@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - May 22, 2012

Use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to buy edible plants at farmers markets.

This spring and summer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients can use their Michigan Bridge Card to buy fruit, vegetable, and herb plants at local stores and farmers markets.

Most food retailers in Michigan accept the Michigan Bridge Card or electronic benefits transfer (EBT) for people participating in the federal nutrition program. (In 2008, the federal Food Stamp Program was renamed SNAP to promote a greater focus on nutrition.) Since 2006, farmers markets in Michigan have been working to increase access for SNAP recipients to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products and direct those federal dollars to support more local agricultural production. Now all retailers that accept SNAP benefits, including local farmers’ market, can sell seeds and plants to people who use the Michigan Bridge Card.

Families can stretch their food assistance dollars even further by investing them in a household garden. Using their SNAP benefits, Michigan families can buy seeds and edible plants to grow their own food. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) data indicates that an investment of $1 can yield up to $25 worth of fresh food. Michigan State University (MSU) Extension is also providing fact and tip sheets about starting seeds at home and selecting healthy transplants for all gardeners.

Learning how to preserve that harvest can also enable people to improve their control of their diet and budget.

SNAP benefits are allocated to households based on household income and the number of persons in that household. To qualify, households must have monthly gross income of less than 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines which is equivalent to $30,000 annually for a family of four. About half of those who are served by SNAP are children. A 2012 USDA report on the program says that, in fiscal year 2011, SNAP provided on average $134 per person to 44.7 million individuals in 21.1 million households each month.

To learn more about SNAP, visit the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service website.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).