When the federal government shuts down, the impacts go far beyond Washington. Families across our region start to feel it quickly, especially those who rely on SNAP to buy groceries and those who work for the federal government and suddenly aren’t receiving a paycheck. We’ve been hearing from shoppers and vendors about growing uncertainty around food access and market sales.
As a farmers’ market organization, our responsibility is to both the people who grow the food and the people who need it. So beginning at the November 15 Winter Farmers’ Market in Stratham, Seacoast Eat Local will launch a temporary emergency incentive called Community Bonus Bucks.
Community Bonus Bucks are $30 in market currency that can be used at our Stratham and Rollinsford Winter Farmers’ Markets. This incentive is available to:
1. SNAP participants – Show your SNAP/EBT card at the market info booth and receive $30 in Community Bonus Bucks. No balance is required on your card.
2. Furloughed or unpaid federal government workers – Show your federal employee ID at the info booth to receive $30 in Community Bonus Bucks.
Customers are limited to one redemption of $30 per person, per day. Community Bonus Bucks must be spent on the day they are received at Seacoast Eat Local’s Rollinsford and Stratham Farmers Markets only. This program will be offered only while the government shutdown is still in effect and while funding is available to support the program. We will post updates on our social media channels and websites. Interested customers should check these pages before each market date to see if the program is being offered.
Community Bonus Bucks can be spent on any food product at the market, including: vegetables, fruit, greens, eggs, meat, cheese, bread, honey, maple syrup, and prepared or packaged foods.
This program is designed to do two things at the same time:
1. Help households keep fresh, local food on the table during the shutdown
2. Help farmers and food producers continue to see steady sales at winter markets
Food producers rely on winter markets as a core part of their income. If shoppers lose access to SNAP dollars or go unpaid due to the shutdown, sales drop and producers feel it immediately. Community Bonus Bucks is one way we can help close that gap. This emergency incentive is made possible through a combination of philanthropic support and individual donations from people in this community who believe that access to food and support for local farms shouldn’t disappear during a shutdown.
We’ll share weekly updates on our website and social media about whether Community Bonus Bucks will be offered at each upcoming market. If you or someone you know could benefit, please help spread the word.
Please continue to check our website and social media channels for updates on how long the program will be offered.
UPDATE 1/5/26
Despite the Government shutdown ending, we will be offering Community Bonus Bucks through the rest of our Winter Farmers’ Markets season for SNAP recipients. The one change in how we will operate this starting in January is that SNAP recipients will only receive Community Bonus Bucks if they do not get SNAP tokens and Granite State Market Match on the same day. In November in December, we offered Community Bonus Bucks even if SNAP recipients got SNAP and Market Match. SNAP recipients can show their SNAP card to receive the incentive, whether or not they have a SNAP balance.
For anyone interested in making a donation: At this time, we have ample support from a generous donor to pay for the cost of the bonus bucks. However, there are many other costs associated with offering a new incentive program that we are absorbing into our regular operations. Making a donation to Seacoast Eat Local will help us continue to do this important work. To make a donation, please view this page.