GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Berkshire Agricultural Ventures(BAV) kicked off its 2024 Market Match Fund campaign with a goal of raising $30,000 during the month of April to increase sales for local farmers and make fresh food more available to low-income households in the Berkshire region.

 

Thanks to a donor, the first $10,000 raised in the campaign will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

 

This year's theme of "Boost SNAP, Build Community" recognizes the positive difference that SNAP matching makes in a community by addressing issues of food insecurity and food access—while also supporting the sales, and livelihoods, of local farmers.

 

Now in its third year, BAV's Market Match Fund is amplifying the impact of SNAP matching at Berkshire-area farmers markets by providing reliable funds to fully support Market Match programs. This centralized funding source enables partner farmers markets across the region to consistently offer a $1-to-$1 SNAP match up to $30, giving SNAP customers a total of $60 to spend on fresh food grown and produced by local farmers.

 

To date, BAV's Market Match Fund has supported over $370,000 in SNAP sales for local farmers and doubled well over 8,000 SNAP purchases at 11 farmers markets in the region.

 

Partner farmers markets that have benefited include: North Adams, Williamstown, Pittsfield, West Stockbridge, Lee, Great Barrington, Sheffield, and Berkshire Grown Winter Farmers Markets; Millerton and New Lebanon, NY; and New Milford, Conn.

 

"BAV's Market Match Fund is such a win-win for local farmers and low-income households in our community. It supports greater sales for our farmers and increases food security and food access for our neighbors," said Berkshire Agricultural Ventures Executive Director Rebecca Busansky. "BAV is so grateful to the many individuals and businesses in our community who have stepped up and supported this effort since we began our pilot program in 2022. Our farmers markets, local food economy, and community as a whole are stronger as a result."