BAV Market Match Fund

The Market Match Fund, established by Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (BAV) in spring 2022, is an economic-development and food-access program that provides a consistent, annual funding stream to match customer SNAP benefits at Berkshire-area farmers markets. Through the fund, BAV enables partner farmers markets to offer a $1-for-$1 SNAP match up to $30 per visit — so a shopper who withdraws $30 in SNAP receives $60 to spend on SNAP-eligible products (fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, baked goods, maple syrup, honey, and edible seeds and plants). It is the first centralized fund in the region for SNAP matching, and aims to make local food more affordable for food-insecure households, increase revenue for local farmers and food producers, and support farmers markets by centralizing how match funding is raised and distributed across Berkshire County.

Beneficiaries are Berkshire-area (Berkshire County) farmers markets that partner with BAV to offer SNAP matching, and the SNAP-eligible households who shop at them. Markets partner with BAV rather than applying through a competitive process; BAV raises funds year-round and distributes match funding to partner markets. The program benefits local farmers and food producers by bringing more customers and food dollars to markets.

BAV provides a $1-for-$1 SNAP match up to $30 per market visit at partner farmers markets. BAV raises funds year-round, with a special public fundraising campaign each spring. (The $30 is a per-visit consumer match, not a per-recipient award to the market.)

Farmers markets interested in partnering with BAV's Market Match Fund should contact BAV Program Manager Jake Levin (jake@berkshireagventures.org, 413.645.3594). BAV works directly with markets to set up and sustain SNAP matching — there is no competitive application round; this is a partnership and centralized fund.