Ypsi Farmers Market to continue food assistance program launched during government shutdown

After the 43-day federal government shutdown briefly cut off Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) support for thousands of Washtenaw County households, the Ypsilanti Farmers Market launched a program to ensure residents could still access high-quality local foods. Even with SNAP benefits restored as of Nov. 13, the SNAP Gap program will continue through the winter season to support both shoppers and local farmers.

“We’ve never done anything like this before. It was created specifically for the state of emergency we were in,” says Market Manager Claire Austin. “It’s open to everyone, but we’re tailoring this money to people who are low-income or food-insecure.”

The SNAP Gap program initially launched to temporarily replace or supplement SNAP for anyone using an EBT/Bridge Card. Shoppers can receive $40 in market tokens by bringing their Bridge Card to the Market Info Booth, where staff issue the tokens on-site. The tokens can be spent on any fresh or prepared foods from vendors at the market and can be used alongside the state Double Up Food Bucks program, which currently offers unlimited matching on Michigan-grown produce for shoppers who still receive SNAP benefits. 

“We had a small bank set aside for a program like this that we planned to pilot in 2026, but when the government shut down, we moved a lot faster,” Austin explains. “We called an emergency Friday meeting, designed and printed the tokens, wrote the press release, everything, so we’d be ready when people woke up without benefits the next morning.”

Austin says the SNAP Gap program has been an immediate success, helping families access fresh food during a time of uncertainty. While the initiative was originally launched as an emergency response, Growing Hope is exploring ways to continue it beyond the current market season. Austin explains that if funding can be secured, the program could become a regular incentive for low-income shoppers throughout the year.

“We absolutely still want to pilot this, given how successful it’s been in its first two weeks,” she says. “There’s already a need for an incentive like this year-round, and food is only getting more expensive.”

While Double Up’s current initiative is scheduled to expire at the end of the year, Austin says SNAP Gap will continue through the winter market season and conclude in March 2026. The winter market takes place on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at MarketPlace Hall, 16 S. Washington St. in Ypsi. More information about SNAP Gap and the Ypsilanti Farmers Market is available at ypsimarkets.info. 

“We’re food access first. That’s why this market exists,” Austin says. “Our whole mission is to make Ypsi strong by providing that basic need. Food is the power to do anything.”

On the Ground Ypsilanti is an “embedded journalism” program covering the city and township of Ypsilanti. It is supported by Ann Arbor SPARK, the Center for Health and Research Transformation, Destination Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University, Engage @ EMU, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and Washtenaw ISD.