According to Feeding America, one in eight people in Washington state face hunger, with 9.5% of the King County population experiencing food insecurity. Among cities and neighborhoods, residents of Auburn (34.6%), Kent (26.9%) and Tukwila (26.4%) experienced some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the county.  

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways. 

The reasons surrounding food insecurity are complex. Poverty is often the main reason, but systemic inequities and structural racism are major factors. In King County, Black and Hispanic households are disproportionately affected, as they are twice as likely to have not enough food to eat.

In response to food insecurity, the Seattle Neighborhood Farmers Markets is making fresh, local foods more accessible, regardless of income. They make it possible to use various food assistance benefits with vendors.

“There’s this stereotype or understanding that farmers’ markets are expensive. They have a higher price point than most because the farmers set their own prices, and I think it’s that understanding that farmers markets are only for people who can afford them, [but that] is not at all the case,” Food Access Coordinator at the Neighborhood Farmers Market Joey Lu said. “We do really make sure that everyone in the community is able to come to our market, and that’s great when we can get everyone supporting local food systems.”

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), SUN Bucks EBT, SNAP Market Match, Fresh Bucks, Farm Bucks, Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Fruit and Vegetable Benefits, WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program can all be used at their markets.

To determine where one can use their food assistance benefits, vendors have the food access currency they accept listed on displayed informational flyers, where you can learn more about not only where your food is coming from, but the people who are putting it on your plate. 

Mira Martin, a third-year civil engineering major at Seattle University, receives SNAP benefits. She likes to utilize the SNAP Market Match at the Neighborhood Farmers Markets, which is a dollar-for-dollar bonus match.

“They match whatever money you get off your EBT card to pay for fresh produce, so that’s veggies, cheese and some meats, and you get these little coins that are like wood chips and pieces of paper that you exchange,” Martin said.

According to a Washington State food insecurity survey from February, groceries were the most common expense reported as hard to afford in the past month. By the end of the year, the USDA predicts that all food prices will increase by 2.9%. Although the increase is lower than in previous years, it is still expected to exceed the historical average, placing pressure on consumers.

As grocery prices continue to rise, food assistance programs are becoming increasingly important for those facing nutritional hardship. 

In addition to making it possible to use food assistance benefits, the Neighborhood Farmers Market is partnered with Harvest Against Hunger and PCC Community Markets to connect small Washington farmers with hunger relief agencies in wholesale relationships.

The partnership is called Growing for Good (GFG). It was initially created as a short-term solution for when the Neighborhood Farmers’ Markets were temporarily shut down during the pandemic, but has since evolved into a longer-term commitment and is expanding into its sixth season of farm-to-food bank contracting.

By matching food banks and farms, the amount of fresh, high-quality, culturally relevant and nutrient-dense produce is increased. Olivia Jackiewicz, the farm-to-community program manager with Harvest Against Hunger, highlighted how the community-based model for GFG is unique in that it can target specific community needs. 

“We’ve brought in other farms to fit the needs of food banks who are requesting specific culturally relevant produce, so we brought in OJ’s Produce who provides a lot of asian greens to support our food banks who have a lot of Asian clientele…It allows us to sort of approach the participating hunger relief organizations and farms with a more human lens. In our food system, relationships are so important, and because we’re able to meet people as humans, those relationships have just flourished,” Jackiewicz said. 

In 2023, 17 farmers delivered 33,603 pounds of produce to 24 hunger relief organizations. Three new farms and one new food bank will be brought on this season. 

Washington’s small-scale farmers and food access programs form a vital network that supports both the economy and food security statewide. However, due to a passed budget resolution that calls for a $2 trillion reduction in spending over the next decade and a proposal to cut $230 billion from the SNAP, which provides nearly ten times the amount of food that local food banks do, food banks and consumers would feel potentially catastrophic effects. 

Though Washington’s Department of Agriculture invests around $32.2 million annually in food assistance, it is essential that voters support the seven key bills protecting food banks, senior nutrition, SNAP/WIC Fruit & Vegetable incentives, SUN Bucks, housing security and the Working Families Tax Credit. Every call, text and letter helps preserve an interconnected system that ensures nutrition access for all Washingtonians.