Meet Double Up Champion: Susan Poolman

At Double Up Food Bucks, we’re on a mission to make fruits and veggies an accessible, affordable option for Michigan shoppers who use SNAP while also supporting our local farmers and communities. But this work simply wouldn’t be possible without the farmers markets and neighborhood grocery stores, community partners and shoppers, at the very heart of our program: Our Double Up Champions.

Meet Double Up Champion: Susan Poolman, Saugatuck Farmers Market and The Market at SCA 

Through our Double Up Champion blog series, we want to elevate stories of the Michiganders who have made the Double Up program a statewide success (and national model) since 2009. Champions like Susan Poolman, the market manager at Saugatuck Farmers Market and The Market at SCA (Saugatuck Center for the Arts). Keep reading to learn more about Susan’s passion for Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables and let us know about a Double Up Champion near you! 

What is your favorite fruit or vegetable?  

Hard to decide! I love fruits and vegetables, like strawberries and jalapenos.

How do you work with Double Up Food Bucks? 

As the Market Manager, I keep all records for everything Double Up Food Bucks. Working closely with our farmers and Double Up Food Bucks is an honor as we love to make sure our EBT guests are making the most of their SNAP/DUFB purchases. 

How does Double Up Food Bucks help people?  

Having more purchasing power for fruits and vegetables helps for better meal planning and better health. 

Why do you believe it’s important to support Michigan-grown produce?  

It helps put the money back into the farms that produce the produce. We need our farmers! 

Do you have any tips you’d like to share with shoppers about using Double Up?  

We suggest shoppers use their Double Up Food Bucks tokens first before using their other benefits for the remaining purchases. 

Anything else?  

So thankful for the Double Up Food Bucks program and what it has to offer. When shoppers stop by to show me what they have purchased, I ask, “What are you going to make?” and the responses are endless! Thank you for all you do for this much-needed program. I personally love seeing people eating fresh fruits and vegetables. As a small hobby farmer myself, I LOVE sharing the extras from my garden with my neighbors. 

Nominate a Champion

If you live near Saugatuck, be sure to stop by the farmers market and thank Susan for her work supporting local farmers and healthy food access through Double Up Food Bucks. Do you know a Double Up Champion in your neighborhood? Tell us about them here!