More than 74,000 Iowans used the Double Up Food Bucks program in 2020, according to program administrators. Data collected from participating sites shows that as of Dec. 20, 74,217 people benefited from the healthy food incentive program, or about 25% of all SNAP program participants. That is the highest number of participants in the program’s history. Double Up Food Bucks, which began in 2016, allows SNAP recipients to match purchases made with their EBT card, up to $10 a day, with Double Up Food Bucks to buy fresh produce. There are 120 locations in 70 of Iowa’s 99 counties that participate in Double Up Food Bucks. “In a year with unprecedented challenges and increased food insecurity, Double Up Food Bucks helped low-income Iowans eat more fruits and vegetables,” said Jami Haberl, executive director of the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative in a news release. “Nutritious food is fundamental to overall well-being and is something all Iowans deserve access to.” So far in 2020, nearly $989,000 in Double Up Food Bucks have been used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, a 540% increase over 2019. As the program looks ahead to 2021, it has received a commitment from the Amerigroup Foundation that it would award $100,000 to Double Up Food Bucks next year.