Submitted by Twin Sisters Mobile Market
Twin Sisters Mobile Market (TSM), a 501c3 nonprofit, farmer-led “farmers market on wheels,” is launching a critical end-of-year fundraising campaign to continue providing local food access in Whatcom County’s “food deserts” and to keep vital food access benefits like EBT, SNAP Market Match, Senior Vouchers, Nooksack Fresh Vouchers, and WIC available to families in 2026.
Families across Whatcom County are feeling the strain of a food system in crisis. Recent SNAP disruptions revealed just how fragile the system is — and while benefits have been reinstated for now, deeper cuts are expected in 2026. Rural Whatcom families are facing some of the toughest food access barriers — there are extremely limited places left to use the benefits they still have.
Twin Sisters Mobile Market’s custom farmers market truck eliminates those barriers by bringing affordable, local food directly to underserved Whatcom County communities. For hundreds of families in East Whatcom County, TSM is the only place they can use their EBT card for fresh local produce — and after passing a bill in the WA legislature earlier this year — it’s poised in 2026 to become the only WIC vendor east of Nugents Corner, where more than 9,000 residents live.
TSM is also the only farmers market in the entire Mt. Baker School District and the only place that accepts the SNAP Market Match program, which doubles the spending power of EBT customers. In an area where many families drive up to an hour to buy fresh produce with EBT, Market Match allows shoppers to stretch their benefits further at the farmers market.
To ensure that families and farmers can rely on these markets returning next season — despite the evolving federal landscape — TSM is acting now to secure the resources needed to operate at full strength in 2026.
“As we look toward our 2026 market season, uncertainty about SNAP and other federal programs continues,” said TSM Board President Alex Harris. “We need your help to ensure we can accept and match benefits again when we reopen with the growing season next year.”
Behind every market day is a complex web of logistics that keeps local food moving — from farms to families. Even as federal hurdles threaten critical nutrition programs, Twin Sisters Mobile Market is strengthening the systems that make food access possible in East Whatcom County. TSM is developing a new aggregation site that will provide dependable, centralized cold storage, easier farmer drop-offs, and the capacity to bring even more fresh food to market — food that families can purchase using benefits like SNAP/EBT. It’s a strategic investment in long-term local food system resilience, ensuring that local families and the farmers who feed them can count on TSM.
“TSM connects more than 20 small Whatcom County farms directly to the communities that need access to fresh, local food the most, keeping food dollars local and healthy food affordable,” said Cat Sieh, TSM Director of Special Projects. “We also bridge the gap between farms and food banks — empowering families to shop for what they need, and donating unsold produce to local food banks to make sure nothing goes to waste.”
TSM’s 2025 market season was one of its strongest yet, with record-high sales and program participation, and a hugely successful pilot collaboration with the Nooksack Indian Tribe. The upcoming campaign will help retain skilled staff, strengthen administrative systems, support critical infrastructure development, and prepare for new benefit programs launching in 2026.
Donations will be accepted via TSM’s Givebutter platform, which allows donors to give directly; campaign donations can also be made via TSM’s website.
Campaign Details:
Public Launch Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Goal: $75,000
Givebutter Campaign Page: Video Here
