GusNIP (USDA’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program) Year 3 Impact Report Released

The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) Year 3 Impact Findings report was developed by the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition in collaboration with Fair Food Network and U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The impact report presents the findings that the program has had on projects across the nation, spanning September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2022.

GusNIP, a USDA-funded program that distributes financial incentives and prescriptions for fruits and vegetables to consumers with low income, increases participants access to healthy foods. GusNIP aims to increase food and nutrition security while contributing to local economies and improving food systems in the US. The Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition leads the national evaluation through its Nutrition Incentive Program Training, Technical Assistance, Evaluation, and Information Center (NTAE).

Highlights of the findings include:

  • 73% of federal funds ($30.5 million) were distributed as incentives for FVs to people with low income living in the U.S. This proportion was similar to Y2 (75%) and higher than Y1 (68%).
  • 3,608 food retail outlets and clinics offered incentives in Y3, nearly doubling the Y2 number (1,959). Of these, 3,057 were GusNIP-funded and 1,308 were GusCRR-funded.
  • On average, NI sites were in communities where 14.1% of the population earned an income below the federal poverty level. PPR sites were in communities where 14.8% of the population earned an income below the federal poverty level. Both are higher than the national average of 11.4%.
  • GusNIP program evaluation enables grantees to collect important data and receive personalized support to modify and improve future programming.

Furthermore, GusNIP grantees allocated a substantial proportion of their budgets to direct incentives (73%), reached an estimated 148,000+ participants each month, and operated in communities with higher poverty rates than average. For full details about the report and their findings, visit GusNIP NTAE Y3 Impact Findings | Nutrition Incentive Hub.

View Impact Findings

New York GusNIP Project Leading Way Nation’s First Automated Integration of a Nutrition Incentive + SNAP Online

Field & Fork Network, a New York State nonprofit that connects communities to innovative solutions that foster a sustainable food system, and, Grocerist, which makes e-commerce profitable for grocers with the first and only grocery-specific e-commerce solution built on Shopify, announced today that they have partnered to make New York non-profit The Hub on the Hill the first grocer in the nation to roll out an automated online solution for Double Up Food Bucks NY. Double Up Food Bucks NY helps SNAP recipients stretch their benefits by matching SNAP dollars spent on fresh fruits and vegetables, doubling their impact. The program is available in 25 states, and this is the first automated, scalable solution that other grocers can leverage to make local healthy foods more affordable and accessible.

“Food prices are escalating rapidly, and the Double Up Food Bucks program is a fantastic resource for increasing SNAP recipients’ access to fresh, healthy foods,” said Jeff Anders, Co-founder and CEO of Grocerist. “We’re proud to be working with Field & Fork Network on this important project, which provides a national model for how to implement nutrition incentives and SNAP together online.”

The Hub on the Hill (the Hub) is known for applying innovative technology to benefit its customers. In January, the Hub worked with Grocerist and partner Forage to become the first food hub in the nation to accept SNAP EBT payments online. Now, SNAP recipients shopping online at the Hub will see Double Up Food Bucks NY automatically applied to their online account for their produce purchases -immediately redeemable for discounts on any future produce purchases.

Food insecurity rates across the North Country, which encompasses a geographically large and rural part of the state, are around 13%; significantly higher than the statewide rate of 9.6%, and accessing fresh food is even harder in rural communities where there may not be a grocery store for 30 miles. “When we launched SNAP Online, we knew that was just the first step,” said Lindsay Willemain, Executive Director of The Hub on the Hill. “Getting Double Up Food Bucks NY online was an obvious next one and being able to use this incentive-and take advantage of the Hub’s home delivery service-will help make fresh foods accessible and affordable. With the end of SNAP emergency allotments, it feels even more important to have this incentive available to our customers now.”

“Healthy food incentive programs like Double Up Food Bucks NY are great for families, grocers and our local communities,” said Lisa French, Co-founder and Executive Director of Field & Fork Network. “When families save money on food, they can use it for other needs. These reinvestments in communities also help our local economies. We’re excited to roll this out with The Hub on the Hill and Grocerist, because e-commerce is becoming an important avenue for increasing access to healthy food in our communities.”

“The needs of poor and working people have historically been left out of the local food movement. For the Hub to realize its mission to support and strengthen the local food system here in the North Country, it must consider the needs of everyone involved in that food system—consumers and producers alike. Programs like the Double Up match program area powerful way to achieve this. People using SNAP are able to stretch their benefits twice as far on fruits and vegetables while the farmers who grew them are still making the full amount. This makes a real difference in this moment of increased food prices, increased costs of production, and the simultaneous decrease in SNAP allowances,” said a Hub Customer and SNAP Shopper.

Grocerist and Field & Fork Network are already actively working to identify other New York grocers for similar projects, helping them implement both SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks programs online.

The National Grocers Association Foundation Technical Assistance Center (NGAF TA Center), a partner of the Nutrition Incentive Hub, provided technical assistance services for this project. “While nutrition incentive programs are beneficial to customers and local communities, they are advantageous to the stores operating them as well, but independent grocers don’t always have the resources required to extend these programs online,” said Josh Anderegg, project director for the NGAF TA Center. “The food distribution system is incredibly complex, however, working together, such as in the case with Grocerist, Field & Fork Network, and Hub on the Hill,to provide an automated model can help to make important incentive programs easy and scalable for customers and retailers to participate in across the nation.”

“This innovative collaboration is making it easier for New Yorkers to access fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables while increasing the purchasing power of their SNAP benefits,” said Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz. “We are grateful to Field & Fork Network, Hub on the Hill, and Grocerist for making this happen and look forward to this model being replicated across the state as it can benefit additional SNAP recipients, retailers and communities.”

“The partnership between Field & Fork Network, Hub on the Hill, and Grocerist is an exciting innovation that makes locally grown fruits and vegetables more affordable through the Double Up Food Bucks program and more accessible by offering online SNAP purchasing and home delivery to low-income residents in rural communities,” said Erica Raml, Director of Technical Assistance & Innovation, Nutrition Incentive Hub.

All SNAP recipients are eligible for the Double Up Food Bucks NY program -to learn more, visit www.doubleupnys.com.

About Hub on the Hill

The Hub on the Hill is a nonprofit food hub working to strengthen local supply chains, expand access to nutritious, local food and create regenerative systems in order to support the land and people that help sustain us all. The Hub delivers farm fresh, local food to the doorsteps of individuals, retailers, and institutions like schools from the Canadian Border to the Capital Region every week. https://www.thehubonthehill.org/

About Double Up Food Bucks NY

Double Up Food Bucks is a nationwide nutrition incentive model, administered by Field & Fork Network, servicing millions of low-income SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) users with a dollar-for-dollar match to increase affordability and access to fresh healthy foods at farmers markets, CSAs, farm stands, mobile markets, and grocery stores. In New York State, Double Up has contributed to 5.2 million pounds of healthy food sales to over 100,000 customers, at more than 220 sites spanning 29 counties. To learn more about Double Up Food Bucks and a complete list of participating sites, please visit the program website and social media sites, or call 1-800-682-5016. www.doubleupnys.com

About National Grocers Association Foundation Technical Assistance Center

The NGA Foundation is the 501(c)3 nonprofit arm of the National Grocers Association. The Foundation provides independent retailers with tools to develop more effective recruiting programs, enhance retention efforts and bolster professional leadership development opportunities for employers. One program of NGAF is the grant funded Technical Assistance Center which provides education and resources on nutrition incentive projects, particularly those funded through the USDA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP). For more information, visit www.ngafoundation.org

About Grocerist

Grocerist makes e-commerce profitable for grocers, with the first and only grocery-specific e-commerce solution built on Shopify, the world’s largest e-commerce platform. Grocerist gives merchants an e-commerce store at their own URL with all the functionality offered by their largest competitors, pick/pack technology that reduces store operating costs, a national delivery partner, control over pickup/delivery fees, low credit-card processing fees, white-glove guidance through the online SNAP application, and ongoing email, search and social media marketing support. Grocerist’s mission is to help the independent grocer use online to drive profit -both online and in-store. Learn more at www.grocerist.com

For a complete list of participating Double Up sites and hours of operation, visit www.doubleupnys.com/location

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Fighting hunger, high prices amid SNAP benefit decrease

Fighting hunger, high prices amid SNAP benefit decrease

Originally Published in Times Union Written By: Shannon Fromma

Inflation has been hitting wallets hard, especially when it comes to food. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates Americans are spending nearly 12 percent more on food each month than they were a year ago. According to federal labor data, grocery inflation picked up in January even as prices in the U.S. fell in other industries from the previous month. 

For the 2.8 million New Yorkers who rely on federal assistance, things are about to go from bad to worse. Starting in March, every household that receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits will begin to receive at least $95 less a month. Household size and income may result in an even larger decrease with some families receiving nearly $300 less per month. 

The change comes as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s temporary SNAP Emergency Allotment benefits — provided since early on during the pandemic to address food insecurity — expire at the end of the February.  In just a few days, eligible households will only receive regular monthly SNAP benefits. 

“That is a pretty serious hit to the family budget,” said Molly Nicol, CEO, Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, who anticipates a dramatic increase in the number of neighbors seeking food assistance as the emergency allotments end. 

Roughy 1.8 million New Yorkers are facing hunger — an individual-level physiological condition that may result from food insecurity, as defined by the USDA. Nearly 600,000 are children, according to Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million Americans.

During the pandemic, the Regional Food Bank saw a large increase in those seeking help. It went from distributing 38 million pounds of food per year pre-COVID to 55.8 million pounds of food at the height of the pandemic. The food bank is now at about 50 million pounds per year.

“This means that hard working folks are finding it difficult to feed their families” Nicol said. “Additionally, it means that the Food Bank is also experiencing increased expenses associated with meeting the needs in our 23-county region.”

Food bank CEOs from the Northeast are meeting with USDA representatives in early March to advocate for more food donations and funding for Universal School Meals across the state. They are hoping to convince the federal government to increase SNAP benefits to what they were at the height of the pandemic, Nicol said. 

“The end of SNAP Emergency Allotments will hasten a hunger cliff for many New Yorkers,” said Krista Hesdorfer, MPA, government relations manager for Hunger Solutions New York, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to alleviating hunger in New York. 

This is a federal change, and local social services districts do not have control over it, Hesdorfer said. However, those who do receive SNAP benefits can report any changes — loss of income, increased housing costs, child support payments or allowable medical expenses —  to their local department of social services, which could result in an increase in normal monthly SNAP benefits, she said.

There are also programs available that enhance SNAP benefits, especially when used at farmers markets. Double Up Food Bucks NY, a program of the Field & Fork Network, has become a model for communities across the country. 

The Field & Fork Double Up Food Bucks NY program aims to connect communities throughout the state with sustainable food options by matching EBT or food stamp dollars spent on fruits and vegetables, up to $20 per day. The program provides a $1 to $1 match on SNAP eligible fruit and vegetable purchases at farmers markets, farm stands and select grocers throughout the state, including Honest Weight Food Co-op,  Schenectady Green Market, Can Stop Redemption in Troy, Capital Roots Mobile Markets and West Hill Farmers Market.

“When you couple (the expiration of extended benefits) with the current economic conditions, many low-income families will struggle to fill that gap. Double Up can be a part of the solution and help fill the gap with healthy locally grown produce,” said Lisa French, co-founder and executive director at Field & Fork Network. “Doubling the current $2 million funding to $4 million means the program can provide a critical resource for these families.”

To date, more than $8 million SNAP Double Up dollars have been spent on fresh produce to help alleviate food insecurity. The benefits extend beyond consumers. Purchases support more than 400 farmers who participate in the program. And, roughly $2.8 million SNAP and Double Up dollars have been spent at stores throughout the state.  

In addition to Double Up Food Bucks, there are programs that help New Yorkers put fresh food on the table. Low income seniors and those receiving WIC benefits may be eligible to receive New York State Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs coupons that can be used at participating farmers markets and farm stands. SNAP-to-Market is another program that distributes FreshConnect Checks in addition to the SNAP benefit. For every $5 in SNAP benefits a customer exchanges for wooden tokens, the manager may issue a $2 FreshConnect Check to be used on any SNAP eligible food item.

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Double Up Food Bucks Awareness Week

Buffalo Bills Foundation teams up with Double Up Food Bucks to help families get more fresh produce—and a chance to win tickets to the Green Bay Packers Game

Double Up Awareness Week encourages EBT users in WNY to eat healthier

 

Buffalo, NY–The Buffalo Bills Foundation is teaming up with Field & Fork Network to bring more fresh produce to Buffalo SNAP/EBT users—and a chance to win tickets to the Bills October 30th game against the Green Bay Packers. Double Up Food Bucks is a free healthy food incentive program that offers anyone with SNAP a $1 for $1 match on all eligible purchases, up to $20 per day, to purchase fresh local produce.

Double Up Food Bucks Awareness Week aims to increase participation in the program and link families with additional resources to access fresh local produce. The week is sponsored by the Buffalo Bills Foundation and will take place at over 25 locations across Erie & Niagara Counties from September 27th-October 4th. Participating locations will offer free $10 produce vouchers, ticket raffle, Bills giveaways and appearances by Billy Buffalo.

Here’s how it works: Anyone who signs up for the Double Up Food Bucks program from September 27th– October 4, 2022 will get a $10 produce voucher to spend at that market. In addition, individuals who use the program during the week will be entered to win tickets donated by the Buffalo Bills Foundation.

  • Two grand prize winners will receive (2) Buffalo Bills tickets and parking pass to the October 30, 2022 game against the Green Bay Packers. Winners will be announced on October 10th.

“The Bills are team players in every sense,” said Lisa French, co-founder and Executive Director of Field & Fork Network. “Their commitment to WNY families shows how much they care about our community—both on and off the field.”

“Partnering with organizations that improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables is a key to the foundations said Buffalo Bills Foundation Executive Director Michelle Roberts. “Field & Fork Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program is a great incentive that helps educate and increase healthy food options for SNAP-eligible WNY residents.”

The partnership is part of the Bills Foundation “Huddle for Hunger” initiative, which supports organizations focused on addressing child hunger, increasing access to nutritious food for families, and supporting healthy eating in the Western New York region. In addition to Double Up Food Bucks Awareness Week, the Foundation has provided a $25,000 grant to the Field & Fork Network.

Learn More About Double Up Awareness Week: click here

Chatham Co-op Launches Double Up Food Bucks

Chatham Co-op Launches Double Up Food Bucks

SNAP Incentive program increases healthy food access for low-income families, supports local farmers

Chatham Co-op announces the launch of Double Up Food Bucks New York (Double Up), a program administered by Field & Fork Network, doubling the buying power of SNAP customers. The program matches $1 for $1 federal SNAP dollars, up to $20 per day, to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables, with an emphasis on New York-grown produce.  

“Here at the Chatham Co-op we are actively striving to fulfill our mission as a Co-operative. One of the 7 Guiding Principles of Co-operatives is Concern for Community: Co-operatives working for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members. The DUFB Incentive is great for the community as it benefits the customer, the farmer and the local economy. Local, fresh produce should be affordable and available to all, and we believe this incentive is a step in the right direction for our community. Hopefully, it will be a first step, with many more to follow that will benefit the farmer, customer & community. After all, what is more important than real, nutritious food for all?” 

Double Up is a win-win-win, it helps low-income families stretch their food budgets, local farmers sell more produce, and more food dollars stay in the local economy. Each has a positive ripple effect of benefits,” said Lisa French, co-founder and Executive Director of Field & Fork Network, which administers the Double Up program in New York State. “By incentivizing the purchasing and consuming of healthier foods, we also aim to improve the overall health and well-being of those we serve.” 

Since piloting at 7 Western New York farmers markets in 2014, Double Up has expanded into over 30 counties and 180 locations across the state, serving over 38,000 SNAP households. The program is funded by New York State, the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and over 30 philanthropic organizations across the state. Locally, we would like to recognize the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, who continues to be a key partner in helping us bring the program to life in Columbia County.   

Chatham Co-op is open to the public Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm. Additional Double Up sites in the Columbia County include Rolling Grocer 19, Copake Hillsdale Farmer’s Market, and Saugerties Farmers Market. For a complete list of participating Double Up sites and hours of operation, visit www.doubleupnys.com/locations. 

About Chatham Co-op 

 The Chatham Real Food Market is an outlet for the products of our Columbia County farms and kitchens, providing education about food and agriculture, and promoting a more localized food system. The store is co-operatively owned by the members of our community. It aims to strengthen our rural community, develop our food security, and help build a healthy local economy in our county.  

 About Double Up Food Bucks NY 

Double Up Food Bucks is a nationwide fruit and vegetable incentive program, servicing millions of low-income SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) users with a dollar-for-dollar match to increase affordability and access to fresh healthy foods at farmers markets, CSAs, farm stands, mobile markets, and grocery stores. In New York State, Double Up has contributed to 4.8 million pounds of healthy food sales to over 38,000 customers, at more than 180 sites spanning 30 counties. 

 About Field & Fork Network  

Field & Fork Network is a NYS nonprofit organization that connects communities to innovative solutions that foster a sustainable food system. 

Field and Fork Network, Inc. Receives Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Award

Field and Fork Network, Inc. Receives Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Community Health Award

August 24, 2022 

UTICA, N.Y. — Excellus BlueCross BlueShield recently awarded Field and Fork Network, Inc. a Community Health Award of $2,000 to support their Double Up Food Bucks program serving Essex County. This program is Field and Fork Network’s signature food access program.  It is a nutrition incentive program that matches SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) benefits dollar for dollar, up to twenty dollars per day.  The Double Up incentive can only be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.

 

“Double Up is a win-win-win, low-income families bring home more healthy food, local farmers sell more produce, and more food dollars stay in the local economy. Each has a positive ripple effect of benefits,” said Lisa French, co-founder and Executive Director of Field & Fork Network, which administers the Double Up program in New York State. “By incentivizing the purchasing and consuming of healthier foods, we aim to improve the overall health and well-being of those we serve.”

 

Field & Fork Network is a non-profit organization that connects communities across New York State to innovative solutions that foster a sustainable food system. Key focus areas are agriculture, economic development, youth & community development, healthy neighborhoods and food access. Double Up Food Bucks allows families to stretch their dollar further while improving their overall health. The program’s innovative model allows it to operate in a variety of locations including corner stores, bodegas, ethnic food markets, mobile markets, farm stands and more.

 

Through a competitive application process, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Community Health Awards provide funding to launch, expand, and sustain programs and services that promote health. These investments advance health equity by extending the reach of preventive health services or health-promoting programs to vulnerable populations.

 

The health plan’s corporate giving follows all applicable laws and regulations and does not support funding organizations that conflict with its corporate mission, goals, policies, or products.

 

“The company’s Community Health Awards demonstrate a corporate commitment to support local organizations that share our mission as a nonprofit health plan,” states Eve Van de Wal, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Utica regional president. “We recognize that addressing social determinants of health, such as food insecurity, is vital to the health and wellbeing of our communities and we are pleased to support Field and Fork Network with this essential community health funding.”

 

 

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Utica region encompasses Clinton, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego and St. Lawrence counties.

# # #

 

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is a nonprofit health plan with 1.5 million upstate New York members. The company’s mission is to help people live healthier and more secure lives through access to high-quality, affordable health care. Its products and services include cost-saving prescription drug discounts, wellness tracking tools and access to telemedicine. With more than 3,500 employees, the company is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce to foster innovation and better serve its members. It also encourages employees to engage in their communities by providing paid volunteer time off as one of many benefits. To learn more, visit ExcellusBCBS.com.

Double Up Food Bucks now accepted at Niagara Falls city market

Niagara Falls City Market vendors will now be accepting Double Up Food Bucks benefits to further provide those on SNAP benefits access to healthy foods.

The Field and Fork Network was on hand to make the announcement Friday morning along with Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino, New York State Assemblyman Angelo Morinello, and members of the Buffalo Bills organization including cornerback Siran Neal.

Double Up Food Bucks is a nutrition incentive program funded by the state, the United States Department of Agriculture’s neutron institute on food and agriculture, and private foundations. The program offers individuals and families with SNAP benefits a $1 for $1 match for all their purchases at the market, up to $20 per day.

The Buffalo Bills Foundation also gave the program a $25,000 grant to support it, which they also gave last year.

Tom Lowe, the project director for the Field & Fork network, said that improving the market was the number one priority of the Niagara Falls Food Action Plan that the city council passed in 2018, with the acceptance of SNAP benefits and Double Up Food Bucks a key step to improve it.

The market was authorized to accept SNAP benefits starting September of last year, with Lowe adding that 1 in 3 Niagara Falls residents receive those benefits.

“In the two months SNAP was accepted in the 2021 season, more than $4,000 in SNAP transactions were processed,” Lowe said. “That’s more than $4,000 residents no longer had to take out of their cash budgets, that can be used for transportation, rent, child care, and other expenses.”

Morinello said that all the groups that worked to make this possible work to teach area youth about the importance of fresh food and sees a bright future for the market.

“It benefits citizens, farmers, and as we move forward, it will show children how important it is,” Morinello said.

Mayor Restaino said that earlier this summer, the city concluded its acquisition of the city market and plans on working with its partners of growing the city market.

“We feel not only will this be, as described, a centerpoint for fresh fruit and fresh vegetables,” Restaino said. “We also think this should be an area where we are able to market and showcase the many products that Niagara County has to offer.”

Vendors at the market were already accepting the Double Up benefits as it got busy on Friday. Sheri Senek, of Senek Farms in Ransomville, said that Senek Farms has been setting up at the market for over 80 years, back when it would come by horse and buggy.

“The purpose is to bring fresh fruit to the city, so customers can come and use their SNAP benefits,” Senek said. “We’re trying to grow the market, bring in new vendors, and increase customers.”

“Anything will help,” said Jim Miller, of Miller’s Farm in Hamburg, who has been selling at this market since 1982, setting up on Friday’s for the last five years.

Friday was also Kid’s Day at the market, where kids from the Niagara Falls Boys and Girls club got to explore what the market had to offer and get a photo with Neal and Billy Buffalo.

The Double Up Food Bucks program is already accepted at the North Tonawanda City Market, the Lockport Community Market, the Cornell Community Extension Veggie Van, and several markets in Downtown Buffalo. More program information is available at https://doubleupnys.com.

Link to original article: Double Up Food Bucks now accepted at Niagara Falls city market | Local News | niagara-gazette.com