USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture Awards $4.6 Million to Expand Double Up Food Bucks Program in New York State

Double Up Food Bucks retail partners

Field & Fork Network’s nutrition incentive program benefits families, farmers, and the local economy.

Buffalo, NY – Field & Fork Network announced today that it has been awarded a four-year, $4.6 million federal grant through the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), to continue expanding the Double Up Food Bucks nutrition incentive program across New York State.

Double Up Food Bucks matches SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Incentive Program) benefits – dollar for dollar – on fresh fruit and vegetable purchases at participating farmers markets, mobile markets, small retail, and grocery locations.

“The Double Up Food Bucks program is a win-win-win,” said Lisa French, co-founder and Executive Director of Field & Fork Network, which first launched the Double Up program in 2014. “It benefits farmers, puts more healthy food on the tables of low-income families, and stimulates local businesses while keeping federal food dollars circulating in the local economy.”

Since 2014, the Double Up program has served over 16,000 SNAP users at over 100 locations across 24 counties in New York. The GusNIP grant, to be allocated over the next four years, will allow for expansion into 45 counties across the state, as well as further development of technological advances for the program, by 2024. This will provide the resources needed to implement the Double Up program into year-round grocery sites like Lexington Co-op Markets, which just this year adopted the program as the first grocer to do so in upstate NY.

“We are thrilled to be able to continue to work to expand the Double Up program across the state,” said Double Up Food Bucks program manager, Frances McGuire. “As a state, we are facing increased food insecurity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will allow more New York families and communities to have access to fresh, local food at a time when they need it the most.”

This is the third GusNIP (formerly known as the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Program) federal award granted to Field & Fork Network by NIFA. The funding builds on a tremendous foundation of support provided by Field & Fork Network’s extensive set of partners. The following philanthropic organizations are recognized for their role in making this grant possible through their matched contributions: Adirondack Foundation, Allyn Family Foundation, BlueShield of Northeastern New York Blue Fund, Cloudsplitter Foundation, COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund, First Niagara Foundation, Five Star Bank, Garman Family Fund administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, The John R. Oishei Foundation, New York State Health Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, The Schenectady Foundation, United Way of the Adirondacks, Western New York Foundation, The Wright Family Foundation, Inc.

To ensure there is quality data on the progress toward the intended outcomes, Field & Fork Network has also partnered with a third-party evaluator, CCNY, Inc., for the lifespan of the GusNIP grant. CCNY will provide data on how well services are provided and how effective the work is at impacting those in need. “Our team is excited to support the important work of Field & Fork’s Double Up Food Bucks Program,” said David Monroe, Director of Evaluation and Analytics with CCNY. “It is a needed service in our community, and we continue to gather data to better understand its impact on New York State families, farmers, and local economies.”

To learn more about Double Up Food Bucks New York and find participating locations near you, please visit the program website at www.doubleupnys.com.

General Motors Awards Field & Fork Network $50,000 to Begin Workforce Development as part of Local Food Action Plan

healthy food healthy people work group

The Healthy Food Healthy People work group aims to end food disparities in the Niagara Falls community through resident-driven action and policy.

Niagara Falls, NY – Field & Fork Network announced today that it has been awarded a $50,000 grant, from General Motors, to propel workforce development and training programming related to the local food system of Niagara Falls. The grant will immediately focus on a planning and piloting phase to provide a better understanding of the needs and interests of local food systems’ employers and potential employees. The project will be nurtured by Healthy Food Healthy People, a work group that is focused on increasing food access by strengthening the local food system.

According to the American Community Survey (2015), the City of Niagara Falls had 18,601 jobs available for a population of 48,896; that is one job for every 2.6 people. One-third of the available jobs pays less than $15,000 per year. The lack of jobs and lack of a living wage presents great challenges for residents in Niagara Falls to provide their families with financial stability and access to healthy meals. Healthy Food Healthy People, a work group established out of the Create A Healthier Niagara Falls Collaborative and in partnership with Field & Fork Network, hope to encourage residents to understand the value of, be able to, and choose to eat healthy foods.

When asked about their support for the program, Hal Garling, program officer for GM Corporate Giving, said “General Motors supports the communities where we have operations and with nearby facilities in Western New York and Canada, we are supporting the Field & Fork Network in equipping individuals with essential skills to gain secure employment in a competitive economy while positively impacting the local food system.”

Healthy Food Healthy People, started in 2013, and is comprised of over 35 community organizations and residents who have developed the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan to affect policy from the street up to government levels. The plan is strategically broken down into four key frameworks – agriculture, economic development, education, and healthy neighborhoods – each with several actionable and resident-driven objectives.

“The Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan has been a resident-guided process and is a resident-driven approach to strengthening the local food system,” said Tom Lowe, project director of the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan. “The workforce program, funded by General Motors, will be no different and will be informed by residents and other community stakeholders.”

Healthy Food Healthy People is currently working with Buffalo Moose Group, a local consultant group, to finalize an overarching strategy for moving forward. This process includes resident surveys and focus groups to direct the focus of the implementation process which will result in a strategy road map for the work group. Residents of Niagara Falls are encouraged to get involved now by lending their insights. Participants will be rewarded for their service by being entered into a sweepstakes drawing for one of 12 gift cards valued at $50-$250. The drawing ends February 15th, with winners to be announced on the 19th. To take the survey and read the full Niagara Falls Food Action Plan, please visit http://bit.ly/PRsurvey2021.

New Partnership Brings Fresh Food Fellows: Urban Agriculture Entrepreneurship Program to Buffalo Youth

Groundwork Buffalo, Field & Fork Network and Grassroots Gardens are pleased to announce the Fresh Food Fellows: Urban Agriculture Entrepreneurship Program, a paid job training opportunity and certification program for Buffalo youth that will prepare the next generation of food and agriculture industry professionals for the workforce.

Over the course of six months, participants will gain employable and transferable job skills by learning how to grow, cultivate and sell produce in an urban environment. They will also accrue firsthand job experience through employment in real markets and receive ongoing support for career development.

“Our program aims to increase awareness of opportunities in the growing agricultural sector as well as create new opportunities within the local food system to support community health. This certification program frames urban agriculture as an entrepreneurial endeavor and will help to develop a new generation of food and agriculture professionals in Buffalo, generating a pipeline of skilled labor that connects youth to real job opportunities in the city and region,” said Antonina Simeti, executive director of Groundwork Buffalo.

The program, which will kick off in late March and run through August, brings three organizations together in partnership. Groundwork Buffalo will lead recruitment and program oversight efforts and connect the fellows to other youth and opportunities within their broader Green Team Youth Program; Field and Fork Network will adapt their Fresh Food Fellows educational curriculum to conduct classroom workshops on personal goal setting, resume writing, interview skills, workplace management, and business planning; and Grassroots Gardens will train participants in the cultivation, construction and operation of a market garden and farm stand.

“The Fresh Food Fellows project allows us to work collaboratively to create a partnership that is greater than the sum of its parts. Each of our organizations works to strengthen the local food system and urban agriculture landscape in complimentary ways, from the perspectives of land use, access, nutrition and community engagement, and this project allows us to bring our collective areas of expertise together to share with and empower youth,” said Melissa Fratello, executive director of Grassroots Gardens. “Market gardens are a unique tool to introduce participants to agriculture on an urban scale, while serving the needs of the community.”

Groundwork Market Garden, an urban farm that provides community members with organic, nutrient-rich produce to promote greater health and a connection to the local food system, and the African Heritage Co-operative Mobile Market, a membership-based co-op that helps the local community take ownership of its food and provide employment opportunities for itself, will act as employer partners. Youth will intern one to two days a week at these sites during the summer work portion of the program. Delavan-Grider Community Center will provide classroom space and serve as a home base for a new, nearby market garden.

The program is made possible by a two-year Green Jobs For Youth grant from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, which aims to serve communities that face environmental justice and unemployment challenges.

Interested youth can find more information and learn how to apply for the program by contacting Johnnie Fenderson at jfenderson@gwbuffalo.org. The deadline for applications is Thursday, March 8, 2018.

Holistic health in WNY takes several forms

A holistic approach to health includes better nutrition. Field & Fork Network’s Double Up Food Bucks program, a dollar-for-dollar match on fresh fruits and vegetables for those on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), helps low-income households bring home more fruits and vegetables — which in turn promotes better nutrition.

“Families are eating more healthy food as a result of the program,” said Lisa Tucker French, cofounder and executive director. “Ultimately, we’re making fresh, local food more accessible and more affordable.”

Click here to read more about how the New York State Health Foundation is supporting programs like Double Up that tackle health outside of just the doctor’s office.

Field & Fork Network Joins National Partners for Continued Growth and Innovation of Double Up Food Bucks Program

New Federal and Private Support Fuels Growth of SNAP Incentives, Increasing Healthy Food Access
and Supporting Farmers.

Buffalo, N.Y. August 11, 2017 – Field & Fork Network announced today it will be partnering with Fair Food Network and Live Well Colorado to expand and innovate the Double Up Food Bucks produce incentive program across Western New York.

Double Up Food Bucks boosts the value of SNAP (formerly known as “food stamps”) when spent on fruits and vegetables. For instance, if a family spends $10 in SNAP benefits at a farmers market, they receive $10 in Double Up Food Bucks to buy locally grown produce.

“Having the resources to continue the expansion of Double Up is a great benefit to this community. Not only does it increase access and affordability of fresh produce for low-income individuals and families, it also helps redirect federal food assistance dollars back into our local agriculture community. A definite win-win!” said Lisa French, Co-founder and Executive Director of Field & Fork Network.

This new funding will allow for continued program growth and innovation with a focus on:

  • Grocery expansion in Western New York. While SNAP incentives began in farmers markets, grocery is a critical venue to reach more consumers year-round.
  • Technology innovations:
    • E-incentives: Until recently, most farmers markets processed incentives with physical tokens. New electronic transaction technologies will be deployed at select farmers markets.
    • Interoperability: In select Western New York communities, shoppers will be able to earn Double Up Food Bucks at one site and redeem them at a different location. This technology was developed in Flint, Michigan to help residents get more fresh produce in response to the water crisis.

Support for this work is being provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institute of Food & Agriculture, by the New York State Health Foundation and by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in partnership with Fair Food Network.

This builds on a foundation of support provided over the years by the John R. Oishei Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo, East Hill Foundation, Grigg Lewis Foundation, Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, First Niagara Foundation, Univera Healthcare and the Garman Family Fund.

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Field & Fork Network is a food and farming organization dedicated to building a thriving regional food system in Western New York by creating more economic opportunities for local agriculture and by providing greater access to fresh, local foods.

2017 Double Up Food Bucks Season Underway

Field & Fork Network is thrilled to kick off the fourth season of our Double Up Food Bucks program! Double Up Food Bucks is a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) incentive that increases access to fresh, healthy foods for low-income consumers by matching federal food assistance benefits $1 for $1. The 2017 season will include more than 90 sites across 11 Western New York counties and will include the cities of Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Rochester. Continued expansion will also diversify the program’s access points to add year-round markets, more seasonal farmers markets, mobile markets and healthy corner stores.

Last week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited the REAP Olean Farmers Market—a Double Up Food Bucks site—to speak out against proposed cuts to SNAP. Sen. Gillibrand discussed how SNAP helps the Olean farmers’ market and other markets across the country expand their customer base while encouraging people to buy local and eat healthy. You can read more about the senator’s stop at the market here.

For more information on the Double Up Food Bucks, including a map of this season’s participating locations, please visit the program website.