People who use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy food can get their money doubled this summer when they sign up for a Binghamton nonprofit’s "farm share" program.
Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments (VINES) runs the farm share each season. Members sign up to buy a weekly box of fresh vegetables and fruit.
The produce is grown by VINES youth volunteers at the Binghamton Urban Farm, as well as two other local farms in Broome and Cortland counties.
Now, a pilot program will offer residents using federal food benefits to get an extra, free box of produce for each purchase.
Amelia LoDolce, VINES executive director, said the local need for affordable produce is huge. Over half of the farm share’s members are eligible for income-based discounts.
“We provide about $40,000 in discounts to our members every year, and we are maxing that out every single fiscal year,” LoDolce said. “We couldn't serve the number of people we are this year without this partnership, it is an injection that we really needed to continue to meet the demand that we're seeing.”
The pilot program is a partnership between VINES and “Double Up Food Bucks”, an initiative from Field & Fork Network meant to help people using SNAP access more healthy food.
“For many of us in Broome County, SNAP is not supplemental, it's essential.” said Cynthia Cortright, Broome County director of medical services and SNAP. “And initiatives like this, the Double Up Food Bucks, are a wonderful resource for the community to bridge that food budget to the next payday, or just even the next day.”
Field and Fork Network received $2 million in state funding for the initiative, which was matched by the federal government.
“The need is certainly there,” Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said. Lupardo is also the chair of the agriculture committee. “To see this being piloted here, where we're going to be able to double up the food purchasing power of people who are SNAP beneficiaries, is really amazing.”
State Sen. Lea Webb said many people struggle to buy healthy, affordable meals, especially in the Binghamton area.
“Our child poverty rate, that's children under the age of 18 who are living in poverty, is 53 percent,” Webb said. “So when you talk about these programs and what it means for our communities, when we say that people are struggling to put food on the table, these programs, these investments, are having real impact in real time, on real people.”
Residents can still sign up for the farm share program. The season lasts until October.