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.