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Month: July 2022

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Field & Fork expands access to fresh produce on Buffalo’s East Side

This year’s harvest of fresh, local fruit and vegetables just grew more plentiful for residents of Buffalo’s East Side food desert who qualify for SNAP purchases.

Thanks in part to new state funding from Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Double Up Food Bucks NY program removed the $20 per day cap on its dollar-for-dollar match of SNAP-purchased produce at five East Side vendors through the end of the year.

The unlimited match aims to increase affordable access to fresh, healthy food in the area targeted by the white supremacist mass shooter who killed 10 Black neighbors and wounded three other people May 14 at the Jefferson Avenue Tops market, which serves a predominantly Black neighborhood.

The mass shooting closed the store for two months and put a national spotlight on the concentration of poverty and the lack of fresh, healthy food options on Buffalo’s East Side.

 

The Tops store reopened July 15 following a complete renovation that includes memorials to the victims, but “We know there are some in the community that are not ready or don’t want to return to the Tops on Jefferson,” said Lisa French, executive director of the Field & Fork Network, which administers the Double Up Food Bucks NY program.

“With shopping options being extremely limited, we hope this move will give residents greater freedom to shop at alternative locations,” French said. “We want to be part of the solution by making it easier for people to access fresh local food and invest in our partners who are working overtime on the East Side.”

Participating partners offering unlimited matching funds in the Double Up Food Bucks program are:

• Clinton Bailey Farmers Market, 1443-1517 Clinton St. Sign up for Double Up cards on full market days, Saturdays through November.

• Urban Fruits & Veggies mobile markets – see the list at buffalogogreen.org/events.

• Buffalo’s Golden Corner, 1715 Jefferson Ave.

• Feedmore WNY Fresh Markets, multiple stops; see feedmorewny.org/programs-services/farm-market.

• African Heritage Food Co-op, 999 Broadway (inside the Broadway Market).

Anyone with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits can participate in the Double Up program. Unlimited match is only offered at the East Side partner locations; all other locations still have the $20 daily cap, said Field & Fork Communications and Partnerships Manager Nichole Borchard. Double Up matching funds do not expire and can be banked for future purchases at the same location where they were earned, she said.

Double Up is a federal, state and privately funded nutrition incentive program for anyone with SNAP/EBT and P-EBT (pandemic assistance that continues through the summer for children/families who qualify for free school lunches).

Field & Fork Network launched the program in New York in 2014, and Buffalo’s East Side was the first community to embrace it, Borchard said. One of the first locations was the Clinton Bailey Farmers Market, a site that continues to see increasing participation from families seeking healthy food options.

In the two weeks since Field & Fork removed the cap for the East Side partners, the Clinton Bailey market has matched $18,000 in Double Up Food Bucks, Borchard said. Last Saturday, “more than 100 people lined up by 8 a.m.” to enroll in the Double Up program there, she said.

Fran Desiderio of Desi’s Produce, which sells a wide variety of fruits and vegetables at Clinton Bailey, said she has been spreading the word about the Double Up cap being lifted there.

“People are very, very appreciative of this,” she said. “On Saturdays when the all the stands are full, we see people from all nationalities and cultures, and we are trying to cater to them by offering things like really hot peppers.”

Besides helping low-income families put more fresh, healthy food on their tables, Double Up also helps local farmers sell more produce and gets more food dollars circulating in the local economy, Borchard said.

The program operates at more than 180 sites across New York including farmers markets, corner stores, mobile markets, farm stands and some grocery stores. On Buffalo’s East Side, the unlimited match will assist food providers who stepped up to offer free meals in the wake of the May 14 hate crime.

“We feel it’s not realistic to ask people to go shopping every day to receive the maximum benefit under the $20 cap,” Borchard said. “Now if they go and spend $200 in one day, they will have earned another $200 on their Double Up card to use at that location.”

Borchard said Field & Fork is also working with Tops to implement the program at the Jefferson Avenue store “in a way that’s not cumbersome for the store and our reporting system.” Rather than offer Double Up cards, the grocery store will be able to print coupons for SNAP purchasers to use the program, she said.

See SNAP income guidelines at otda.ny.gov/programs/snap/.

The Double Up program received its first state funding this year, as a $2 million line item in Gov. Hochul’s 2022 budget . Borchard said Field & Fork expects the U.S. Department of Agriculture will match that to provide $4 million for the program next year.

More help

Two other providers recently announced new initiatives for food assistance:

No Kid Hungry will help families connect with the closest USDA-funded free summer lunch programs for children via text or three-digit call. Parents and caregivers across the state can text “FOOD” or “COMIDA” to 304-304 or call 311 for the most up-to-date hours and locations of nearby meal sites. No registration or documentation is required to receive a free meal.

The Community Action Organization opens a new food pantry at the Resource Council of WNY at 347 E. Ferry St. on Tuesday. In addition to food stocked by FeedMore WNY, the pantry also will provide fresh produce, meat, water and dairy items sourced through local partners including Providence Farms Collective and Fresh Fix, with state Community Services Block Grant funding. The CAO will celebrate the grand opening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday with free hotdogs and other giveaways.

The pantry will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays. Call 716-881-5150 to register or check on eligibility.

The new pantry is the 10th serving the Jefferson Avenue community. See a list of local food resources at feedmorewny.org/programs-services/find-food/.

Link to original article: Field & Fork expands access to fresh produce on Buffalo’s East Side | Local News | buffalonews.com

Bills Foundation helps launch this healthy food program in Niagara Falls

Bills Foundation helps launch this healthy food program in Niagara Falls

Jul 22, 2022 at 02:36 PM

Today, Field & Fork Network announced the launch of Double Up Food Bucks NY at the Niagara Falls City Market. The program increases access to local fresh produce, helps families with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) formerly food stamps stretch their food budgets, and invests in New York farmers.

“Niagara Falls is a community that our organization is deeply committed to bringing SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks to the Niagara Falls City Market. This project was several years in the making and the number one priority of the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan. We are thankful to our dedicated group of partners, farmers, and residents who helped us get to this point,” said Tom Lowe, Project Director at Field & Fork Network.

How it works:

Double Up Food Bucks is a nutrition incentive program funded by New York State, the USDA’s Nutrition Institute on Food and Agriculture and private foundations that offers individuals and families with SNAP a $1 for $1 match, on all their purchases at the Market, up to $20 per day. Double Up Food Bucks can then be used to purchase local fresh fruits and vegetables. Double Up provides multiple benefits: it’s a win for local farmers selling more produce; a win for low-income families putting more healthy food on their tables; and a win for area businesses as more food dollars circulate in the local economy.

Double Up Food Bucks success is fueled by partners, like the Buffalo Bills, who help bring the program to life in their communities. Without public and private partnerships, the program could not reach the individuals and families who need it most.

Quotes from our partners:

“The Buffalo Bills Foundation is pleased to partner with the Field and Fork Network again this year and support the Double Up Food Bucks program with a $25,000 grant,” said Michelle Roberts, Executive Director of the Buffalo Bills Foundation. “It is our hope that residents in Niagara Falls and throughout WNY that qualify for SNAP benefits register and participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program to stretch their food budget and access healthy, local produce while supporting local farmers.”

“Delivering access to affordable and healthy food has been an ongoing issue for countless communities across New York State, especially in our city centers. By joining forces, Niagara Falls City Market, the Field &Fork Network, and the Buffalo Bills Foundation are helping residents in these communities access an incredible selection of healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables -much of which is grown by farmers right here in Western New York. This is a wonderful collaboration, and I applaud all the partners involved in making this possible,” said Senator Robert Ortt.

“Thanks to the Double Up Food Bucks program, now Niagara Falls residents can receive a dollar-for-dollar match on fruit & vegetable purchases. That means much more healthy food for the family. I would like to thank the Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan, the City of Niagara Falls, and the City Market for their outstanding teamwork to bring this program to our community.”

– Assemblyman Angelo Morinello

“With the launch of the Double Up Food Bucks program at the Niagara Falls City Market, our families and neighbors will have immediate and affordable access to healthy, fresh food,” said Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino. “This collaboration will be instrumental in ensuring all members of our community have the opportunity to purchase nutritious, locally produced food right in their neighborhood.

“Being able to eat well is a key factor to improving heart and brain health, and we are seeing now more than ever how critical good health is,” said Jason Stulb, executive director of the American Heart Association in the Buffalo/Niagara region. “We’ve been advocating for funding for Double Up Food Bucks at the local and state level so that more people can have access to even more healthy food. We’re proud to work with Field and Fork Network as they implement programs across the state, and are glad to see that the Niagara Falls City Market is now accepting Double Up Food Bucks.”

The Niagara Falls City Market is open to the public from 8 am – 3 pm, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks are accepted 10 am – 2 pm.For a complete list of participating Double Up sites and hours of operation, visit www.doubleupnys.com/locations.

About Double Up Food Bucks

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 4.9 million pounds of healthy food sales to over 38,000 customers, at more than 180 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

Link to original article: Bills Foundation helps launch this healthy food program in Niagara Falls (buffalobills.com)

More Double Up Launching at Niagara Falls City Market In the News:

Double Up Food Bucks program kicks off at Niagara Falls City Market: Double Up Food Bucks program kicks off at Niagara Falls City Market | wgrz.com
Program to help SNAP recipients comes to Niagara Falls: Program to help SNAP recipients comes to Niagara Falls | News 4 Buffalo (wivb.com)

Increasing Access to Fresh Local Produce on Buffalo’s East Side

Increasing Access to Fresh Local Produce on Buffalo’s East Side
Program Offers Unlimited Match on SNAP Purchases & Invests in East Side Partner

Today Field & Fork Network announced, Double Up Food Bucks NY will increase access to fresh local produce on Buffalo’s East Side, with an unlimited $1 for $1 match on all SNAP eligible purchases at participating locations. The program has removed the existing $20 per-day earning cap allowing residents to earn on all their SNAP purchases now through the end of the year.

“We want to be part of the solution by making it easier for people to access fresh local food and invest in our partners who are working overtime on the East Side. We know there are some in the community that are not ready or don’t want to return to the Tops on Jefferson. With shopping options being extremely limited, we hope this move will give residents greater freedom to shop at alternative locations,” said Lisa French Co- Founder and Executive Director of Field & Fork Network.

When Double Up launched in New York in 2014, Buffalo’s East Side was the first community to embrace the program. One of the first locations offering the program was the Clinton Bailey Farmers Market, a site that continues to be one of our strongest partners today. This neighborhood is extremely important to our staff and board; we want to help in any way we can to
improve food access for the residents.

“For many of us, the East Side is not simply another part of Buffalo or an area we hear about in the news. The East Side was once and will always be home for me. I’m fortunate to be a part of an organization that not only prioritizes the needs of our community, but also embarks on intentional action to aid the community. Field & Fork Network’s commitment to helping those in need get that much closer to food security is a wonderful example of Buffalo rallying crucial support for our own, said Stephanie Tisdale, Field & Fork Network Board Chair.

“My family can trace its roots back to the East Side for over the last 70 years when my grandparents chose Riley St to settle down back in the 1930s. My family still owns their home and is an active part of the upkeep of the community. I’m grateful to serve with an organization that prioritizes long term and sustainable programs that pour directly back into the most vulnerable in our community. Field & Fork Network is a sterling example of why Buffalo is and will continue to be branded as the ‘City of Good Neighbors’,” said Stephon Parker, Field & Fork Network Vice Chair.

What is Double Up Food Bucks NY?

  • A federal, state, and privately funded nutrition incentive program that offers anyone with EBT/P-EBT a $1 for $1 match on their SNAP eligible purchases, up to $20 per day, to purchase local fresh produce.
  • Double Up provides multiple benefits: it’s a win for local farmers selling more produce; a win for low-income families putting more healthy food on their tables; and a win for area businesses as more food dollars circulate in the local economy.
  • The program operates at over 180 sites across New York State including grocery stores, corner stores, mobile markets, farmers markets and farm stands.
  • Since launching in 2014, Double Up has served over 38,000 New Yorkers, across 29 counties, resulting in 4.8Mlbs of healthy food sales.

Where can I earn an unlimited SNAP match?

  • Clinton Bailey Farmers Market, 1443-1517 Clinton Street
  • Urban Fruits & Veggies, multiple mobile market stops, 324 Glenwood Ave
  • Buffalo’s Golden Corner, 1715 Jefferson Avenue
  • Feedmore WNY Fresh Markets, 2090 Genesee St, multiple mobile stops
  • African Heritage Food Co-op, 999 Broadway Street, inside the Broadway Market
    Double Up Food Bucks is actively seeking new retail partners to operate the program. Participating retail partners must accept SNAP benefits. If you are interested or would like to recommend a business, please email bgertz@fieldandforknetwork.com

About Double Up Food Bucks NY

Double Up Food Bucks NY is a statewide nutrition incentive program, administered by Field & Fork Network that provides SNAP participants with a dollar-for-dollar match to increase affordability and access to fresh healthy foods at farmers markets, 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 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 | Facebook Instagram

About Field & Fork Network

Field & Fork Network is a NYS nonprofit that connects communities to innovative solutions that foster a sustainable food system. To learn more about our work please visit our website and social media sites at: www.fieldandforknetwork.com | Facebook Instagram Twitter

Senator Sue Serino to visit the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market to support Field & Fork Network’s Double Up Food Bucks Program

Senator Sue Serino to visit the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market to support Field & Fork Network’s Double Up Food Bucks Program

SUE SERINO

July 12, 2022

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum is pleased to host Senator Sue Serino at its Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market at 3:30 pm on Monday, July 11, 2022, to support the Market’s second year of participation in the Double Up Food Bucks Program (DUFB). DUFB is a program through Field & Fork Network that doubles the amount of money that SNAP EBT card users can use to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables. For every SNAP dollar spent at the Market (up to $20), patrons receive an additional dollar. DUFB at the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market starts July 11th and runs until October 24th .

The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum launched the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market in 2017 in response to a community-wide need for greater access to fresh, healthy foods. In doing so, the Museum became the first children’s museum in the country to open a public farmers market as a strategy to reduce food insecurity among its families and within the City of Poughkeepsie. The Market has since expanded its operations to ensure greater availability of farm fresh foods for residents and guests while showcasing the agricultural bounty of local Hudson Valley farms. Field & Fork Network has been a critical partner in further increasing access to fresh produce while offering the opportunity for local farmers and producers to sell more product.

The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market first utilized the DUFB in 2021, and it has been well received. Market vendors such as Maynard Farms, Dutchess Outreach, and J&J Farms carry products that qualify for DUFB. “SNAP EBT customers are eagerly awaiting the start of the Double Up Food Bucks program. It is such an amazing program. I see firsthand the gratitude and relief people feel when they are given extra dollars to shop with no strings attached,“ says Market Manager, Josephine DaCosta.

“The Double Up Food Bucks Program (DUFB) not only helps connect area families with fresh, healthy food options, it also provides a boost to local growers making it a major win for the Hudson Valley community. We thank the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum for being a great community partner and for working to ensure that the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market continues to be an invaluable resource for our neighbors,” says Senator Sue Serino.

Christine Paris, from Maynard Farms, comments, “As a small, local farm we’re always looking to connect with our community and participate in incentive programs that are offered. We’re especially proud to participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program. Double Up Food Bucks is a great program that helps to expand one’s food budget to encourage more healthy fruits and vegetables, while at the same time supporting local farmers and Farmer’s Markets!”

Families that are not on SNAP, but who were issued a P-EBT card, as part of a pandemic relief package for children in public school for the 2020-2021 school year, can use their P-EBT Cards and receive the benefits the Double Up Food Bucks Program provides. For more information about the Double Up Food Bucks Program visit doubleupnys.com.

About Double Up Food Bucks NY

Double Up Food Bucks NY is a statewide nutrition incentive program, administered by Field & Fork Network that provides SNAP participants with a dollar-for-dollar match to increase affordability and access to fresh healthy foods at farmers markets, 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 32,000 customers, at more than 180 sites spanning 28 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 | Facebook Instagram

About Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market

The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market, now in its 6th year, is open to the public and features farm fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, poultry, baked goods, beef, pork, and more. Applications for Summer Vendors are being accepted. The Market is a vibrant, weekly celebration of the Hudson Valley and is under a fully covered, open-air pavilion on the Hudson River. The Market accepts both SNAP and WIC benefits. Eligible market patrons should check in at the Market Manager table for info about SNAP and DUFB benefits. The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market offers free onsite parking at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum during the Market hours. The Market is held on Monday afternoons from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm in the Pavilion at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, 75 North Water Street in Poughkeepsie. Please note: There is NO market on Monday, July 4th .

For Market updates, events, and follow the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market on Facebook (www.facebook.com/POKWaterfrontMarket) and Instagram (poughkeepsiewaterfrontmarket). For more information on becoming a vendor at the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market visit: www.mhcm.org/visit/poughkeepsie-waterfront-market or email market@mhcm.org. The Poughkeepsie Waterfront

Market is managed by the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum.

Link to original article: https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sue-serino/senator-sue-serino-visit-poughkeepsie-waterfront-market-support

In the News: Dealing with a ‘Food Desert’

Dealing with a ‘food desert’

USA NIAGARA: Expansion of healthy food options in city being explored.

By Philip Gambini philip.gambini@niagara-gazette.com

Jan 5, 2019

Officials at the state-run agency that typically focuses on property acquisition and corporate assistance are also considering healthy food options as an economic tool.

Staff at USA Niagara Development Corp. are in the preliminary stages of exploring an incentivized food purchasing policy with an aim to encourage large institutions and businesses to provide nutritious offerings bought from local providers.

Rob Sozanski, an associate planner and project manager with the USAN, has briefed the Niagara Falls City Council on the policy idea as part of an action plan developed by a mayoral task force. The plan was endorsed by lawmakers in December.

“We have a really robust agricultural landscape in Niagara County,” he said.

The policy idea is an outgrowth of Mayor Paul Dyster’s Healthy Food, Healthy People Task Force, which covered multiple local stakeholders to contemplate solutions to various food-related issues. Laura Magee, a spokesperson for USAN, said similar policies have been successful elsewhere in the country.

“By increasing procurement/purchasing from Western New York farmers and producers, these institutions and businesses may be able to generate positive economic and workforce impacts while providing fresh, high-quality food to local customers, students and patients,” she said.

Tom Lowe, the director of Niagara University’s ReNU Niagara program, described the larger food action plan as a “guiding document.” It enacts no official measures and will require the work of others to implement its ideas.

According to the document, among the most pressing issues – and one that has been talked about in the city for sometime – is the existence of a “food desert” in the the Falls’s North End. The term refers to a general lack of access to fresh food within walking distance of a given community.

Alex Wright, a leader with the African Heritage Food Co-op, was involved with the plan and sees his organization as a way to address the lack of access.

But Wright prefers to call it by another name, “food apartheid,” due to what he told the Niagara Gazette earlier this year was the purposeful divestment of resources in black and brown communities across the country.

The absence of healthy food options helps generate “higher rates of diabetes, hypertension (and) high blood pressure” in minority communities, Wright said.

“It will solve the problem of people having to travel 30 to 45 minutes to get fresh fruits and vegetables,” he said.

Wright said the group made its first hire late last year in what he expects will be a group of 35 local employees in the next two years.

 

Link to the original article: https://www.niagara-gazette.com/news/local_news/dealing-with-a-food-desert/article_ac5caff3-01da-523f-829a-95ef223f6499.html