Today is Field & Fork Network announced the launch of Double Up Food Bucks NY at Niagara Falls City Market. The program improves access to local fresh produce, helps families with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), formerly food brands, to expand their grocery budgets, and invests in New York farmers.
“Niagara Falls is a community where our organization’s goal is to bring SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks to the Niagara Falls City Market. Several years in the works, this project was the top priority of Niagara Falls’ Local Food Action Plan. We are grateful to our dedicated group of partners, farmers and local residents who have helped us get to this point,” said Tom Lowe, project leader at Field & Fork Network.
Double Up Food Bucks is a nutritional 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 $1 for $1 on all their purchases at the market , up to $20 per day. Double Up Food Bucks can then be used to buy local fresh fruits and vegetables. Double Up offers several benefits: it’s a win-win for local farmers who sell more produce; a win for low-income families, who put more healthier food on their tables; and a win for businesses in the area as more food dollars circulate in the local economy.
The success of Double Up Food Bucks 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.
“The Buffalo Bills Foundation is pleased to again partner with the Field and Fork Network this year to support the Double Up Food Bucks program with a $25,000 grant,” said Michelle Roberts, executive director of the Buffalo Bills Foundation . “We hope residents in Niagara Falls and across WNY who qualify for SNAP benefits will enroll and participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program to expand their grocery budgets and access healthy, local produce while being local farmers to support.”
“Access to affordable and healthy food is an ongoing concern for countless communities across upstate New York, especially in our city centers. By joining forces, Niagara Falls City Market, the Field & Fork Network and the Buffalo Bills Foundation Residents in these communities have access to an incredible array of healthy and delicious fruits and vegetables, many of which are grown by farmers right here in western New York. This is a wonderful collaboration and I applaud all partners involved in making this possible,” said Senator Robert Ortt.
“Thanks to the Double Up Food Bucks program, Niagara Falls residents can now get dollar-for-dollar value when they buy fruit and vegetables. That means a lot more healthier foods for the family. I would like to thank Niagara Falls Local Food Action Plan, the City of Niagara Falls and City Market for their amazing teamwork in bringing this program to our community.”
“By launching the Double Up Food Bucks program at the Niagara Falls City Market, our families and neighbors have immediate and affordable access to healthy, fresh food,” said Robert Restaino, Mayor of Niagara Falls. “This collaboration will help ensure that all members of our community have the opportunity to shop for nutritious, locally produced food right in their neighborhoods.
“Eating well is a key factor in improving heart and brain health, and now more than ever we are realizing the importance of good health,” said Jason Stulb, executive director of the American Heart Association in the Buffalo/Niagara area . “We have worked at local and state levels to fund Double Up Food Bucks so more people have access to even healthier food. We’re proud to partner with Field and Fork Network to deliver programs statewide, and excited to see that Niagara Falls City Market is now accepting Double Up Food Bucks.”
Niagara Falls City Market is open to the public Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. SNAP & Double Up Food Bucks are accepted from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For a complete list of participating Double Up locations and hours of operation, visit www.doubleupnys.com/locations.
Double Up Food Bucks is a statewide food incentive model created by Field & Fork Network, providing millions of low-income Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) users with a dollar-for-dollar match to increase affordability and access to fresh, healthy food at farmers’ markets, CSAs, farmer stands, mobile markets, and grocery stores to enhance. In upstate New York, Double Up has contributed £4.9 million in healthy food sales to over 38,000 customers at more than 180 locations in 29 counties. To learn more about Double Up Food Bucks and a full list of participating sites, please visit the program website and social media sites or call 1-800-682-5016. www.doubleupnys.com
