A program that doubles the purchasing power of food-challenged New Yorkers to buy fresh produce launches Saturday at 12 Western New York farmers markets, nine in Erie County and three in Niagara County, Field & Fork Network announced.
As part of its community outreach to Buffalo’s East Side, KeyBank is partnering with the African Heritage Food Co-op, Buffalo Go Green and the Delavan Grider Community Center to offer an evening farmers market every other Thursday.
The Double Up Food Bucks program allows people who qualify for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to earn $1 in Food Bucks for every dollar they spend on fresh produce, up to $20 per day.
Food Bucks don’t expire and can be used to buy more fresh produce throughout the season, said Nichole Borchard, director of communications and partnerships for Field & Fork.
The nonprofit food and farming network started the program with seven farm markets around the state in 2014 and now has 65, Borchard said. It’s also available at many mobile markets, corner stores and community centers, and will soon start expanding to its first supermarkets, Tops and Dash’s.
Double Up not only gives low-income families more access to healthy food, it also supports farmers and local economies,…
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