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Republican: ‘A huge blow’: Funds for low-income residents to buy local produce will be cut significantly

First Published by MassLive/The Republican on October 22, 2024

‘A huge blow’: Funds for low-income residents to buy local produce will be cut significantly

By Greta Jochem | gjochem@repub.com

SPRINGFIELD — About a million Bay Staters soon will have less money to buy local fruits and vegetables.

Starting Dec. 1, the monthly household cap for the state’s Healthy Incentives Program — which gives recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, money to use at farmers markets, farm stands and farm shares — will be dropped to $20.

Currently, the monthly cap ranges from $40 to $80, depending on household size. Facing a $10 million shortfall, the Department of Transitional Assistance, which operates the program, cut the benefits to $20 per month to keep the program going year-round, according to a spokesperson. The department notified program participants and partners about the change late last week.

“We know how critical the Healthy Incentives Program is to families and farmers in Massachusetts,” department Commissioner Jeff McCue said in a statement. “We are restructuring the program to ensure it can continue to operate year-round within the current funding level, to allow ongoing support for families and farmers to plan.”

Gov. Maura Healey’s proposed budget for the current fiscal year originally included $25 million for the Healthy Incentives Program, but the state’s final budget cut the program to $15 million.

Advocates are asking the state fully fund the program and stay the cuts.

“I think it could have pretty tremendous impact on both farmers and SNAP clients,” said Kelly Coleman, interim executive director of Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture, a nonprofit group that works to strengthen the local food system in the Pioneer Valley. “We are hearing from farms right now that anywhere from 10 to 50% of their sales are through HIP purchases.”

Farmers sell produce throughout the winter, too, like winter storage vegetables, she said.

“For SNAP clients, this cut will come right before the end-of-year holidays, and so it could have a big impact on their food purchasing in general at the end of the year,” Coleman said. “Overall, the cut from even $40 to $20 is significant enough that it will likely make it a lot more difficult for people to go out of their way to reach HIP vendors.”

Springfield food justice organization Gardening in the Community sells produce it grows in the city at the Walnut Street Farm Store. Many customers there use HIP benefits and rely on that money, said Christopher Gregoire, farm store manager.

“This is huge blow to them,” he said. “You’re harming already the most disadvantaged population in the state.”

To qualify for SNAP, a household of one needs to make $2,510 or less each month before taxes; the cap for a home of two is $3,407. Anyone in the program can use the extra HIP funds to purchase local produce, increasing their access to fresh local food and helping support the local economy.

About 85% of the Walnut Street Farm Store’s business is through SNAP and HIP, Gregoire said. The growing season is winding down for Gardening in the Community, and the farm store will have to re-assess what produce and products it buys from other vendors to stock the store in the winter months.

“That’s small potatoes in comparison to the customers that rely on it,” Gregoire said.

Gregoire hopes the state allocates funds to make up the shortfall.

“You’re telling me there’s no place else you can cut from?” he said. “It’s a really short-sighted and poor decision on the part of the state government.”

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