Belfast Coop has launched an incentive program that will help low-income shoppers purchase more local food with federal food benefits. With support from Maine Farmland Trust, customers using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, previously known as food stamps) receive $5 of bonus local fruits and vegetables for every $10 spent on local SNAP-eligible items.

Fruit and vegetable shares are half-price for customers paying with SNAP benefits thanks to support from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation’s Healthy Food Fund and MFT’s federal Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant. In an effort to make participation more inclusive, MFT Food Access Project Coordinators have organized drop-sites at affordable housing communities and other locations that are especially accessible to low-income Mainers.

Belfast Coop is part of a group of six markets implementing the same incentive program; there are also additional retail locations offering incentives across the state with Maine Farmland Trust.

Similar incentive programs, called Maine Harvest Bucks in Maine, that provide bonus fruits and vegetables for SNAP customers have proven successful and continue to expand at farmers’ markets in Maine, according to a news release from the Coop. The incentives have also been extended to Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), mobile markets, and farm stands.

Last year, Maine Farmland Trust received a FINI grant through the United States Department of Agriculture to broaden nutrition incentives beyond direct-to-consumer outlets and into retail stores and other farm aggregators. This is one of the only retail-based incentive programs across the nation focusing exclusively on local products. 

“We’re trying to find new ways to bridge the gap between Maine farmers and consumers,” said Shannon Grimes, who manages the program at Maine Farmland Trust, in the news release. “Retail locations like co-ops are often more familiar to customers who are used to shopping at grocery stores, and by offering local-based incentives, we can increase sales and market opportunities for Maine farms.”

Michel Nischan, CEO and founder of Wholesome Wave, a national nonprofit working to increase affordable access to healthy food, said: "Wholesome Wave is proud to continue our long-standing partnership with Maine Farmland Trust and support this unique, exciting effort. Nutrition incentive programs at farmers markets already reach thousands of low-income Mainers. Making nutrition incentives available at grocery stores will scale impact to hundreds of more families. By making local produce more affordable, this program improves the diets and health of families who need it most, while boosting the bottom line for Maine's small and mid-sized farms. It's an all-around win for the community."

This new program was piloted successfully in March at the Belfast Co-op, whose staff has been essential in helping expand the program to other similar markets.

"Being a Cooperative, we are guided by the Seven Cooperative Principles. During this project, we were able to embrace three of those values: Concern for Community, Education, Training and Information, and, Cooperation Among Cooperatives. Fighting food insecurity and promoting local farmers is ingrained in our community focus. Helping this project reach throughout Maine was very meaningful for us and beautifully illustrates how a combined effort can have a huge impact,” said POS Coordinator, Heather Q Hay Brackett, who took the lead of the implementation and successful launch of the pilot Harvest Bucks program for the Belfast Co-op.  

Participating retail locations offering the same incentive program currently include Belfast Co-op, Blue Hill Co-op, Good Tern Co-op, Portland Food Co-op, Rising Tide Community Market, and the Farm Stand in South Portland. Other farm aggregators include Lakeside Family Farm, Machias Marketplace, the Morris Farm Store, The Pickup, and Unity Food Hub.

For more information, visit maineharvestbucks.org/retail or contact Shannon Grimes, Farm Viability Associate at Maine Farmland Trust, shannon@mainefarmlandtrust.org.

Maine Harvest Bucks nutrition incentives (bonus fruits and vegetables for SNAP recipients) are also available at many farmers’ markets, CSAs, food hubs, and farm stands throughout the state. For more information, visit maineharvestbucks.org.

Maine Farmland Trust is a member-powered statewide nonprofit that protects farmland, supports farmers, and advances the future of farming. Since its founding in 1999, MFT has protected over 47,000 acres of farmland and supported over 550 farm families. Visit mainefarmlandtrust.org to learn more.