Farmstand owners and managers across Franklin County say the recent restoration of funding for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) will allow more people to incorporate healthy, locally grown produce into their diets.
Citing funding constraints, state officials had reduced the program’s benefits in December 2024 to $20 per month per household, regardless of household size. HIP is a program that puts money back on EBT cards when people use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to buy healthy, local produce from HIP vendors.
At the time, the Department of Transitional Assistance, which administers SNAP and HIP, made the reductions to ensure the program would be able to operate through the end of the fiscal year with the funding it had available. The previous benefit model prior to the reduction saw households of one to two people receiving up to $40, households of three to five people getting up to $60 and houses of six or more people getting up to $80 per month.
State legislators passed $7.5 million in the state’s supplemental budget to restore the program to its former benefit tiers, and the change took effect Aug. 29.
“It’s an added $40, $60, $80 a month to buy produce for your family,” said Kim Stevens, an owner and manager at Hager’s Farm Market in Shelburne. “It makes a difference for a lot of people.”
Kelly Hickey, owner and general manager of the Atlas Farm Store in South Deerfield, said the reduced benefits were hard for a lot of families who depend on HIP and SNAP. The store had experienced a drop in customers using the programs, but she hopes that with the benefits restored, these customers will return.
“We had a lot of customers who weren’t able to come in when funding was cut. We did see a huge drop in SNAP sales,” Hickey said. “We’re starting to see that come up, but it takes time to rebuild trust in the system.”
In Orange, Tracey Alden with the Quabbin Harvest Food Co-op said the co-op saw about half of its sign-ups for CSAs (community-supported agriculture farm shares) drop during the period when benefits were cut. People are beginning to trickle back.
“We’re definitely seeing an uptick in the number of people buying shares. A $40 benefit equals two shares, which allows them to get fresh produce every other week,” Alden said.
Claire Morenon, communications manager for the South Deerfield-based Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), said HIP has been a “pride of Massachusetts” for years, and the benefit cuts earlier this year created hardship for lower-income households who rely on the program. She said farmstand customers have told CISA that without HIP funding to guarantee they can afford their produce, many skipped their usual trips to the farmers market altogether, even when they would rather shop local.
“For many, that reduction was essentially down to zero,” Morenon said. “It’s not effortless for low-income people who may be working multiple jobs or don’t have reliable transportation to get to these markets. … A program like HIP makes it possible for farmers to reach lower-income populations.”
“People want to buy local, and HIP really helps bridge the gap between what they want and what they can buy,” added Hickey.
Stevens added that not only does the program help people incorporate fresh, local produce into their diets, but it also supports local businesses and provides an option for people to shop at local farmstands and markets rather than at big chain grocery stores.
“It means a lot for us. Particularly in the winter months, it allows us to sell more produce than we would have been able to otherwise,” Stevens said.
“It’s good for us and good for the community,” Alden said. “It sustains our local economy. … Farmers are the lifeblood of our community.”
“It basically means there is more money in the economy for people to buy produce from local farmstands and markets. … It’s really a win-win program,” Morenon added. “It’s a huge relief to have this back.”
According to Department of Transitional Assistance data, residents of Franklin County (9% of households) use HIP benefits more than any other county. The DTA’s June report noted that HIP usage had dropped by more than half, and the monthly report for July said the department was serving 11,914 clients in Franklin County.
In a statement, the Department of Transitional Assistance noted more than half of HIP users are more than 60 years old, one-third identify as having a disability and one-quarter of participating households include children.
“Investing in nutrition is one of the smartest public health strategies we have. Programs like HIP that increase access to fresh, healthy foods lead to better health outcomes and lower health care costs for Massachusetts families,” Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Kiame Mahaniah said in a statement. “HIP provides nutritious local produce that can be a key factor in improving social determinants of health. When we invest in nutrition programs that connect families with locally grown fruits and vegetables, we’re not just addressing hunger, we’re preventing chronic disease and promoting long-term wellness.”
Hickey said the HIP funding “was never enough to cover all the need.” Still, state legislators restoring the benefits to what they once were will help, particularly in the face of federal cuts to SNAP benefits.
“We put a lot of work into letting our legislators know what this program means and I’m grateful they listened, and grateful for everyone who advocated for it,” Hickey said. “It’s a lot of work done by a lot of people.”
Morenon said CISA has more information about HIP on its website and maintains a Facebook page where people can find updates about the program.