Chinese American shoppers buy bok choy from Siena Farms’ stand at Copley Square. Additional SNAP benefits for fresh produce will be unavailable Feb. 23, as state funding is unavailable until May 15. (Image courtesy of Anna Tse.)
Chris Kurth has run Siena Farms for the last 20 years. The farm grows organic vegetables on about 45 acres of land, selling them at three farmers market locations in Boston. Kurth grows vegetables for Asian customers, such as daikon radish and bok choy. He hired bilingual staff three years ago when Massachusetts’ Health Incentive Program (HIP) began, which rewards recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps) with extra benefits if they purchase produce at farmers markets. Now Kurth welcomes hundreds of HIP customers every day.
“When the HIP program started, it brought a whole new customer base to the market. A lot of Chinese Americans, Russian Americans and other immigrant communities. It’s a wonderful thing for the farm. It’s really the focus of our growth right now,” Kurth said.
The HIP program provides SNAP recipients a 100 percent incentive for each SNAP dollar spent on targeted fruits and vegetables purchased at farmers markets, farm stands, mobile markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs nationwide. The program aims to benefit family and community health by increasing access to fresh produce, and support farms and the local economy. SNAP recipients will receive $1 for each dollar spent on eligible fruits and vegetables. A six-person household can receive up to $80 a month.
Unfortunately, due to the popularity of the program, funding runs out every year. HIP campaign manager Becca Miller at MA Food System Collaborative believes it will take about $10.5 million to run the program year-round, instead of the $6.5 million the state issues right now. This year, the program will be suspended from Feb. 23 to May 15 due to funding shortfalls.
“The department didn’t really give notice to farmers and shoppers. It’s making it hard for them to plan what they’re going to sell at the markets and also for shoppers [as in] how can they budget without further funding,” Miller said.
Catherine Yu has used her family’s SNAP benefits for fresh produce from Siena Farms’ Boston Public Market location for the past two years. She was disappointed to hear the program would be suspended. Yu had to shop elsewhere since she could not use SNAP for produce anymore.
Kurth added it was scary to see the program suspended again, because the program made up to 90 percent of the farm’s daily sales during winter and spring.
“Going without that income for a few months really impacts how we’re going to plant our fields and buy seeds,” Kurth said. “Maybe we need to borrow more money and we might not be able to buy new equipment.”
MA Food System Collaborative director Winton Pitcoff said SNAP recipients can still enjoy their full month’s benefit in February and May, before and after the suspension.
