On April 1, the Senate unanimously passed An Act Fostering Agricultural Resilience in Massachusetts! Many thanks to Senator Comerford for championing this bill for the past several sessions, you can listen to her speech on the floor here. Additional speeches in support were made by Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues and Senate Committee on Agriculture and [...]
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The Collaborative had a busy year. We continued to convene our four networks and the Campaign for HIP funding and Campaign for Food Literacy. We organized three successful lobby days and successfully advocated for more than $26M for our budget priorities. The Collaborative also created an internship program, worked with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to discuss how to implement food literacy in all schools in Massachusetts, and established regular meetings between the Commissioner of MDAR and our Agriculture Equity Network.
HIP media coverage
News coverage about the Healthy Incentives Program:
- City of Boston news: The Healthy Incentives Program
- Our Opinion: For the benefit of the food-insecure and farmers alike, Legislature should fully restore the Healthy Incentives Program
- Organizations raise their concerns over upcoming cuts in fresh produce SNAP benefits
- ‘Heartbreaking’ cuts soon take effect for fresh produce program for low-income families
- Massachusetts farmers bracing for revenue losses due to cuts in fresh produce SNAP benefits
- MA farmers, families brace for cuts to fresh produce benefits
- Budget cuts to fresh produce program by the state legislature means emptier bellies for some Berkshire residents and farmers
- Farmers, families urge state lawmakers to restore food-access benefits
- Letter: Massachusetts should restore HIP funding
- NEPM: Local Hero Spotlight
- Valley Bounty: Benefit cuts threaten farm’s livelihood
- Philip Korman: HIP funding must be restored
- Minuscule cuts take big bite out of successful food program
- Public must join fight to save Mass. food program
- ‘It’s devastating’: Cuts to Mass. local produce program worry farmers, low-income residents
- My Turn: Stop the cuts to HIP and keep our communities fed
- Beacon Hill budgeting harms food assistance recipients
- Mass. farmers sound alarm about upcoming cuts to a fresh-produce SNAP benefit
- Cuts to food subsidies will hit low-income families
- Cuts to Mass. healthy-food program for low-income residents frustrate families, farmers
- Amid $10M gap, Healthy Incentives Program payouts to be reduced in December
- Cuts ahead for program that helps low-income Massachusetts residents eat healthy local veggies
- ‘A huge blow’: Funds for low-income residents to buy local produce will be cut significantly
- Food & Farm: A ‘HIP’ way to bolster food security
- Our View: Benefiting from the fruits of local labor
- Funding for Healthy Incentives Program restored
- Farm food benefits program revived
- State House backs $2M more for HIP program
- Local farm advocates for funding state Health Incentive Program
- Our view: Healthy food program needs more funding
- State suspending farm food benefits program
- Healthy Incentives Program worth year-round investment
- We must fund the Healthy Incentives Program
- State suspends HIP from Feb. 23 to May 15
- Healthy families and sustainable farms for every season
- Column: Healthy answer to food access depends on state funding
- My Turn: Local action can have an impact on food, farms and hunger
- Healthy Incentives Program extended through February
- Healthy Incentives Program will continue through February
- Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) to run on seasonal schedule for farmers market shoppers
- HIP to shut off benefits before Thanksgiving
- Speaker DeLeo Visits Revere Farmers Market to Celebrate Healthy Incentives Program
- No lapse in win-win app for farmers, low income families
- Our View: Solution needed to continue low-income program for farmers’ markets
- Low-Income Access To Fresh Produce In Massachusetts Snarled In Tech Problem
- Healthy Incentives Program restored in state budget
- Fresh-food program’s success cannot be its downfall
- Healthy incentives program went over its budget
- Our View: Healthy Incentives Program a success in multiple ways
- Funding for Healthy Incentives Program dries up
- Legislators seek more funds for Healthy Incentives Program
- State lawmakers vow to revive Healthy Incentives Program
- Hunger, health and local farmers
- Local pols hope to continue Healthy Incentives Program
- HIP replacement well worth the money
- HIP, a win-win for supporting local agriculture, deserves our support
- The Healthy Incentives Program is so popular, its future is now in doubt
- Hunger, health and local farmers
- Program matching SNAP dollars at farmer’s markets out of money this spring
- Future of Healthy Incentives Program uncertain
- Editorial: Healthy Incentives Program is far too important to let fail
- Of the Earth: A shot to the HIP
- Slashes may come to SNAP, HIP looking at suspension
- Rewards program encourages SNAP recipients to make healthy choices
- State should fund fresh-veggies budget
- State’s produce program for SNAP participants in jeopardy
- State program offering farm fresh food to SNAP recipients in jeopardy
- Fresh Food Program’s Success In Mass. Contributes To Its Demise
- More than $2.5 Million in HIP Incentives Earned
- Of the Earth: Hip takes on a whole new meaning
- Farmers’ markets hoping for busy winter season
- Improving health in Lynn, one farmer’s market at a time
- The HIP program: Making healthy eating affordable
- Lawmakers looking to increase access to healthy food for families on SNAP
- Lawrence farmers market expands as demand surges: New state subsidies of up to $80 a month triple sales
- Coastal Foodshed, Healthy Incentives Program work to provide more food access
- Farmers, families in need reap benefits from produce program
- Healthy Incentives Program: Off to a great start
- State and Local Officials Celebrate Start of Winter Farmers’ Market Season
- Better Access to Healthy, Local Foods for Thousands in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts commits $1.35 million to SNAP for farm food purchases
- SNAP credit will help the needy enjoy a farm-fresh diet
- In New Mass. SNAP Program, Local Fruit And Veggies Come With A Refund
Background information on the Healthy Incentives Program:
- Program infographic (image file, for social media links)
- Background on HIP
- Logic model of the benefits of HIP
- List of HIP eligible food
- FINI Trust: Additional Partner Matching Funds
- Food access and health in Massachusetts (image file, for social media links)
- Information from Farmers Market Coalition about food access
- Growth of Ethnic Groups and Food Stamps in Urban Areas of Massachusetts
The Healthy Incentives Program is an expansion of a very successful pilot program run in Hampden County in 2011-12.
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