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Chris Kurth farms fifty acres in Sudbury, sells direct to consumers at farmers’ markets in greater Boston, and participates in the Healthy Incentives Program. When asked about his experience with the program, he credits it as the “single, best change that has happened to Siena Farms, in the last half-decade. My farm business is only […]

Phuong enjoys shopping at the farmers markets with her aunt, Lai. Phuong shops for her family of five, including her husband and three children, ages thirteen, eleven, and nine. She does most of the household cooking and is conscious of managing her family’s food budget. She notes the quality and price of local produce as […]

Since the introduction of the Healthy Incentives Program, Nadine has dramatically improved her health and transformed her life. A diabetic, Nadine has lost over 100 pounds in the last three years, and gives full credit to the increased availability of freshly grown produce she receives from the Mill City Grows Mobile Market, which participates in […]

Suad and Haydar are farmers market regulars who usually shop as a mother and son team. Haydar shops for his family, including his wife and three children, ages eight, seven, and six months. Suad lives with her other son, his wife, and their three children, ages five, three, and one. With six children in the […]

News coverage about the Healthy Incentives Program: 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 […]

AARP Massachusetts, statewide Alchemy Initiative, Pittsfield All Farmers, Springfield Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs, Boston Allston Brighton Health Collaborative, Boston American Academy of Pediatrics, MA Chapter, Waltham American Farmland Trust, Northampton American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, Waltham Amherst Food Co-op, Amherst Amherst Survival Center, North Amherst Arlington EATS, Arlington Arlington Food Pantry, Arlington Arlington Regional […]

About Fresh, Boston All Farmers, Springfield Amherst Winter Farmers’ Market, Hadley Apponagansett Farm, Dartmouth Arrowhead Farm, Newburyport Ashfield Farmers market, Ashfield Ashmont Farmers Market, Dorchester Back Azimuth Farm, Middleborough Barrett’s Mill Farm, Concord Berberian Farm, Northborough Belchertown Farmers Market, Belchertown Bowdoin Geneva Farmers Market, Dorchester Braintree Farmers Market, Braintree Bree-Z-Knoll Farm, Leyden Breezy Gardens, Leicester […]

August 2024: Please collect and share stories about how HIP has worked for farmers that participate in the program and households that receive SNAP! The Campaign will share these stories with lawmakers to support our advocacy. You can see examples of stories we’ve collected in the past here. Pl;ease reach out to Rebecca Miller with […]

In 2018 agricultural networks identified climate change as one of the most critical factors impacting the long term viability of farmers and fishermen as well as the security of the Commonwealth’s food supply. We came to understand that efforts to respond to climate change operated mostly in isolation and as a result, no systemic, multi-sector […]

Decades of farmland conversion has resulted in a patchwork of noncontiguous farmland and former farmland parcels that are less than five acres in size. Over this time farming in Massachusetts has changed dramatically, underscoring significant shifts in farming technology and know-how, in opportunities for and interest in direct-to-consumer sales, and in our food system overall. […]