Press Release Baker-Polito Administration Awards Food Security Grants to Local Farms

Boston — Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced that 65 farmers and farmers’ markets were awarded over $95,000 in equipment grants to expand local food access points for residents with low incomes across the Commonwealth. This third round of awards provided equipment at no cost to direct-marketing farms and farmers’ markets to facilitate the acceptance of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits at mobile markets.

“This grant program reflects the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to connect Massachusetts households with healthy and culturally accessible food in support of a strong local food system,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. “We continue to promote food security across the Commonwealth, building on the success of the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program and the addition of over 100 new Healthy Incentives Program vendors.”

The grant program was offered through the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and with financial support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“DTA continues to work with our agricultural partners to expand equitable SNAP access points, enabling the over 600,000 households who receive SNAP to buy local food in the communities where they live. This grant program also brings critical economic support into our state’s food system, supporting Massachusetts farmers and their employees,” said Department of Transitional Assistance Acting Commissioner Mary Sheehan.

“We were pleased to work with DTA which enabled additional Massachusetts farms and farmers’ markets the ability to process SNAP benefits,” said John Lebeaux, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. “Local farms and farmers’ markets having the ability to accept SNAP payments brings new customers to our local farm businesses and increases access to fresh, local foods for Massachusetts residents.”

In total, this grant provided SNAP-processing equipment and services valued at over $160,000 to 110 farms and farmers’ markets. Learn about the first and second previous rounds of funding.

The application round was open April 20, 2022 through September 30, 2022. Farms and farmers’ market used this funding to receive new or updated SNAP processing equipment from Novo Dia Group at no cost, facilitating the acceptance of SNAP at mobile locations across 57 communities. 

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