What is the Double Up Food Bucks Program in WNY
Cheryl Bilinski, Local Food Systems Specialist, Farm to School Lead
Harvest New York
June 19, 2014
In partnership with lead agency, Field and Fork Network, Harvest NY has forged a national partnership with Fair Food Network to pilot their highly successful program, Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB), in Western NY farmers markets. Using philanthropic funds and existing infrastructure -- farmers markets and EBT - the mechanism SNAP recipients use to receive their benefits -- DUFB matches SNAP purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets up to $20 per visit, to be used on fresh fruit and vegetables grown in NYS. Double Up Food Bucks operates for 16-18 weeks during the peak harvest season, June - October.
The program aims to meet 3 goals:
1) Improve access to and affordability of fresh fruits and vegetables for low-income families
2) Grow the local economy by supporting purchases from local farmers
3) Inform public policy so that incentives for purchasing healthy foods are built in as part of government-funded nutrition benefits.
This program began in Michigan and was hugely successful. For more information about the history of the program and its movement in Western New York, visit the Field & Fork Network website.
This program has been made possible through the generous support of the John R. Oishei Foundation, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, the First Niagara Foundation and Univera Healthcare.
Upcoming Events
Rochester Soil Health Day
September 1, 2026
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Rochester, NY
Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Harvest NY, New York State Soil Health, and Foodlink for interactive activities focused on soil health and an opportunity to get your garden soil screened for lead (reservation required).IPM Field Day for Urban Growers
September 10, 2026
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Buffalo, NY
Join us for a hands-on field day exploring integrated pest management and season extension tools for urban growing spaces and the opportunity to build community with local growers!This event will focus on best practices for using row covers and rat mitigation. Check out our CCE demonstration trial using insect exclusion netting to manage swede midge, an invasive fly that causes damage to brassica crops. Explore how to identify rat activity, reduce attractants, and strengthen site management. Hear from local growers on how they manage pests with a focus on organic management and how they extend the season on their farms and gardens.
Resilient Gardens Conference
September 18 - September 19, 2026
Fri: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm; Sat: 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Poughkeepsie, NY
The third Resilient Gardens Conference will focus on culturally relevant gardening skills and community garden management for the unique resource needs of urban gardeners. This two-day event will feature education and practical skills on day one; we'll hear from leaders of diverse stakeholder groups on strategies to overcome these issues in cities and rural communities and connecting resources between Cornell Cooperative Extension and leading community gardens. The second day is optional and will include tours of local gardening projects across Poughkeepsie and Kingston NY. This event is primarily open to Seed to Supper Garden Educators, CCE Educators, Master Gardener Volunteers and Upstate Seed to Supper Program Participants, as well as partner Community Gardens involved with Harvest NY.