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
Pruning & Fruit Tree Health 101 (Flushing, NY)
January 25, 2026
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Flushing, NY
Join us at Ridgewood Community Garden for a free, hands-on workshop with CCE Harvest NY Urban Garden Specialist Karen Guzman. Participants will learn about basic tree maintenance and pruning techniques. Proper winter care helps trees conserve energy, prevent damage from cold weather, and prepare for growth in the spring. Whole Farm Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Planning (CAMP) Series
January 27 - February 17, 2026
Jan 27, Feb 3, Feb 10, Feb 17 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Please join Ulster County CCE and CCE Harvest New York for a free four-part webinar and workshop series focused on building climate resilience on your farm. We will cover climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, learn how to access locally relevant historical climate data, and begin a climate adaptation plan or disaster preparedness plan for your farm.By the end of the series, participants will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to identify vulnerabilities in their operations, determine which strategies best address the issue, and secure funding to support project implementation.
Tuesday, January 27, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
The Urban Farmer-to-Farmer Summit (TUFFS) 2026
February 4, 2026
2:30 pm - 5:00 pm
New York, NY
Join us for the 6th annual TUFFS! Every winter since 2021, the NYC urban farm community comes together for an afternoon of conversations and show-and-tell, an opportunity to see what other urban farmers have been working on, to ask questions, and to share what went well for you this year (and what didn't). It's also the biggest NYC CRAFT event of the year, a veritable who's-who of the city's urban farm scene, and a great place to connect with the only other people who really understand what it's like to farm in New York City.This year's TUFFS is at Pace University, including a tour of the campus' farm project.