Bluegrass Farm to Table has been awarded a $47,250 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to get more healthy fruits and vegetables into the hands of low-income residents.
Through the Bluegrass Double Dollars program, participants in the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) who make a qualifying purchase of $10 or more will get an additional token or voucher valued at up to $10 per transaction. The voucher can then be used toward the purchase of fresh, frozen or canned local fruits and vegetables, local herbs or local fruit and vegetable garden transplants through program partners, including the Lexington Farmers’ Market, Good Foods Co-op and Lexington Market East End.
“The goal of the Bluegrass Double Dollars program is to improve the affordability and accessibility of local fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers,” said Ashton Potter Wright, local food coordinator for Bluegrass Farm to Table, an agency established by Lexington’s office of economic development in 2014 to improve collaboration among stakeholders at all levels of the local food system. “SNAP participants will have access to affordable local produce, and local family farms will benefit from increased sales.”
The Bluegrass Double Dollars pilot program is scheduled to run from June through November. It was among 31 projects nationwide selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to receive funding through the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive Grant Program.
The Blue Grass Community Foundation, which helped Bluegrass Farm to Table to secure the competitive grant, will serve as the fiscal agent and planning partner for implementation and evaluation.
Andrea James, consultant for the Lexington East End Equity Partnership at the Blue Grass Community Foundation, will serve as program manager in partnership with Wright.