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Date: 12/15/2022
WILBRAHAM – Farms and farmers markets offer fresh fruits and vegetables to local communities, but for people on the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), farm-fresh food is often not eligible to be paid for with benefits. To address this, the Baker-Polito administration awarded equipment grants to 65 farmers and farmers markets totaling over $95,000. The funding helps the recipients process SNAP cards.
The grants announced on Dec. 5 were the third round of funding for this program. Overall, more than $160,000 has been awarded to 110 farms and farmers markets across the state.
Agric Organics of Wilbraham received one of these grants. While Agric Organics was able to process SNAP cards last year, the grant from the state will allow the farm to greatly increase the amount of business they can process.
Hameed Bello, who owns Wilbraham-based Agric Organics with his wife, said the ability to sell to SNAP customers is “a key aspect of our business,” Bello said. “It gives the farmers access to a wider range of customers. It alleviates a barrier for small farmers.” At the same time, Bello said it gives area resident, “better access to vegetables.”
He explained, “I think farms are a vital part of the food ecosystem. When we all congregate at the farmers market, we have equal access to the same quality of produce.”
Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders stated in a press release, “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.”
Agric Organics also participates in the Healthy Incentives Program, which reimburses eligible SNAP customers for the vegetables purchased at farms and farmers markets, Bello explained.
Agric Organics is a vendor at several farmers markets in the area, including The Farmers Market at Forest Park, Springfield Downtown Farmers Market and Holyoke Famers Market, as well as two markets through the Food as Medicine Program – the Baystate Mason Square Open Air Market and Baystate High Street Open Air Market.
For more information about Agric Organics, visit https://www.agricorganics.com.