HDFFA was excited to pilot a program for customers using SNAP benefits at Fill Your Pantry this year. We would call it a huge success, and are excited to expand on it in years to come!
Buying in bulk can be intimidating, so we decided to put together vegetable kits with customers using SNAP benefits in mind. These kits were pre-packed with local storage crops, recipes, and storage tips. Kits could be purchased using SNAP tokens, and cost $40. Thanks to Bend Farmers Market, customers only had to spend $20 to receive a kit, with the Double Up Food Bucks Program.
Thank you so much for putting these together! I always enjoy the Cooking Counts recipes, and am excited to dig in!
-VeggieRx Graduate, Vegetable Kit Customer
While piloting the program, we learned it had more benefits than simply making Fill Your Pantry feel more approachable. One perk of this program is that customers using SNAP benefits could purchase a variety of vegetables right at the front of the event, making the event more accessible for customers with limited mobility. Another perk to this program at Fill Your Pantry is that is ensures some of the popular items that quickly sell out (ie onions) will be available. Unfortunately, pre-orders are unavailable for customers using SNAP benefits, and food sells out quick day-of. These kits ensure that food is set aside for customers that can’t make the event right at the start.
So, how did we organize these Vegetable Kits? We could not have done it without our partners, Boundless Farmstead and Bend Farmers Market. Kits were filled with $40 worth of Boundless Farmstead produce. This program would not have been possible without Bend Farmers Market, who exchanges SNAP currencies and provides Double Up Food Bucks.
To access recipes and storage tips, visit hdffa.org/cookingcounts.
