Healthy Incentive Program Cuts Impact Farmers & Communities

In this moment of uncertainty, farmers, communities, and supporters of the local food system are wondering: how will potential changes to federal funding and policies affect us in the year to come? In Massachusetts, a recent cut to the statewide Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) highlights the complex connections between policy, the local food system, and healthy communities.

The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) launched in 2017 to support SNAP (EBT/Food Stamp) shoppers in purchasing more locally-grown produce. HIP works by reimbursing shoppers when they buy fruits and vegetables from local authorized sellers, including farmers markets, farm stands, and CSAs. Shoppers use their SNAP funds to purchase local food, and the money spent on eligible fresh produce is immediately reimbursed back into their SNAP account (up to a monthly limit). This program benefits SNAP shoppers with additional funds for fresh, nutritious produce, and it benefits Massachusetts growers with additional income for their farms.

While the program can be complex to navigate for shoppers and vendors, usage has grown steadily since its launch. Starting with a budget of just $1.35 million in 2017, increased usage led to a budget of $18.8 million by the 2024 fiscal year. As of September 2024, more than 199,000 households have used HIP, and shoppers can now use their HIP benefits at 600 points of sale statewide.

Berkshire Grown has seen an increase in HIP spending at our own Winter Farmers Markets. Several farmers are authorized HIP vendors, and we process HIP transactions for farmers who aren’t set up to do it themselves. We’ve seen HIP usage increase by over 60% since the 2020-2021 market season. Once shoppers become familiar with the program, they strategize their shopping to make full use of the incentive, stocking up on HIP-eligible fruits and vegetables before tackling the rest of their list. The immediate reimbursement from those HIP purchases gives them more SNAP dollars in their account to spend on meat, bread, dairy, and other products.

Funding the program as it has grown has been challenging, and this year the state budget fell short of fully funding HIP expenses for the 2025 fiscal year, allotting only $15 million out of the $25 million requested. The Department of Transitional Assistance, (DTA), which manages the program, decided to reduce the benefits of all eligible recipients starting this month (December 1, 2024), rather than risk running out of funds partway through next year. Where recipients formerly had a $40, $60, or $80 HIP limit per month depending on household size, currently all recipients receive only $20 a month in HIP benefits. For someone relying on benefits to meet their food needs, the difference between $20 and $40 of local produce a month is significant.

HIP and SNAP are imperfect responses to food and income insecurity. While they offer some respite, they don’t address the root causes of poverty and rising food costs. SNAP does, however, have a meaningful impact for those struggling to afford food, and HIP provides important additional support for both food insecure families and farmers in Massachusetts.

Farmer Elizabeth Keen of Indian Line Farm notes that her HIP sales at farmers markets have grown to nearly 30% of total sales, especially at winter markets. She says that while HIP can be challenging to use – especially during a busy market – the upside is that “clients are incredibly positive about [buying] an abundance of fruits and veggies that they normally wouldn't purchase. It's really encouraging to see parents shopping with their children and to see the little ones get excited about picking things out.” With the cuts leading to reduced HIP spending, her farm will probably have to host more on-farm sales to make up for the income loss. 

Our friends at Berkshire Agricultural Ventures responded to the HIP cuts by launching an emergency fundraising campaign and offering extra HIP coupons to Berkshire area farmers markets. While the decrease down to a monthly $20 limit took effect December 1^st, shoppers at Berkshire Grown’s upcoming Winter Farmers Markets will be able to use a $20 coupon to partially supplement the loss to their HIP benefits.

HIP is a response to the inequality inherent in our economy and our food system, but it also highlights the resiliency and values of local farmers, communities, and organizations. Farmers, markets, and customers have worked together to learn how the program works and how to implement it. HIP shoppers have clearly demonstrated that when they have the support to do so, they are eager to buy locally-grown fruits and vegetables. And organizations have stepped up to promote HIP, educate farmers and shoppers, and advocate for fully funding the program. Local governments across the state, including the Boston City Council, are passing resolutions in support of HIP, sending a message to legislators that our communities believe in the importance of food equity and support fully funding the HIP program.

Much of the advocacy around funding the program has been led by the Campaign for HIP Funding organized by the Massachusetts Food System Collaborative. The campaign is leading the charge to fully fund the program through a supplemental budget as early as possible in 2025, and they have a template for contacting policymakers here.

We urge everyone who values our local food system to add HIP advocacy to their toolbox – as you continue to support local farmers and organizations like Berkshire Grown that work to strengthen the food system, use your voice to let policymakers know that HIP is vital for Massachusetts communities.

Shop the Berkshire Grown Winter Farmers Markets This Weekend!

Find fresh local food and artisan crafts for the holidays

Berkshire Grown's Winter Farmers Markets return this weekend: Saturday 12/21 in Housatonic, a Villageof Great Barrington, at the Housy Dome and Sunday 12/22 in North Adams at Greylock WORKS. At both locations, you'll find local produce, meat, dairy, honey, maple syrup, baked goods, and more. The North Adams location also hosts a mini maker market featuring local artisans. The Winter Farmers Market at Great Barrington continues the third Saturday January through April, 2025. All indoor markets from 10am -2pm and admission is free.

We welcome SNAP and HIP at our markets, and offer a $30 Market Match to SNAP shoppers and a $20 coupon toward HIP purchases. Visit the market manager’s table to make the most of your benefits.

Meet your farmers and local artisans and buy local!

What We're Reading

Living with Climate Change

Excerpts from an article by Elisa Spungen Bildner for Edible Berkshires

Missy Leab of Ioka Valley Farm in Hancock, Massachusetts, told me years ago that we need to revise the farmer’s saying that corn should be knee high by the fourth of July, or that Memorial Day weekend is the time to plant home gardens. For the maple syrup–producing Leabs, who have run their farm together for four generations, “the old-time farming, where you boil on the first of March and you’re done by the first of April—those days are gone,” says Missy. Eleven years after that prescient conversation, climate change increasingly bedevils local farmers’ ability to plan while playing havoc with farm profitability.

Ben Crockett of Berkshire Agricultural Ventures (foreground) listens as Nicholas Pandjiris of Whistle Down Farm in Hudson explains a riparian buffer project, which uses trees to stabilize a riverbank that had been destroyed by flooding. Photo by Patrick Grego.

UNCERTAINTY POSES CHALLENGES

Sara Kelemen, New England soil health specialist at American Farmland Trust who spoke at a conference Crockett organized on “Farming in a Changing Climate,” confirms Leab’s observations. “We’re moving into a time where farmers are going to have to throw out the calendar they used to rely on and make complex management decisions at a rapid pace,” she says. “We’re not going to know that we’re going to have enough water, or too much water, or whether it’s going to be hot for a long time, or how many storms we’re going to get any year. Essentially, we’re asking more from farmers than ever before.”

Read the full article here.

Are Real Christmas Trees Better For the Environment?

By Meaghan Wheeden for One Tree Planted

Yes, real Christmas trees are more eco-friendly and a better choice for the environment. It may feel counter-intuitive, but it's much more sustainable to cut down a real tree each year. That’s because most small-scale Christmas tree farms are inherently sustainable, leaving certain sections open for harvesting every year, while closing others to give younger trees a chance to grow. 

It takes around 7 years to grow an average-sized Christmas tree, and as trees grow, they provide many environmental benefits. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, for every tree that is cut down each year, 1 to 3 new seedlings are planted.

This rotating cycle ensures Christmas tree farms will have a steady harvest of salable trees every year, while also providing habitat for wildlife and protecting the land from development. In fact, many Christmas tree growers utilize steep hillsides that would otherwise be unsuitable for agricultural activities. 

In short: sustainable Christmas tree farms are both the ethical and sustainable choice: they can be great for the environment, wildlife, and for the people who work and live on them, for whom jobs and income are generated.

And of course, unlike fake trees, real trees are completely biodegradable and can be used for lumber, turned into mulch, donated to restoration projects, composted and used to fertilize next year’s crop, fed to goats (check with the farmer to ensure no chemicals were used), and more! 

How to Recycle Your Real Christmas Tree

Once the holiday season is over, there are plenty of options for properly disposing of your Christmas tree:

Participate in a local tree recycling program if there's one in your area.

If you have a wood chipper, chip the tree for free mulch.

Donate it to a local environmental organization, who may repurpose it for restoration projects like reinforcing riparian areas, protecting fragile dunes, sheltering wildlife and more.

Use the needles for crafts like evergreen potpourri, the trunk for natural coasters and more!

Strip the tree bare and use it to build a frame for vine-y garden plants like beans, cucumbers and flowers.

Donate it to a local goat farm (as long as it has not been sprayed with harmful pesticides or other chemicals). Search for "goats eating Christmas trees" videos and you'll see why this is such a fun option.

Secure the tree outside in a spot that's sheltered from wind to provide a winter shelter for small mammals.

Shop Local for Holiday Trees, Greens & Decor

Harvesting the winterberry crop. Image courtesy Windy Hill Farm, Great Barrington

Berkshire farmers work year round to bring you a bit of the Berkshires into your home. Find fresh trees, greens and seasonal decor at these Berkshire Grown Business Business Members:

Berkshire Food Co-op, Great Barrington

Forthill Farm, Pittsfield

Frederick Christmas Tree Farm, Hinsdale

Ioka Valley Farm, Hancock

Seekonk Tree Farm, Great Barrington

Samascott Garden Market, Kinderhook, NY

Taft Farms, Great Barrington

Wards Nursery & Garden Center,Great Barrington

Whitneys Farm Market & Garden Center, Cheshire

Windy Hill Farm, Great Barrington

Visit Berkshire Grown's Food and Farm Map for local specialty produced and hand built gifts-something for everyone-from ciders and cheese to wool sweaters and socks!

Farmers are the heart of Berkshire Grown

DONATE TODAY!

Shop at Berkshire Farmers Markets

You can still shop for local produce for the holidays and during winter!

The map and farmers market listings at

Berkshire Farmers Markets can help you:

• Find your nearest farmers market
• View market locations, times, seasonal schedule, and contact information
• Learn which markets accept SNAP, HIP, and other benefits, and where you can find Market Match programs that boost your benefits

Learn more about food benefits and food access here.

Your support Keeps Farmers Farming and helps build a thriving, equitable, and resilient local food system. Thank you for your investment in local farms!

www.berkshiregrown.org