Field & Fork Network has announced the largest single expansion to date of its statewide nutrition incentive program, Double Up Food Bucks NY (DUFBNY), to multiple Northeast stores.
In partnership with Northeast Grocery Inc., the parent company of grocery retailers Market 32, Price Chopper, and Tops Friendly Markets, DUFBNY is now accepted at 48 additional stores across the three chains spanning 34 counties, 16 of which were previously unserved by the program.
DUFBNY provides Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) shoppers with a free and automatic dollar-for-dollar match, up to $20 a day, on fresh produce purchases at grocery stores. The store selection process prioritized high-need rural and micropolitan areas, predominantly in the Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier and Lower Adirondack regions, where access to SNAP-accepting food retailers that stock fresh, affordable produce is often limited.
Across the 16 newly added counties offering DUFBNY for the first time, about 62,000 households and 107,000 people who use SNAP now have the opportunity to afford twice as many fresh fruits and vegetables.
“Our partnership with Northeast Grocery is a powerful example of how public-private collaboration can transform statewide policy goals into local solutions that reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition access in rural New York,” said Lisa French, CEO of Field & Fork Network.
“An expansion this large is the kind of outcome our elected officials envision when they fight to increase funding for Double Up Food Bucks NY and truly reflects what’s possible when mission, advocacy and scale come together.”
With the food insecurity rate among adults in New York State at 24.9 percent, Northeast Grocery Inc. designed the delivery of DUFBNY at participating stores to be simple and accessible. SNAP shoppers receive the match automatically at checkout through a printed coupon, with no extra steps or sign-up required. To support seamless expansion, the company continuously invests in the technology and infrastructure needed to integrate DUFBNY across its retail network.
Since joining the DUFBNY program in 2023 with just two locations in two counties, Northeast Grocery accepts DUFBNY at 77 Market 32, Price Chopper and Tops Friendly Markets stores in 39 counties.
“Everyone deserves access to fresh, healthy food regardless of where they live,” said John Persons, CEO of Northeast Grocery.
“This expansion is about making fresh produce attainable, affordable and part of everyday life for every shopper. By working with Field & Fork Network to expand the availability of Double Up Food Bucks NY, we’re investing in the long-term well-being of the communities we serve and delivering on our core commitment to help people feed and care for themselves and their families.”
This single expansion more than doubles the number of Northeast Grocery stores that accept DUFBNY, which is expected to drive even greater economic activity by increasing revenue for local growers and strengthening regional food systems.
Field & Fork Network and Northeast Grocery have launched a targeted awareness campaign to ensure SNAP shoppers in the new counties know DUFBNY is available, understand how it works and feel confident using it. The effort includes outreach through community partners and ambassadors, digital and social media, in-store signage and public relations efforts continuing through the summer.
[RELATED: Northeast Grocery Taps Grocery TV To Elevate In-Store Experience]