submitted newsBOSTON — Free mobile SNAP processing equipment from Novo Dia Group is now available to direct-marketing farms and farmers’ markets through the Department of Transitional Assistance, in collaboration with the Department of Agricultural Resources, and with financial support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Eligibility is limited to SNAP-authorized farms and markets that do not currently have working equipment received through previous federal grants. Equipment will not process credit/debit. These additional SNAP access points will increase the availability of fresh, healthy food and drive federal dollars into the state’s economy.
Editor’s Note: The following article is derived from officially released information, published with few or no editorial changes. The Greylock Glass occasionally provides our readers with such content if the information is factual in nature, and requires little to no interpretation or analysis, often when original reportage would provide little to no additional relevant information.
For complete program details and a link to the application, go here.
- Are you looking for SNAP processing equipment but not eligible for this program? Learn about other options, here.
- Do you need help with the USDA SNAP Retailer Application? MarketLink (funded by USDA) can assist you. Book a time here: https://marketlink.youcanbook.me/ . Choose SNAP Application Assistance and then Debbie Crosby as the staff choice. If you prefer to fill out the application on your own, you can find a link here: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/snap-and-hip-at-farmers-markets-and-farms. You will need to receive your FNS number before the application deadline of 9/24/2021.
The grant application period opens August 12, 2021 and farmers and farmers’ markets can apply through September 24, 2021.
“The Baker-Polito Administration has been addressing increased food insecurity across the Commonwealth resulting from economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. “This SNAP equipment grant program is one of several tools the Administration has employed, alongside the $36 million Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program and the addition of 39 new Healthy Incentives Program vendors, to increase access to local food for residents facing food insecurity in the communities where they live.”
SNAP processing equipment available through collaboration
The grant program is offered through the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and with financial support from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Leveraging SNAP to purchase local products is a vital tool in our work to address equitable access to healthy food across the state. In addition to increasing access to fresh, locally-grown food for SNAP clients, this grant program also brings critical economic support to our local farms and communities,” said Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Amy Kershaw.
“We are pleased to support this grant initiative, which will provide additional farmers and farmers’ markets the ability to process SNAP payments from their customers,” says Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner John Lebeaux. “We thank DTA and USDA for their support of farmers here in the Commonwealth.”
This grant program builds on the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to address food insecurity and strengthen the Commonwealth’s food system now and into the future:
- Investing $5 million in the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) to bring on 39 new retailers and launch DTA Finder
- Establishing a $36 million Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, with $15 million in additional funds included in the FY22 Capital Plan
- Providing Emergency SNAP Benefits and increasing SNAP benefit amounts by 15% to support over 550,000 households, bringing $84 million of federal funds into the state each month
- Launching the SNAP Online Purchasing Program to allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits to buy groceries online from participating retailers, with over $88 million in transactions to date
DTA assists and empowers low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, improve their quality of life, and achieve long term economic self-sufficiency. DTA serves one in eight residents of the Commonwealth with direct economic assistance and food assistance, as well as workforce training opportunities.
This project has been funded at least in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
