Fresh produce at International Food Zone on Belmont Avenue in Springfield, Ma. The store accepts SNAP benefits but not the HIP incentive which gives people $20 a month for fresh fruits and vegetables from a participating farmer’s market, a reduction from the $40-$80 people could receive last year.
Some western Mass farms say new cuts in the state program that helps low-income people buy fresh produce is creating a financial crisis.
Before the cuts, families with SNAP food benefits would get between $40 and $80 per month for fresh produce. but now, the limit for the Healthy Incentives Program – or HIP – is $20 a month for everyone…