Healthy Food Incentives

Double up food bucks colorado  |  Colorado Nutrition incentive program

Double Up Food Bucks Colorado

Double Up Food Bucks is an innovative food incentive program designed to help low-income families access fresh fruits and veggies for free while supporting local farmers and economics. 

Program Goals Include:

  • Direct significant federal SNAP dollars into resilient, regional food systems
  • Document the need and demand for increased SNAP benefits
  • Ensure families have access to fresh fruits and vegetables so they don’t have to choose between healthy and hungry
  • Support the vitality of small and medium size ranches and farms by expanding their consumer base
  • Support the viability of local farmers’ markets and grocers

How it Works

Double Up is a grant funded “add-on” program to SNAP--the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Through Double Up, SNAP recipients earn credits for their SNAP food purchases. These credits are eligible for purchasing Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables. For every SNAP dollar spent, the purchaser earns a $1 credit to put towards buying local produce, up to $20/day. This free incentive is helping Colorado families put healthy, nutritious food on their tables without causing financial strain.

Why it Works

Double Up Food Bucks Colorado works because everyone wins. Low-income families can afford to purchase nutritious, locally grown produce while reaping the benefits of a healthier diet. Local farmers gain a new source of revenue by capturing a previously untapped market. Local economies benefit from local dollars being spent on locally grown fruits and vegetables.

Get Involved with Double Up Food Bucks

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SNAP Participants

Find a participating Double Up location near you and start taking advantage of free credits for the purchase of locally grown fruits and vegetables.

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Market Vendors

Become a participating Double Up location and support a healthier Colorado.

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Community Partners

Help spread the word about the Double Up Program.

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Donate

Help sustain the Double Up program by making a contribution.

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Colorado Nutrition Incentive Program

The Colorado Nutrition Incentive Program began in 2019 and increases access to and consumption of Colorado grown fresh produce by women, children, and older adults experiencing economic insecurity. The program is a collaboration between Nourish Colorado, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), local public health agencies, and Area Agencies on Aging throughout the state.

Program Goals Include:

  • Integrate partnerships with local agriculture into federal food assistance programs.

  • Increase access to and consumption of Colorado-grown produce among food insecure Coloradans with a focus on women, children and older adults.

  • Support local farmers and growers by opening up new and untapped local markets and buyers.

How it Works

Local agencies apply for funds to purchase CSA shares from local growers. These shares are used to provide families in need with a weekly supply of produce. Pilot CNIP recipients included beneficiaries under the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program.

Why it Works

The Colorado Nutrition Incentive Program brings benefits to multiple stakeholders in our food system. Households experiencing food insecurity have greater access to fresh, immune-boosting produce. Local farmers gain a new source of revenue and have access to new customers and partners. Local economies benefit from dollars being spent on locally grown fruits and vegetables.

2020 Program Results

Read the full report here

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91% of WIC participants reported an increase in food security from the produce boxes while 84% reported a moderate or high increase in produce consumption in the household.

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81% of older adult participants reported an increase in food security while 56% reported a moderate to a significant increase in daily produce consumption.

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growers

41 small and mid-size growers participated in the program to provide produce boxes in 23 counties. Only 11% had previously participated in WIC, and 100% of growers from 2019 returned. The program helped growers pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic by connecting with a new local market and local agencies for institutional support and associated programs. 

"Our household has been the happy recipients of your stellar farming over the last 20 weeks through the Nederland Seniors program. We have certainly eaten more and better local produce than ever before in our short (70 plus) years and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this opportunity. This program and other Nederland food for seniors program are keeping us able to continue living the life we love in our own house much more optimistically."
Older adult participant in Nederland, CO

Get Involved with CO Nutrition Incentive Program

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Community Partners and Participants

Contact us If you are a WIC or Older Adult meal program participant, a grower or food hub, or regional agency staff and would like to learn more about how to participate in and support this program.

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Donate

Help sustain the Colorado Nutrition Incentive Program by making a contribution.

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