Nutrition Incentive Program Expands to Reach 100,000 More SNAP Shoppers in Rural New York

Field & Fork Network and Northeast Grocery grow 'Double Up Food Bucks NY' into 16 new counties, helping food-insecure families in rural communities double their buying power for fresh produce

BUFFALO, N.Y., Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Field & Fork Network, a Buffalo-based nonprofit working to increase access to healthy food for low-income New Yorkers, announced today the largest single expansion to date of its statewide nutrition incentive program, Double Up Food Bucks NY (DUFBNY). 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 a total of 48 additional stores across the three chains spanning 34 counites, 16 of which were previously unserved by the DUFBNY program¹. 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, approx. 62,000 households² and 107,000 individuals³ 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."

New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Commissioner Barbara C. Guinn said, "We are grateful to Field & Fork Network and Northeast Grocery for this significant expansion of the Double Up Food Bucks NY program, which will increase the purchasing power of thousands of SNAP recipients in rural New York, enabling them to buy more healthy, fresh produce for themselves and their families. Double Up Food Bucks NY is a highly effective nutrition incentive program that supports better health outcomes for SNAP recipients and strengthens Governor Hochul's work to reduce food insecurity and expand access to affordable, nutritious, locally grown food in underserved communities across the state."

With the food insecurity rate among adults in New York State⁴ at 24.9%, Northeast Grocery 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 now accepts DUFBNY at a total of 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 wellbeing of the communities we serve and delivering on our core commitment to help people feed and care for themselves and their families."

Since the partnership between Field & Fork Network and Northeast Grocery began in 2023, the DUFBNY program has matched over $835,000 in fresh produce purchases at participating Market 32, Price Chopper, and Tops Friendly Markets stores, generating $1.16 million in economic impact⁵.

Senator Michelle Hinchey said, "Every New Yorker deserves to eat fresh, healthy food, and the Double Up program is a tangible example of how we invest state resources into fighting hunger and breaking down barriers to healthy food access. This program reflects a vision we lead on in the Senate Agriculture Committee: that food is healthcare and a driver of social progress and economic support for New York farmers. I'm proud to stand with partners across New York committed to building a fairer, more equitable food system for every community in our state."

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. Market 32, Price Chopper, and Tops Friendly Markets currently partner with over 250 New York farms to bring fresh fruits and vegetables directly from nearby fields to store shelves. The company reports steady mid-single-digit gains in fresh produce sales at participating DUFBNY locations, a measurable impact that reinforces how nutrition incentives can influence shopping behavior.

Field & Fork Network and Northeast Grocery have launched a targeted awareness campaign to ensure SNAP shoppers in the new counties know DUFBNY is now 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.

DUFBNY is currently accepted at more than 320 locations in New York State, including farmers markets, mobile markets, smaller local grocers, and major grocery chains. The program reaches 53 of New York's 57 counties (excluding NYC), covering 85% of the state. DUFBNY is made possible through the support of the USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture, the New York State Office for Temporary Disability Assistance, food growers and retailers, and community partners statewide.

To learn more visit www.FieldAndForkNetwork.com and www.DoubleUpNYS.com.

About Field & Fork Network
Field & Fork Network is a leading food access nonprofit based in Buffalo, N.Y., on a mission to connect local communities to innovative solutions that foster a sustainable food system across New York State. The organization addresses issues of food security and the impacts of diet-related disease by delivering nutrition incentive and fresh produce prescription programs to low-income individuals and families in need. Field & Fork Network is the exclusive statewide administrator of Double Up Food Bucks NY, a free and often vital resource that provides a dollar-for-dollar match, from $20 to $50 a day, on the purchase of fresh produce when using SNAP. Visit www.FieldAndForkNetwork.com and www.DoubleUpNYS.com for more information.

About Northeast Grocery, Inc.
Headquartered in Schenectady, NY, Northeast Grocery, Inc. (NGI) is the parent company of Market 32, Price Chopper, and Tops Friendly Markets, which collectively operate nearly 300 supermarkets across New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire and employ more than 30,000 teammates/associates. NGI is No. 46 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer's 2025 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. With more than 150 years of industry leadership combined, Market 32, Price Chopper, and Tops share longstanding traditions of innovative food merchandising and exceptional customer service and are driven to provide sustainably sourced, high-quality products to nourish the communities in which they operate while reducing environmental waste and energy consumption. For additional information, please visit www.pricechopper.com and www.topsmarkets.com.

¹ The 16 newly added counties to the DUFBNY program include Cayuga, Delaware, Greene, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Saratoga, Schuyler, Seneca, Tioga, Warren, and Yates.
² As of December 2024, reported by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
³ As of January 2025, reported by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and the New York State Department of Health.
⁴ As of December 2023, reported by the New York State Department of Health. Food insecurity is characterized as having limited or uncertain access to adequate food due to limited economic resources.
⁵ According to the GusNIP NTAE Nutrition Incentive Economic Impact Calculator.

SOURCE Field & Fork Network