Serving Our Community Through EBT/SNAP

Bag of Groceries

As our members and shoppers may be aware, GreenStar Food Co+op serve our community through EBT/SNAP in three important ways:

  1. Most products we offer can be purchased with EBT/SNAP. (Our EBT/SNAP sales in 2024 totaled $623,890).
  2. In 2024 we became the first grocery store in Tompkins County to offer Double Up Food Bucks, which gives extra benefits to EBT/SNAP users for purchasing fresh produce.
  3. We offer educational classes for youth in partnership with SNAP-Ed New York operated through Cornell Cooperative Extension.

You may be aware that recent federal legislation has made major cuts to EBT/SNAP.  At this time we do not know how specific cuts to EBT/SNAP will impact our community members. According to the New York Times, three million New Yorkers rely on SNAP and about 10% could lose benefits due to these cuts. The USDA has reached out instructing us to re-file our applications to sell to EBT/SNAP users with new requirements.

Double Up Food Bucks is administered by the nonprofit Field & Fork Network at the state level, but is funded through a combination of state and federal funding as well as private support. They actively advocate for continued funding and are planning a rebranding launch in the fall. Our partners at Cooperative Extension are working to source new funding for EBT/SNAP education opportunities, citing our support to host SNAP-Ed classes.

While we work with our partners to keep these programs going, Co-op lobbyists are working on our behalf in Washington D.C. through National Co-op Grocers and the National Cooperative Business Association to restore and protect benefits.  It’s also an important moment to recognize the importance of our FLOWER discount program that helps our community members in need.

Co-ops are powerful grassroots tools in difficult times, and we will continue to support our partner organizations’ efforts and stand up and fight to protect our community.

Thank you!

Field & Fork Network is a New York State non-profit organization accepting donations. Donations help Field & Fork to continue forward in their mission to create a practical economic engine for local, sustainable agriculture; and to provide our region with access to fresh, healthy food.