AdkAction is piloting a new program to help bring locally-produced food into reach for those hovering just above the poverty line. The Fair Food Program provides funding to qualified households through pre-paid credit cards, called our Fair Food Cards, to purchase Farm Fresh Packages and other food sold by the Hub on the Hill – the first vendor to be added in this pilot phase. Now in year two, additional farm vendors have since been added to the list, including many who sell their goods at local farmers’ markets and their own farm stores. 

The Fair Food Program helps overcome several barriers to local food access in the Adirondacks:

• Existing incentive programs like Double Up Food Bucks help increase access to NY-grown fruits and vegetables. We think that dairy, eggs, meat, and value-added products are also critical components of a healthy, year-round, local diet. This is especially true in winter, when few fruits and vegetables are grown in the North Country.
• While 11% of the households in the counties that make up the Adirondacks are eligible for benefits through Federal Poverty Guidelines, an additional 28% are one emergency away from landing in poverty – households defined by United Way as Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE). By using ALICE income thresholds as the guideline for Fair Food Program eligibility, we can assist many Adirondack residents who don’t qualify for SNAP, or who may inconsistently qualify due to seasonal employment.