WASHINGTON — Adding a few Detroit grocers to the dozens of farmers markets that double the amount food stamp recipients can spend on Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables may seem like small potatoes, but some local advocates believe it could be the leading edge of a new effort in the fresh food movement.
Until now, efforts in the U.S. to get more locally grown produce to people on food stamps have focused on farmers markets. But Michigan’s Double Up Food Bucks program is hoping to show success operating in three Detroit groceries, which could further help growers while getting fresh fruits and vegetables to people who often can’t afford them.
“This will be the first time an incentive program like this has been done at a grocery store anywhere,” said Oran Hesterman, president and CEO of the Fair Food Network in Ann Arbor, which runs Double Up Food Bucks. “This is not just a little boutique one-off program; this is a program we’re demonstrating can happen in any community.”
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