SAVE THE DATE: the hearing begins Monday, 1/22, at 11am. We expect LD 2093 to be heard after lunch, so tune in by 1pm. If you support Maine Harvest Bucks, consider submitting written testimony, or signing up to provide oral testimony via Zoom or in person. Use this resource for your testimony and for directions to the hearing.
PRIORITY TASK! Sign up for Zoom testimony or submit Written Testimony Online for our upcoming hearing. Instructions are below. We’d love for you to read your testimony LIVE via Zoom, if possible.
Click here for a template and talking points for submitting testimony.
- Click here to begin. Then click “Public Hearing”.
- Then click: “Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry” from the drop-down menu.
- Then, under “Choose Date”, click “Jan 22 2024 11:00am”
- Then, click LD 2093- you’ll see options below to submit written testimony or sign up for Zoom.
- You can Click a box below to sign up for Zoom testimony (you’ll get a follow-up email)
- You should click that you are FOR the proposed legislation.
- The rest is self explanatory. MAKE SURE YOU CLICK SUBMIT/REGISTER.
Learn more about State Funding to Support MHB
Why now?
Nutrition incentive programs, like Maine Harvest Bucks, boost small business viability and rural economies. State funding is the natural progression for nutrition incentive programs across the country, including in MA and NH. There are unprecedented funding challenges on the near horizon without state funds (A funding gap of over $300,000 for MHB at farmers’ markets, alone).
Overview & Context in Maine
Millions of dollars of federal SNAP/EBT funds (formerly known as food stamps) are spent in Maine every month to help Mainers meet their dietary needs. Our programs incentivize shoppers to keep those dollars in the local economy, going to local Maine farmers and food producers. These shoppers get more food for their dollar, thanks to our incentives.
MFFM, as part of a network of organizations that run nutrition incentive programs, requests an annual ongoing allocation of $1.2 million per year be allocated to the State Fund to Address Food Security and Provide Nutrition Incentives housed within the DACF. We request that this budget be funded continuously to support and strengthen the excellent nutrition incentive programs benefiting every Maine county.
Nutrition incentive programs in Maine, like Maine Harvest Bucks and Farm Fresh Rewards, boost local farm viability while helping low-income Mainers eat healthier and stretch their limited food assistance dollars. Our programs incentivize low-income Mainers using SNAP/EBT to spend their food dollars with local farmers and food producers at farmers’ markets, farm stands, CSA’s and stores.
- Every year, over 200 Maine farmers and food producers benefit from the additional sales through this program.
- Every $1 of state support yields $3 from the federal government, $1 from a matching USDA grant and $1 from SNAP, to provide low-income shoppers using SNAP additional purchasing power to buy local fruits and vegetables from Maine producers.
- Our programs led to over $1.2 million in sales to Maine producers in 2021 alone
- Nutrition incentive programs benefit Mainers in all 16 counties, and state funding will allow for further expansion to rural and under-served communities in Maine.
- Over 15,000 Maine households benefit each year, and this number should only grow.
- The majority of participants report feeling healthier, learning to cook new nutritious foods, and relying less on the emergency food system.