New Resources to Make Fresh Fruits and Vegetables More Affordable

The City has expanded Boston’s Double Up Food Bucks Program to two new grocery stores in Dorchester and Roxbury, increasing families access to fresh, affordable, and healthy food.

Mayor Michelle Wu announced new initiatives to support low-income residents, including the 143,000 Boston residents who participate in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and expand access to affordable and fresh fruits and vegetables at sites across the City of Boston. As the federal government imposes new restrictions that attempt to limit Boston residents’ access to crucial nutrition programs, City departments have expanded Boston’s Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB) program to two new grocery stores: Nubian Markets in Roxbury and the Dorchester Food Co-op in Dorchester. Additionally, the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) and Office of Food Justice (OFJ) launched a citywide marketing and outreach campaign about farmers market programs, ensuring residents facing constrained grocery budgets can count on city and state resources to help make fruits and vegetables more affordable. 

“No one should face barriers when it comes to feeding their family nutritious food,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Thanks to our partners at the Boston Public Health Commission and Office of Food Justice, we’re able to expand these critical programs to improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables across the city. With this diverse set of initiatives, we’re building a stronger food system for our community and making Boston a more accessible home for everyone.”

According to the City of Boston and the Boston Public Health Commission’s Live Long and Well population health equity agenda, one of the leading causes of early death in Boston is cardiometabolic disease, and access to fresh, healthy, affordable, and minimally processed food is essential for cardiometabolic health. According to recent data analysis by the Boston Public Health Commission for the 2025 Boston Community Health Needs Assessment, nearly 19% of adults in Boston reported that, within the past 12 months, the food they bought did not last and they could not afford to buy more food. 

This data underscores the importance of nutrition assistance programs such as the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). According to the 2025 Boston Community Health Needs Assessment Report, nearly 19% of households receive SNAP benefits, with the highest participation rates in Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roxbury, and the South End. The City of Boston and BPHC are encouraging residents to shop at farmers markets. Starting September 1, 2025, all Massachusetts residents paying for fruits and vegetables with a SNAP EBT card at farmers markets will automatically receive up to $40-$80 a month back on their EBT card, depending on household size. To encourage SNAP participants to shop at farmers markets, the City of Boston and BPHC are sharing multilingual, culturally relevant messages through advertising on buses, posters, newspaper and radio ads, mail, and social media to promote this campaign citywide. Residents can find their neighborhood farmers market at boston.gov/farmersmarkets. For information on where HIP can be spent across Boston and Massachusetts, go to https://dtafinder.dtadash.ehs.mass.gov to find farmers markets, mobile markets and farmstands.

"We are advancing our health equity goals by helping families access affordable, nutritious food that supports both physical and mental well-being,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston. “As we continue to advance our Live Long and Well health equity agenda, we are addressing the root causes of health disparities so people can live healthier lives.” 

The DUFB program, managed by OFJ, provides customers paying with SNAP a 50% discount on fresh fruits and vegetables. This year, DUFB has expanded to Nubian Markets in Roxbury and the Dorchester Food Co-op in Dorchester, joining existing grocery store participants: East Boston’s La Union Market and Butchery, Bella’s Market, and El Valle de la Sultana, and Davey’s Super Market of Roxbury. In order to receive the discount at the point of purchase, customers simply need to pay for their fresh fruits and vegetables with their EBT card and ask for the Double Up discount. 

“Building a more resilient and sustainable Boston means ensuring all our residents have access to healthy, locally sourced food,” said Brian Swett, Chief Climate Officer. “These programs not only address critical food security needs but also strengthen our local food system, reduce our environmental footprint, and invest in the economic health of our neighborhoods. It's a powerful example of how environmental and social goals go hand-in-hand.”

“We are working to ensure residents can count on local resources to help them weather changes to the landscape of affordable food access,” said Aliza Wasserman, Director of the Office of Food Justice. “There are major ripple effects of every SNAP dollar spent, and these programs leverage those benefits to keep dollars in the pockets of local farmers and support locally owned grocery stores, while helping make fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable.”

“Access to nutritious foods is a critical public health tool, leading to healthier lives and happier families,” said Shelly Yarnie, DTA Associate Commissioner for Food Security and Nutrition. “We applaud the City of Boston on this expansion of the Double Up Food Bucks program, and encourage Boston residents to participate to maximize the food purchasing support available – along with SNAP benefits and HIP benefits that are available.”

On August 14, Nubian Markets held a community launch event with OFJ to celebrate residents' access to DUFB. Boston’s DUFB program started in 2018 through a national grant, before receiving funding from the USDA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, known as GusNIP, in 2021. The program supports the City’s goals of increasing access to fresh, affordable, and healthy food for residents, as well as supporting small, community-oriented grocers by incentivizing shoppers paying with SNAP to visit their stores. 

The City's Office of Food Justice provides funds from its operating budget, which are then matched by USDA GusNIP grant funds. Every dollar the city invests is amplified, making healthy food more accessible and affordable for families in Boston while supporting local businesses. Since the start of Boston's Double Up Food Bucks program, SNAP shoppers have purchased more than $1.6 million in fresh fruits and vegetables at local grocery stores. Over $850,000 of this amount came from the DUFB program discounts, which was made possible through the city's investment and GusNIP funds. Furthermore, preliminary surveys show the program is encouraging healthy habits, with 62% of participants reporting that they now purchase more fresh produce.

Both DUFB and HIP are available for all SNAP beneficiaries/EBT cardholders buying fresh produce at participating Double Up stores or HIP vendors. For any questions and more program information, please visit boston.gov/doubleup or email food@boston.gov.

"Our mission to build a hub for food access in Roxbury that builds connections to the African diaspora is bolstered when we can ensure fresh food is affordable to residents at all economic levels” said Nubian Markets cofounder and general manager Yusuf Yassin. “We have been excited to offer the Double Up Food Bucks program to our customers at Nubian Markets, and neighbors are excited to purchase more healthy food to make their SNAP benefits go farther."

These campaigns are supported by the Boston Public Health Commission and the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Food Justice, with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Program and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, project award no. 2021-70030-35762, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.