Atlas Farm Store Community Fund

Hello from the Atlas Farm Store!

 

As you may know, our business recently shifted models-- from a farm-run store to two separate businesses linked in close partnership. We're excited for what the future holds for the store and farm as we are better able to manage both entities.

 

Here's the issue: Our re-application for SNAP/HIP are more complicated than expected and it's seriously impacting people's access to fresh food in our community.

 

Prior to the transition, the farm store was a major access point for SNAP and HIP in the Valley. (SNAP is the supplemental nutrition assistance program, which covers a certain amount of food purchases for individuals, and HIP, the healthy incentives program, reimburses clients for fresh fruit and veggie purchases at local farms and markets. It's a win-win for customers, who have increased access to fresh, nutritious food, and local growers, who are able to sell more veggies to a larger customer base.) We love the HIP program and hear on a daily basis how much it helps our customers buy food.

 

We were re-authorized as a SNAP retailer in early January, but are having trouble with our HIP authorization. We're working as hard as we can with contacts at the DTA and USDA to figure out a solution that maintains our HIP status, but it's taking time. We have letters of support from state and federal congresspeople who care deeply about food access, and we've got additional support from local organizations invested in the same. We will keep working on this issue until access is restored.

 

In the meantime, we are setting up our SNAP machine to accept those benefits (SNAP, not HIP), and creating a community fund you can donate to to help our HIP customers continue shopping with us and accessing super-fresh, local produce. (We work with over 200 producers in a 200-mi radius, so you're supporting our customers, our staff, and lots of other growers!)

 

Customers who ask to use the Community Fund will be able to use up to $40 per purchase on HIP-eligible products. This closely mirrors the average HIP benefit most customers see per month. Plus, customers will still be able to use their HIP at another local farm or market, so it'll stretch their dollars even further in the community.

 

Please direct questions to the farm store, and thank you for supporting our community!