• Department of Transitional Assistance
• Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
• Executive Office of Health and Human Services
• Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

Boston- Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced new vendors for the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP). One hundred and seven new vendors and fifteen current vendors expanding access points were selected based on their ability to respond to the needs of prioritized populations and communities. This includes serving areas where food insecurity and rates of chronic disease have historically been disproportionately high, serving areas designated as food deserts or low-access areas, and demonstrating an ability to reach SNAP clients with disabilities and/or Black SNAP clients, who have historically accessed fewer HIP locations compared to other client populations.

"Enrolling more Healthy Incentives Program vendors reflects the Administration's commitment to offer Massachusetts households with healthy and culturally accessible food and support a strong local food system," said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. "These efforts build on the success of the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, previous addition of 39 HIP vendors and launch of the DTA Finder HIP map as we continue to promote food security across the Commonwealth."

"HIP has been a wonderful collaboration across the environmental and health and human service agencies. Through programs like HIP, we can work together to not only address the sustainability of local agriculture, but also to combat food insecurity across the Commonwealth," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card.

HIP provides matching funds for SNAP households who purchase locally grown produce from participating Massachusetts vendors. Vendors include farm stands, farmers markets, mobile markets, and CSA farm share programs. Learn more about HIP at Mass.gov/HIP and find a HIP vendor at DTAFinder.com, a multilingual mobile-friendly interactive map.

The majority of the newly selected HIP vendors are local, small-scale farmers who live in or have close ties to the communities and populations they intend to serve, while other selected applicants are local agricultural vendors with demonstrated capacity to serve high-need communities through innovative delivery models, mobile markets, targeted outreach, and sales locations embedded into communities with multiple days of availability.

Over half of towns previously without any HIP access points will be served by at least one new HIP vendor, and 76% of towns previously identified as having low HIP access for their SNAP client population will be served by the newly selected HIP vendors. Newly selected vendors will serve families in 25 of 26 Gateway Cities. Collectively, selected vendors will be able to provide HIP access in more than 25 languages.

"The Healthy Incentives Program is a powerful tool in our work to address food security issues across the state. The program not only increases access to fresh, healthy and locally grown food for SNAP clients, but also brings critical economic support to our local farms and communities," said Department of Transitional Assistance Acting Commissioner Mary Sheehan. "These new and expanded local vendors will extend the reach of this impactful program to communities that have historically experienced higher rates of food insecurity and chronic disease or face structural barriers to food access, continuing the Administration's focus on an equitable and just food system."

"HIP is a very popular program with our Massachusetts farmers, which was demonstrated by the number of applications received by DTA. This significant expansion in the number of new and existing HIP retailers will very positively impact farms and farmers markets, and customers utilizing SNAP, in communities across the Commonwealth," said Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner John Lebeaux.

New Vendors Include:

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