A healthy diet at an affordable price

The Food Trust’s Nutrition Incentives program, offering Food Bucks and Food Bucks Rx (FBRx), helps make fresh produce and other healthy foods accessible and affordable. Food Bucks are primarily SNAP incentives earned at the point of purchase by shoppers paying with SNAP, and FBRx produce prescriptions are distributed to patients by their healthcare providers.

Featured Video: Food Bucks in Pittsburgh

Shoppers who use SNAP get more money with Food Bucks! Earn these coupons at a location near you by exploring our map:

 

Please note: The large, colorful $2 Food Bucks coupon shown here can be used at all farmers market sites (indicated by the purple circles on the map above), as well as some stores. Locations that do not accept the $2 coupons will be noted in the description when you click on that location’s map pin.

 

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are Food Bucks?

  • Coupons for free fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Usually earned through SNAP transactions and sometimes distributed by community organizations
  • Available and redeemable at participating farmers markets and stores in the greater Philadelphia & Camden area, Reading, Central PA and Western PA (check out the map above to find participating sites in your area)

 

Food Bucks and Food Bucks Rx are intended to:

  • Make fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable
  • Support local farmers and other small businesses
  • Increase demand for fresh produce in historically under-resourced neighborhoods
  • Make healthy foods more accessible for families and individuals
  • Reduce unequal access caused by racism and other injustices in our food system

 

The Food Trust has worked to provide people with access to fresh, nutritious, affordable foods in their own communities for over two decades. Millions of households nationwide receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (formerly known as food stamps), which can be used at many types of food retailers, but often, the most nutritious items — fresh fruits and vegetables — remain too expensive for many shoppers to afford. The Food Trust seeks to address that inequity and enable shoppers to purchase the foods that support good health at their local farmers markets, supermarkets, and corner stores.

What are Food Bucks Rx?

  • Coupons for free fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Distributed by participating healthcare providers
  • Redeemable at participating farmers markets and stores

 

Food Bucks Rx (FBRx) help make fresh produce and other healthy foods accessible and affordable. FBRx produce prescriptions are distributed to patients by their healthcare providers.

Need help figuring out how to use Food Bucks or Food Bucks Rx?

For Eastern Pennsylvania (including Philadelphia), South Jersey and Central Pennsylvania, contact Gwen Ockenlaender (gockenlaender@thefoodtrust.org, 215-383-5438). For Philadelphia Farmers Markets, contact Bilal Rice (farmersmarket@thefoodtrust.org). For Western Pennsylvania (including Pittsburgh), contact Sol Moure (smoure@thefoodtrust.org).

When did Food Bucks start?

In 2010, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and The Food Trust launched the Philly Food Bucks program. This healthy food incentive program encourages shoppers using SNAP to use their benefits to purchase fresh, local produce at participating farmers markets throughout the city. Today, Food Bucks are available at farmers markets statewide. For every $5 spent using SNAP at participating markets, shoppers receive a $2 Food Bucks coupon for fresh fruits and vegetables, increasing their purchasing power by 40%. Since the introduction of Philly Food Bucks, SNAP sales at The Food Trust’s farmers markets have increased by more than 300%. This additional revenue directly contributes to the sustainability of local agriculture by increasing direct purchasing from regional farmers. Looking for a farmers market near you that offers Food Bucks? The Food Bucks program is available to all shoppers using SNAP, and Food Bucks can be earned at The Food Trust’s farmers markets and community partner markets.

For the Philadelphia area, check out TheFoodTrustMarkets.org for current market hours and our brochure. For ReadingPittsburgh and Western PA, click the link for your region.

Learn more about Food Bucks in SpanishFrenchChineseVietnamese and Russian.

How are Food Bucks used at supermarkets and corner stores?

With funding provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), and with the support of local partners, The Food Trust is working to expand the Food Bucks program into a statewide initiative in a variety of retail settings. This program aims to not only increase fresh produce purchases but also benefit local healthy food venues and growers by increasing the demand for fresh fruits and vegetables. The Food Trust has partnered with a variety of independent corner stores and full-service supermarkets across the state.

How do I distribute Food Bucks at my community site?

Are you a farmers market, corner store or supermarket interested in offering Food Bucks to shoppers paying with SNAP? Please reach out to our Food Bucks team at foodbucks@thefoodtrust.org for more information.

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