Food assistance: Stretch your food budget!
Download our winter farmers’ market list.
It includes schedules and information about food assistance.
Our food assistance program can help you get more fresh, healthy food
We double your SNAP benefits every week, up to an extra $25
We double WIC & Senior FMNP coupons
SNAP recipients get instant refunds on produce with the HIP program
You also get extra benefits from the state: help with childcare and transportation, discounted admission to museums, and reduced fares on the MBTA.
Read details below, and download our brochures.
We have a Food Assistance Information Fair on opening day provide information about benefits, and to inform the community that food insecurity is everywhere, including Belmont.
Here’s how we help fight food insecurity
SNAP: Double your benefits
We double your SNAP benefits up to $25 per week, so you can buy more healthy local food.
Here’s how it works:
Let’s say you want to use $15 of your SNAP benefits.
Go to the Market Manager’s tent and we will deduct $15 from your EBT account.
You get SNAP tokens for $30 – twice the amount that was deducted from your account.
Use the tokens on any SNAP-approved items at Belmont Farmers’ Market. They do not expire.
Our SNAP match was $26,290 in 2023, a 12% increase over 2022
HIP: Instant rebate on produce
The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) gives an instant refund when you buy produce with SNAP from HIP vendors.
If you have SNAP, you already have HIP!
The amount you get depends on your household size
• 1-2 people: $40 per month
• 3-5 people: $60 per month
• 6 or more: $80 per month
Example: Select apples and corn at a HIP vendor’s tent. Give the vendor your SNAP card. If you spend $12, you’ll instantly get $12 back into your account. (This does require that you have that amount in your account.)
HIP is funded by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In 2023, our HIP farmers provided over $28,000 in HIP benefits.
FMNP: Double value for coupons
We match Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons (FMNP) for WIC families and eligible seniors. Take them to a participating vendor, and you can spend double the amount of the coupons on eligible products. Details, including eligibility (at mass.gov).
Our FMNP vendors are C&M Farm, Dick’s Market Garden, Hutchins Farm, and Nicewicz Family Farm.
We matched almost $4725 in FMNP coupons in 2023, a 71% increase over 2022.
Support our food assistance programs!
Your donations support all of our work.
How to get benefits
Applying for SNAP
SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It is a federal program run by the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance.
See the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ website with information on eligibility and applying for SNAP and the USDA details about what you can and cannot buy with SNAP benefits.
Applying for HIP
If you have SNAP, you automatically have HIP.
Getting FMNP coupons
In our area, Springwell gives out Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons for eligible seniors. You can also contact the Belmont Council on Aging for information.
WIC families are eligible for WIC FMNP coupons. Contact your local WIC office for details. There are offices in Arlington, Watertown, and Cambridge.
Contact Project Bread for advice
Call the Project Bread FoodSource Hotline to find out more. Calls are free and confidential. 800-645-8333.
Brochures and videos
Download our Food Assistance brochure, describing our food assistance programs & nearby markets with food assistance.
Download a short description of SNAP & HIP at our market in Chinese • in Spanish • in Russian.
Watch videos about how HIP works in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.