The Food Basket Inc., Hawaii Island’s food bank, is teaming up with KTA Super Stores and farmers markets to help SNAP-EBT cardholders purchase more island-grown produce.
DA BUX program, short for “Double Up Food Bucks,” starts today at KTA Super Stores’ Hilo locations.
Through the program, which is subsidized by a $500,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant, SNAP-EBT cardholders can double their purchases of Big Island produce while supporting island farmers through a dollar-for-dollar match.
“DA BUX is not simply free food. It is a driver for economic development for our island,” Chelsea Takahashi, DA BUX coordinator, said in a written statement.
“I believe infusing hundreds of thousands of dollars directly into our island’s agriculture industry can make a difference in terms of sustaining and growing small farm revenue. It also ensures more of our federal money stays circulating in our local economy.”
SNAP customers at KTA Super Stores’ Puainako and downtown locations can purchase up to $20 in participating Hawaii Island-grown produce and receive an equivalent amount of participating produce for free through a rebate at the cash register. The program will run at those KTA Super Stores locations for one week during each remaining month in 2017, beginning on the third Wednesday: today-Sept. 26, Oct. 18-24, Nov. 15-21 and Dec. 20-26.
The Food Basket also implemented DA BUX with its own community-supported agriculture program, DA BOX, providing SNAP customers with a buy one, get one free weekly subscription.
The DA BUX incentive is available at The Food Basket through Dec. 22.
DA BUX also will be available at Makuu Farmers Market, Volcano Farmers Market, Keauhou Farmers Market and Kona Sunset Farmers Market, with each farmers market limited to $10 in matching dollars, implemented based on the market’s SNAP payment system.
Check with your participating farmers market’s cashier office for more information.
Makuu Farmers Market and Volcano Farmers Market will implement the DA BUX incentive on the third Sunday of the month for 2017: Oct. 15, Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.
DA BUX incentive is available at Kona Sunset Farmers Market on the third Wednesday of the month for 2017: today, Oct. 18, Nov. 15 and Dec. 20.
At the Keauhou Farmers Market, the DA BUX incentive will take place on the third Saturday of the month for 2017: Oct. 21, Nov. 18, and Dec. 16.
DA BUX incentive offerings for 2018 are yet to be determined.
For more information about the DA BUX program, visit HawaiiFoodBasket.org. For questions or more information about the DA BOX program and/or SNAP sign-ups, call 933-6030.
