Greenstar Co-op recently welcomed Double Up Food Bucks, a state-wide initiative that lets shoppers purchase twice as much produce for their dollar. DUFB, which applies to individuals receiving SNAP benefits, expands the grocer’s Fresh, Local Organic Within Everyone’s Reach discount program. Politicians and food justice activists gathered outside Greenstar’s Cascadilla Street location on July 17 to celebrate DUFB’s with live music and drinks.
While swept up in the festivities, Greenstar General Manager Jeff Bessemer expressed his excitement to the Ithaca Times.
“It’s going to allow so many people to buy great local produce because it’s just so much more available,” Bessemer said.
Bessemer has managed FLOWER since beginning his position two years ago, finding innovative ways to make groceries more accessible for all members of the Ithaca community. The program extends to SNAP users and customers receiving financial assistance from government or non-profit agencies.
In addressing the significance of DUFB, Bessemer discussed how low-income families struggle to keep farm-fresh items a priority when feeding their children. While Ithaca is surrounded by agricultural fields, there remains a disconnect between family farms and family tables — fresh fruits and vegetables escape many budgets. With this initiative, Greenstar aims to address this issue.
“For people on SNAP, [DUFB] doubles the amount of money they have to spend on produce at local farms like Stick & Stone, Remembrance Farm and Plowbreak,” Bessemer said. “If someone couldn’t access that produce before, now they can, because their money goes twice as far.”
Josh McGuire from Field & Fork Network was equally ecstatic about bringing DUFB to every branch of Greenstar in Ithaca. The DUFB director worked tirelessly with Co-op employees to overcome the technical challenges of establishing this initiative, preparing computer systems for the discount service.
“These represent the first retail locations in Tompkins County,” McGuire exclaimed before thanking his collaborators for their help in making this change.
Also present was Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo grad, who has long been involved in Greenstar’s efforts to increase healthy food access.
“We constantly talk about affordability as a crisis in Ithaca, whether that’s housing, whether that’s transit,” Cantelmo said. “This is literally a program that’s going to put more food in the bellies of families and young children.”
State Senator Lea Webb (D-NY) also acknowledged Greenstar’s attention to affordability by describing the statistical impact of food scarcity locally. In April 2024, Webb allocated $125,000 in state funding to the Ithaca Farmers Market, which will use the funds to renovate its parking lot and market space.
“Fourteen percent of residents here in Tompkins County are food insecure. That’s over 14,000 people,” Webb said. “Those are real lives in real-time that are being impacted by this issue.”
The numeric reach that DUFB can have at Greenstar locations has been a constant subject of rumination for these leaders in food equity. Last year, FLOWER helped 800 participants save about $200,000 on groceries. This year, savings are expected to increase even further.
Before closing out the ceremony, County Legislator Anne Koreman spoke to her personal experience with food insecurity. In her 40th year as a member of Greenstar, she appreciates how much the co-op’s mission aligns with the Tompkins County Food Systems Plan to prioritize nutrition. She encourages Tompkins residents to check if they are eligible for SNAP benefits while emphasizing the General Manager’s conviction that DUFB will benefit both producers and consumers.
“DUFB empowers people to access healthy, nutritious food they may not otherwise and enjoy more of what our local farmers have to offer,” Koreman said. “They feed their families the very best while also supporting our local farmer’s success. It’s a win-win.”
Kira Walter is a reporter from the Cornell Daily Sun working on The Sun’s summer fellowship at The Ithaca Times. This piece was originally published in The Ithaca Times.