SNAP and HIP: How It Works
SNAP is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Previously known as food stamps, it is the federal government’s largest nutrition benefit program. SNAP supplements the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food. It helps people buy food from places as varied as supermarkets, farmers markets, and convenience stores.
HIP is the Healthy Incentives Program in the Commonwealth of Massachusettss. It rewards SNAP recipients with extra benefits when they use SNAP to purchase fruits, vegetables, and food-producing plants at farmers markets, farm stands, CSAs, and mobile markets.
Each SNAP customer receives matching money from Anna’s Fund when they process their card at the Market Manager’s tent. They then can use their SNAP tokens to make eligible purchases from any of the market’s produce farmers. The Winchester Farmers Market also provides, through the Massachusetts Healthy Incentive Program, an instant rebate into SNAP customers’ accounts for purchase of fruits and vegetables.
We also accept Women, Infant and Children (WIC) coupons and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program FMNP) coupons.