Boston is putting up to $100 in farmers market coupons on the table for eligible residents this summer, packaged as a $25-per-month booklet meant to stretch grocery budgets at neighborhood markets from July through October. The program will distribute coupon booklets to selected households, and the application window closes on June 28. City officials say the coupons can be used for produce, dairy, meat, eggs and seafood at participating market stalls.
Program Basics
The Mayor's Office of Food Justice opened applications on June 8 and will accept submissions through 11:59 p.m. on June 28. Selected households receive a $100 booklet that provides $25 each month from July through October, according to Boston.gov. The city caps eligibility at 60% of the Area Median Income, with limits that rise with household size, and instructs applicants to self-report income rather than provide pay stubs.
Why It Matters
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the "food at home" index rose 0.7% in April, an outsized monthly increase that has tightened household budgets. Office of Food Justice Director Aliza Wasserman told NBC Boston that city offices "get calls every single day from residents who are having to make really, really tough choices," a reality the coupon program is meant to ease. The city also points applicants to other aid like the state's Healthy Incentives Program and SUN Bucks for summer grocery assistance, per Mass.gov.
Selection and Pickup
Applications will be entered into a randomized lottery that prioritizes older adults and residents of neighborhoods with high food insecurity, with remaining slots open to other eligible applicants. If chosen, residents will be notified by email or text and assigned a local pickup site run by community partners, and applicants who are not selected will be placed on a waitlist and may receive coupons later, according to Boston.gov. All coupons are color‑coded by month and must be used during the month shown, and the city expects to complete distributions by August 1.
How Vendors See It
Market vendors say the booklets bring new customers and income into stalls that depend on seasonal foot traffic. "Customers I never see, if it wasn’t for the coupon program — absolutely," Rebecca Stillman of Stillman Quality Meats told NBC Boston. Program managers say that by linking low‑income shoppers with community markets, the city is trying to support both household nutrition and local producers.
Coupon supplies are limited, city officials say, so residents who think they qualify are encouraged to submit applications before the June 28 deadline. For help applying, residents can call 3‑1‑1 or visit a neighborhood Boston Public Library branch or a community enrollment site, and applicants can check application status beginning July 2.
