Audiences in rural and urban nebraska (NE) face many food access challenges regarding fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV), including affordability, autonomy to choose, proximity to retailers that…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded No More Empty Pots $2.47 million on September 15, 2025, under the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (CFDA 10.331) to operate Double Up Food Bucks, a point-of-purchase fresh fruit and vegetable incentive program in rural and urban Nebraska.

Double Up Food Bucks provides dollar-for-dollar incentive matches to SNAP participants purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables, reducing financial barriers to produce acquisition. The program delivers retailer support to stock and promote fresh fruits and vegetables (locally as appropriate), training and tools for retail environments, on-site nutrition education, food sampling and promotional marketing to help customers choose and use fresh produce, and reporting and evaluation technical assistance. Recipients may redeem incentives through one of three options—checks, shopper cards, or register coupons—accommodating retailer point-of-sale technology and needs.

The award funds evaluation at customer, retailer, and financial levels, with program evaluation complying with all relevant SNAP regulations and operating requirements. Activities increase community engagement through a network of established partners and collaborators, with the goal of enhancing understanding of project components contributing to increased fresh fruit and vegetable purchases and consumption, as well as identifying best practices for integrating nutrition incentive programs into various communities.

Performance of the award occurs in Omaha, Nebraska. The period of performance runs from September 15, 2025, through September 14, 2029.

Audiences in rural and urban nebraska (NE) face many food access challenges regarding fresh fruits and vegetables (FFV), including affordability, autonomy to choose, proximity to retailers that consistently carry FFV, and sometimes skills to use FFV. To address these challenges, the goal of double of food bucks, a point-of-purchase FFV incentive program, is to reduce financial barriers (increase purchases of FFV), improve diet quality and health of NE supplemental nutrition assistance program (snap) customers (increase consumption of FFV), and support established and new sites to expand programming (increase reach). We will continue to offer one of three effective and efficient redemption options (checks, shopper cards, register coupons) to meet retailer needs and point of sale technology. Dufb provides the following to retailers and snap customers: retailer support to stock/promote FFV (local as appropriate); dollar-for-dollar FFV matches to increase recipient affordability and economic viability of retailers; training, tools, and resources for retail environments; on-site nutrition education, food sampling, and promotional marketing to help customers choose and use FFV; and reporting/evaluation technical assistance. Activities will increase community engagement through a network of established partners and collaborators. Program evaluation will occur at customer, retailer, and financial level, complying with all relevant snap regulations and operating requirements. Project goals will help enhance the understanding of project components contributing to increased FFV purchases, consumption, and expansion as well as best practices for integrating nutrition incentive programs into various communities, which is relevant to and aligns with the goals of gusnip.