By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
New research from the University of Washington indicates that Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program, which provides monthly stipends to buy fruits and vegetables, significantly improves food security and boosts fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income residents.
The study, led by UW teaching professor of economics Melissa Knox, compared two groups: individuals who remained enrolled in Fresh Bucks and those who lost access for six months. According to Knox, the findings were significant.
“Those who lost Fresh Bucks had lower food security and were less likely to eat fruits and vegetables at least three times a day. And the overall number they reported on average was lower,” said Knox. “These people are lower-income Seattleites, so it is probably a useful thing, but just in general and economically it would be useful for households. I think anything that sort of helps people have a healthier diet and relieve some of their financial and economic security is going to be beneficial.”
Fresh Bucks began in 2012 as a small pilot at Seattle farmers markets. It later received federal funding and expanded to neighborhood grocery stores offering culturally specific produce. In 2018, the City of Seattle officially launched Fresh Bucks as a citywide program, establishing its own eligibility criteria separate from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“A healthy food access benefit actually started back in 2012, starting with a few Seattle farmers’ markets before the city partnered with the Washington State Department of Health to apply for federal funds to expand the program,” said Robyn Kumar, Fresh Bucks program manager. “The USDA grant was awarded, and in 2014, it expanded to neighborhood grocery stores selling more culturally specific produce items. And then in 2018, we went through a massive expansion, and sort of got rid of the SNAP enrollment eligibility and created our own eligibility criteria with the Fresh Bucks program.”
Today, the program serves about 12,000 households across Seattle. To qualify, applicants must be Seattle residents and have incomes at or below 80% of the area median income, as defined annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Eligible participants receive a $40 reloadable card each month to use at more than 40 participating retail locations throughout the city.
Originally designed as a 12-month benefit, the program has since shifted to a sustained benefits model that allows continued enrollment as long as recipients meet the requirements and use their benefits regularly.
“We saw the majority of our customers were reenrolling into the next benefit at the end of the 12 months, so we created a new model,” Kumar said. “In this model, our enrollees can stay in the program as long as they remain eligible and are actively spending their monthly benefits. We have a policy where people are notified that they will be deactivated if they haven’t spent their benefits for a three-month period, or if they move out of Seattle.”
“We have heard from our customers that they really appreciate being able to rely on what is and has been a consistent benefit,” she added.
Kumar said the added grocery funds make a measurable difference in diet and household financial strain.
“Generally, fruits and vegetables are more expensive than less healthy options, so just providing that extra money helps to bring in more of those healthier foods into their diet,” she said.
She believes the study highlights how programs like Fresh Bucks can contribute to broader public health goals.
“The recent study out of the University of Washington is showing that this is helping to contribute to increasing fruit and vegetables in people’s diets and that it is really an important feature in health improvement and sustaining a good health status,” said Kumar. “I think it is important for a variety of community members, not just those who are enrolled.”
