SNAP participants: New program adds $60/month to SNAP benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables

Updated with additional information on 9/2/24 @ 9:57 a.m.-

Thanks to a grant from the Biden administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture, Colorado’s Department of Human Services started a new program August 1, 2024 to boost healthy eating called the Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus. The program gives SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) participants a 100% reimbursement for any qualifying purchase of fruits and vegetables credited directly back to their EBT card at the time of purchase. The bonus provides for up to $20 per transaction and a maximum of $60 per month. Notice that only fruits and vegetables qualify for the SNAP Produce Bonus reimbursement, but the reimbursed funds that get credited back to your EBT account can be used to buy any SNAP eligible items.

The funds you get credited back to your EBT account can be used to purchase other items like

• Fruits and vegetables;
• Meat, poultry, and fish;
• Dairy products;
• Breads and cereals;
• Other foods such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages; and
• Seeds and plants that produce food for the household to eat.

You don’t have to sign up to benefit from the Colorado SNAP Produce Bonus program. If you live in Colorado and are already getting SNAP benefits, your household will automatically get the bonus whenever you buy eligible fruits and vegetables from participating locations.

The only catch:

Since the program just rolled out, there aren’t many participating food outlets. In the Grand Junction area there’s only one participating location and it’s only open two hours a day, one day a week:

There are two locations in Hotchkiss that are participating in the program and have better hours, if you live in the North Fork Valley:

Don’t have SNAP benefits but need help buying food for yourself or your family?

Find out if you’re eligible for SNAP benefits and how to apply at this link.