Amidst SNAP Cuts, Good Food Bucks Continue to Support NJ Families

Montclair Farmers Market Photo Credit: Montclair Farmers Market Staff

This year, decisions on the federal level have led to cuts to a variety of different food security programs. A majority of New Jersey families are going to lose at least some of their SNAP benefits within the next year; anyone losing SNAP will also lose their automatic eligibility for free school meals and  for WIC; many food pantries have had less to give this year due to funding cuts. These changes have created a lot of uncertainty for the families who benefit from these programs. However, the Good Food Bucks program will continue to be a support for families who use SNAP. The program will help New Jersey families get the most out of their monthly SNAP budgets as they potentially face benefit losses.

This week, we also released a blog about how the federal cuts to SNAP will affect families in New Jersey. This article outlines when and how these changes to SNAP will take effect, so we encourage you to review the article so you can prepare for these future changes. We also encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter and to follow our social media pages, where we post information about our program and changes to SNAP. 

Get Good Food Bucks Photo Credit: Chase Barnes

The Good Food Bucks program allows shoppers to get double the fruits and vegetables every time they buy with SNAP at participating locations across New Jersey. Over the last 15 years, Good Food Bucks have supported thousands of families in getting more fresh fruits and vegetables at an affordable price. Participating locations include farmers markets and farm stores, as well as grocery stores big and small. This year, over 40 new retail locations were added to the program and Good Food Bucks were expanded to every county in New Jersey. The program has evolved so much since it started, and many new locations will be added at the beginning of next year. Growing the reach of the program ensures that as many people as possible can use the Good Food Bucks program all across New Jersey. 

As families see their monthly SNAP budgets become more limited, Good Food Bucks will help them save more money and make it easier to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Good Food Bucks are meant to be a support system for people who otherwise may have to make tough decisions about what they buy at the grocery store. Not only does the Good Food Bucks program help families save money and eat more healthily, but it also puts more income into the hands of New Jersey farmers and businesses. SNAP is very important to our food system here in New Jersey, with over $2 billion dollars in SNAP being spent annually at New Jersey businesses, and the program’s reduction will be felt throughout our state.

While many federally funded programs have faced cuts, eliminations, and freezes this year, SNAP nutrition incentive programs like Good Food Bucks have continued to receive bipartisan support. The Good Food Bucks program will continue to be supported by a variety of federal, foundation, and state funds through the next fiscal year and beyond. Rather than shrinking, the Good Food Bucks program continues to grow, and continued support will allow the program to expand to several new locations at the beginning of 2026. Good Food Bucks aren’t going anywhere, and the program will continue to help New Jersey families get the most out of their monthly SNAP budgets.

Despite these challenges, our purpose remains the same, which is to get healthy produce to families who need it. We will continue to grow the Good Food Bucks program to new farms, markets, grocery stores, and corner stores all across New Jersey. We would like to thank all of our retail and farm partners for providing this program to their communities, and are also grateful for the support from our donors, legislative supporters, and all of our partners who similarly help to support food access in New Jersey. 

To learn more about SNAP cuts and policy updates please follow us and subscribe to our newsletter. 

This work is supported by the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, project award no. 2024-70415-43708, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy. The Good Food Bucks program is also supported by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Tepper Foundation, New Jersey Food Security Initiative, Albertsons Companies Foundation, and other generous supporters.