Program areas at LEAP
Leap serves as the fiscal agent for and provides backbone support to the statewide Virginia fresh match nutrition incentive network (vfm). Vfm works with community-based food retailers, farmers markets, and farm stands to offer nutrition incentives for people who shop with snap-ebt at these 85+ participating outlets. Nutrition incentives make fruits and vegetables more affordable through a discount model (50% off) or a match model (1 in snap-ebt is matched with 1 in vfm incentives).
Leap kitchen: the Leap kitchen is a shared commercial kitchen and food business incubator. Food businesses are required to operate out of a commercial kitchen. Kitchen members use the Leap kitchen to operate their individual food businesses. Leap provides the space and equipment, links to the other support services, and access to Leap outlets. Kitchen members pay an hourly fee for use of the space.
Leap purchases food from Local and regional farmers and food producers and food hubs. Producers deliver to the food hub, Leap receives, aggregates, stores, and then distributes the food through our outlets including the Leap mobile market, online marketplace, and farm share. Leap provides health food incentives to participating customers for 50% off the farm share or online market sales.
Other program initiatives include: fixed site farmers markets, mobile market programs, community gardens, and regional food planning