Add Milk! Initiative Launches in HFG Stores

Houchens Food Group Partners with Auburn University to Launch “Add Milk” DiscountProgram for SNAP Participants

Houchens Food Group (HFG) is proud to announce its partnership with Auburn University’s Hunger Solutions Institute as part of the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive (HFMI) program. This initiative enables Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants to receive discounted milk purchases, supporting healthier dietary choices across the communities we serve.

Through the new “Add Milk” program, customers using SNAP benefits will receive a 50% discount on purchases of skim and 1% milk at participating HFG grocery stores. A 10% discount will apply at stores in Missouri. These savings are made possible through a grant awarded to HFG by the Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn University. This impactful program stems from the 2018 Farm Bill, which established the HFMI to promote the consumption of nutritious dairy products among SNAP recipients.

The “Add Milk” initiative will roll out across all 295 Houchens-operated grocery stores, including: IGA, Priceless IGA, Save A Lot, and our family of Food Giant banners. HFG is especially proud to announce that its Food Giant stores will be the first in Arkansas to participate in this program. In addition to Arkansas, participating stores are located acrossKentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, NorthCarolina, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, and Missouri.

HFG Senior Director of Marketing Shannon Clark worked closely with Auburn University to introduce the HFMI program into our stores. Her leadership and commitment were instrumental in aligning this program with HFG’s mission to serve and uplift the communities where we operate, reducing barriers to nutrition and making healthier choices more accessible and affordable.

 “At Houchens Food Group, our purpose is to make a meaningful impact in the communities we call home. We are proud to team up with Auburn University to expand the Add Milk program to additional states and help make milk more accessible for families,” said Clark. “Milk contains essential nutrients and is an important component for a nutritious diet; this partnership is another way we can help families get more value for their grocery dollar.”

About SNAP Nutrition Incentives and the HFMI Program
The May 2025 launch of Houchens’ “Add Milk!”HFMI Projects is made possible by Congressional authorization through the 2018Farm Bill and appropriations via the FY2024 Agriculture Appropriations. Programs like HFMI and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) promote healthier eating among SNAP participants by providing discounts or bonuses for purchasing nutritious foods. Specifically, HFMI projects offer a dollar-for-dollar discount or rebate when SNAP participants purchase fluid milk. Since its inception, Congress has appropriated $15 million for HFMI grants, awarded competitively to Auburn University’s Hunger Solutions Institute since FY22. By the end of 2025, HFMI is expected to be operating in more than1,150 grocery stores across 32 states. 

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