A Hawaii Island food program is making it easier for people on food aid to buy local produce — good news for low-income families and local farmers.

• The Food Basket on Hawaii Island now lets SNAP customers order and pay for DA BOX online instead of paying in person at pickup.
• DA BOX delivers Hawaii-grown fruits and vegetables to 24 pickup sites around the island.
• Nutrition incentives stretch SNAP dollars further when they are spent on local produce.
• Separately, the state health department launched a mobile app for its tobacco quit line, adding phone login and reminders to the existing online program.

Outlook: Expect more local food aid programs to shift to online ordering as a way to cut friction for both shoppers and farmers.