Meals Help Applications at Farmers Markets

Many farmers markets provide meals help applications, making farmers markets extra reasonably priced choices for communities. Be taught extra about how one can use SNAP at farmers markets.

Sadly, many People are meals insecure (greater than 10%), and wouldn’t have entry to quite a lot of recent, wholesome meals selections that match their cultural and private meals preferences. A technique that People are capable of struggle starvation is by making use of for the Supplemental Vitamin Help Program (SNAP).  This meals help program supplies forty-five million People with month-to-month advantages that can be utilized to buy groceries and cut back the quantity of meals insecurity the family is experiencing. The excellent news is that SNAP {dollars} could also be used at native farmer markets as a option to allow households have entry to recent, regionally grown produce.

What’s SNAP?

SNAP is among the USDA’s meals help applications that may assist households transfer away from starvation and meals insecurity. People who meet the necessities for SNAP can apply within the state they at present dwell in. The variety of individuals which might be residing in your family, your month-to-month revenue, and variety of assets you may have decide the utmost month-to-month allotment that you could be obtain.  

Households that obtain SNAP advantages are allowed to buy fruit, greens, dairy merchandise, breads, cereals, meat, fish, and poultry at grocery shops that take SNAP advantages. People will not be allowed to buy alcohol, vitamin dietary supplements, ready-to-eat prepackaged meals, or pet meals with SNAP advantages. These guidelines had been established to encourage households to succeed in for extra healthful choices. Previously few years, SNAP individuals have been allowed to make use of their funds at native farmers markets.  

SNAP at Farmers Markets 

Having the ability to use SNAP advantages at farmers markets has enabled extra recent, regionally grown produce to be bought by extra households. In 2017, twenty-four million SNAP advantages had been redeemed at farmers markets throughout the U.S. Though this quantity solely makes up about one p.c of redeemed advantages from individuals, increasingly people on SNAP are touring to their native farmers market to buy produce, construct relationships with farmers, and be taught the place meals comes from.  

Double Greenback Advantages 

When SNAP individuals use their advantages on the market, they will obtain double greenback tokens.  These tokens are a reward for spending cash on the market. People can obtain as much as twenty {dollars} in matched funds that can be utilized to buy extra produce on the market.  

Advantages of SNAP Accepted Markets 

Members who use their advantages at farmers markets are capable of take pleasure in regionally grown produce that’s scrumptious and nutritious. Additionally, it permits members to be taught extra about what produce is in season, how farmers produce meals, and the number of produce that’s obtainable to take pleasure in. To not point out that this program helps households have entry to nutrient-rich meals which will assist fill in any nutrient gaps of their present food regimen. Plus, the advantage of connecting with neighborhood and the native meals system is promising! 

To be taught extra about native meals, try these different blogs:

Making Native Meals Inexpensive
5 Advantages for Consuming Native
The Many Advantages of Studying How you can Develop Your Personal Meals

Written by Michelle Naragon, dietetic intern with Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN 

Assets 

Bolen, E.  (2020).  SNAP Boosts Retailers and Native Economies.  Middle on Price range and Coverage Priorities.  https://www.cbpp.org/analysis/food-assistance/snap-boosts-retailers-and-local-economies

N.A. (2021).  Supplemental Vitamin Help Program.  Farmers Market Coalition.  https://farmersmarketcoalition.org/advocacy/snap/

N.A.  (2021).  What Can SNAP Purchase?  USDA.  https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items