Many farmers markets supply meals help applications, making farmers markets extra reasonably priced choices for communities. Be taught extra about the best way to use SNAP at farmers markets.
Sadly, many People are meals insecure (greater than 10%), and would not have entry to quite a lot of contemporary, wholesome meals decisions that match their cultural and private meals preferences. A method that People are in a position to combat starvation is by making use of for the Supplemental Diet 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 scale 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 technique to allow households have entry to contemporary, domestically grown produce.
What’s SNAP?
SNAP is without doubt one of 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 the moment dwell in. The variety of individuals which are residing in your family, your month-to-month earnings, and variety of assets you’ve 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 should not allowed to buy alcohol, diet dietary supplements, ready-to-eat prepackaged meals, or pet meals with SNAP advantages. These guidelines have been established to encourage households to achieve 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 contemporary, domestically grown produce to be bought by extra households. In 2017, twenty-four million SNAP advantages have been redeemed at farmers markets throughout the U.S. Though this quantity solely makes up about one % of redeemed advantages from individuals, increasingly more 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 Permitted Markets
Individuals who use their advantages at farmers markets are in a position to get pleasure from domestically 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 accessible to get pleasure from. 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 weight-reduction plan. Plus, the good thing about connecting with group 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 The way to 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 Funds and Coverage Priorities. https://www.cbpp.org/analysis/food-assistance/snap-boosts-retailers-and-local-economies
N.A. (2021). Supplemental Diet 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
