Tens of Thousands of People Are About to Lose the Ability to Buy Fresh Food at Farmers Markets

[Judi Lynn]

By Dan Nosowitz on July 10, 2018



A seemingly minor change in governmental contract is about to have huge detrimental effects on the people least able to handle it—and at the worst possible time.

The Washington Post reports that a large percentage of those using SNAP benefits at farmers markets—tens of thousands of people—are about to lose that ability. The likely date for the shutdown is July 31st, right in the heart of the growing season for much of the country’s farmers. This is a disastrous screw-up on the part of the federal government.

Farmers markets are a huge and growing supplier of healthy food to those using SNAP benefits, better known as food stamps. In New York City alone, an estimated $1 million per year is spent at farmers markets using SNAP. Many cities and states have additional benefits; in New York, for example, SNAP users get an extra two dollars to spend on produce for every five dollars spent at the farmers markets.

How Farmers Markets Have Been Accepting SNAP Benefits
To describe how a consumer can use SNAP at a farmers market, let’s look at New York City, which is very large but otherwise comparable to most markets. In order to pay with SNAP at New York City markets, people have to head to an information tent and swipe their EBT card, which is essentially a debit card for SNAP benefits. In exchange, they’ll get wooden tokens, which are accepted by almost all vendors at every market. (The exceptions: alcohol and cut flowers.)

More:
https://modernfarmer.com/2018/07/tens-of-thousands-of-people-are-about-to-lose-the-ability-to-buy-fresh-food-at-farmers-markets/

[BigmanPigman]

1. I lived in that building in the photo

when I went to art school in NYC. Back then Union Sq. was full of junkies and thieves. I wouldn't even get off at that subway stop.