Hall County Farmers Market has partnered with Wholesome Wave Georgia to provide a new way for customers to purchase fresh farm produce this season.
Hall County Farmers Market joins SNAP program to increase accessibility to fresh produce
The partnership is part of the Georgia Fresh for Less program which aims to provide healthy and locally grown food choices to people in need. Customers at the market will now be able to purchase items using federal food assistance benefits for double their value.
EBT cardholders can swipe their cards with a market staffer to receive EBT tokens to spend on selected items. For a $10 swipe, they will receive $20 in tokens, with $10 to be used for fruit and vegetable tokens and the remaining $10 for other grocery items such as meat, honey, jams, and jellies. Senior citizens who receive the Georgia Senior Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program are also eligible for the program.
The idea of introducing the new offering has been in the works for about three and a half years
According to Chris Arrington, a board member and treasurer of the Hall County Farmers Market, the aim is to bring shoppers to the market who may feel intimidated by farmer’s markets. She added that there is sometimes a stigma attached to getting food stamps and that the market wants to make shoppers not feel that way.
The Georgia Fresh for Less program, which is part of Wholesome Wave Georgia’s mission to increase access to fresh, healthy, local food, has increased fresh produce consumption for 80% of its surveyed participants. The Hall County Farmers Market’s summer market will run from May 9 through September, from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
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