ALACHUA COUNTY FARMERS MARKET CELEBRATES NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET WEEK

[Anna Prizzia]

ALACHUA COUNTY FARMERS MARKET CELEBRATES NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET WEEK
SNAP Recipients Double Their Dollar

Every day this summer, communities are converging to celebrate a
simple miracle: farmers, as stewards of rural America, coming together
to share a harvest that’s feeding local families. The result? More
viable regional economies; increased access to fresh, nutritious food;
and stronger social networks that help keep communities strong.

United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has proclaimed
August 7-13, 2011 as National Farmers Market Week. In celebration, the
Alachua County Farmers Market is offering SNAP recipients (formerly
food stamps) the opportunity to double their benefits by using their
EBT cards at the booth operated by Florida Organic Growers (FOG) and
receive up to $25 in Double Dollar Coupons to spend at the market Aug.
6-Sept. 24, or until funding is depleted. The market, at the
intersection of NW 34th Street and US441 (NW 13th St.), operates from
8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Customers are encouraged to arrive
early for the best selection.

Double Dollar Coupons are an incentive to encourage those who may not
be accustomed to farmers markets to use their benefits to double their
food purchase, increasing access to healthy, fresh foods. Studies show
that farmers markets are often cheaper than supermarkets for the same
products. For example, in May local blueberries at the farmers markets
were half the price of blueberries in traditional supermarkets in
Alachua County.

FOG, funded by Alachua County, has been offering EBT, debit and credit
card users the ability to use their cards at farmers markets since
Dec. 18, 2010. The project has brought more than $20,000 of federal
SNAP benefits into the local economy while increasing access by SNAP
recipients to healthy fresh produce and other items.

This year marks the 12th annual National Farmers Market Week. Since
2000, the number of farmers markets has grown 150%, from 2,863 markets
to 7,175 in 2011. These numbers continue to rise as farmers markets
become fresh food mainstays for shoppers across all socio-economic,
political and ethnic ranges. Farmers markets bolster local economies,
improve community health and bring diverse groups of people together
through a shared social space.
The Alachua County Farmers Market began in 1972 and currently has more
than 30 vendors selling a wide variety of products, including cheese,
bread and a range of fruits, vegetables and food-producing plants.

For information call 352.377.6355 or visit http://foginfo.org/farmersmarkets.