Buy fresh and local
Allowing farmers’ market purchases with SNAP benefits seems like a win-win for those who use food stamps, area growers.
The Editorial Board
Thu, 18 Jul 2019 04:00:00 GMT
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In a positive step toward healthier nutrition for the low-income people, fresh fruit and vegetables from Ohio farmers’ markets can be bought with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, which oversees the food-stamp program known as SNAP, this week announced that 92 farmers’ markets statewide will accept the Ohio Direction Card, used by 1.4 million SNAP recipients to buy food. Included in northwest Ohio are two markets in Toledo — the Toledo Farmers Market at 252 Market St. in the warehouse district and Westgate Farmers Market at 3440 W. Central Ave. — and one in Lima, at 7 Town Square.
SNAP recipients who live near farmers’ markets received letters from the state informing them of the benefit. If they plan to buy food from more than one stand at a farmers’ market, they can use their Ohio Direction Card to buy scrip, tokens, or receipts from an EBT booth to use at stands throughout the market.
SNAP recipients also can get a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $20, spent on fresh fruits and vegetables at the markets through a related Produce Perks program. Statewide, this program nearly doubled last year in dollar amount of food purchased compared with the year before.
The SNAP benefits program supports local farmers but more importantly can help food stamp recipients more easily purchase fresh fruit and vegetables. Such nutritious foods are often missing from the diets of food-stamp recipients because packaged and heavy-carbohydrate foods typically can be purchased cheaper.
It is a worthwhile government program, helping many in the Toledo area and elsewhere, and for local farmers who have another customer base for their products.