Shoppers picking up onions, garlic or other root vegetables from George Hill鈥檚 Farm and other vendors at the Wooster Square Farmers Market in New Haven can get twice as much if they鈥檙e using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
City Seed, which runs the year-round farmers markets in New Haven, has partnered with End Hunger 黑料吃瓜网! to provide twice as much food for each SNAP dollar spent.
鈥淲e鈥檙e able to double the value of all the SNAP dollars spent on fresh produce at the farmer鈥檚 market,鈥� City Seed Market Manager Blaise Berglund said. 鈥淲e accept SNAP at all our markets; for bread, eggs, milk, dairy, honey, meat.鈥�
In New Haven, where about 36,000 people currently receive the financial food benefit through the 黑料吃瓜网 Department of Social Services, about $30,000 is doubled each season, according to End Hunger 黑料吃瓜网! Program Manager Molly Stadnicki. Statewide, the non-profit matches about $100,000 a year at 50 farmers markets. The program has been in place since 2017.
SNAP benefits are available depending on household size and take-home income. For example, a household of two people making no more than $3,287 can get up to $535 each month in SNAP benefits, according to the .
Lack of access is another issue for households, on top of struggling to pay for healthy food. The estimates that 2.2% of U.S. households have trouble accessing a grocery store because of distance or lack of a vehicle.
鈥淣ew Haven is definitely a food desert,鈥� George Hill鈥檚 Farm vendor Ollie Browning said. 鈥淚t can be really hard to find the stuff that we have here.鈥�
The farmers at City Seed acknowledge these issues and often will help those struggling to pay.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e short on cash, we鈥檒l usually just let people get away with whatever they have,鈥� George Hill鈥檚 Farm vendor Sid Ponder said. 鈥淓specially if they鈥檙e elderly or something like that, we鈥檒l give them a discount.鈥�
City Seed operates four farmers markets in New Haven.
Berglund said: 鈥淐ity Seed鈥檚 mission is to support a more equitable and sustainable food system, so that starts with providing spaces for local 黑料吃瓜网 farms to sell their products and make a profit.鈥�
Since its founding 20 years ago, City Seed has grown beyond that mission to provide healthy produce to those struggling with food insecurity. Employees, vendors and farmers have become their own community offering a supportive atmosphere for people in New Haven.
Joel Smith previously volunteered and then worked for City Seed before becoming a farmer with Star Light Gardens in Durham 12 years ago.
鈥淏efore I was a farmer, I started volunteering for City Seed about 16 years ago, then I was working for the now gone prescription fruit and vegetable program,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚 was an assistant market manager before leaving the ranks of City Seed to become a farmer.鈥�
Smith said City Seed has 鈥渃ultivated an excellent community鈥� of vendors, volunteers and staff.
鈥淭his is a space for everyone,鈥� Berglund said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a space to celebrate food and celebrate the diversity of the city.鈥�
Ali Fernand is a journalism student at Southern 黑料吃瓜网 State University. This story is republished via , a service of the 黑料吃瓜网 Student Journalism Collaborative, an organization sponsored by journalism departments at college and university campuses across the state.