Improving Access at Farmers Markets

Farmers markets are often stereotyped as venues accessed primarily by upper-middle class, white individuals, because of where they are located or what forms of payment they accept.  However, fresh and tasty produce should not be reserved for those who lack barriers to access, and in the past few years a number of organizations have been working to improve access to fresh fruits and veggies at farmers markets.

Adelante Mujeres has been very engaged in the issues of access at the Forest Grove Farmers Market.  The market accepts a variety of federal nutrition program benefits which are given to low-income individuals and families including SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as food stamps), WIC Fruits& Veggies vouchers, and Oregon Farm Direct checks. 

The Forest Grove Farmers Market (FGFM) also participates in Wholesome Wave’s match program, where SNAP, WIC, and Farm Direct recipients can receive up to an additional $10 each market day which shoppers can use to purchase any fruits, vegetables, or plant starts sold by vendors.  This is an extremely popular program for FGFM attendees.  Wholesome Wave, a Connecticut-based NGO that focuses on uplifting small farms and creating food security, began the Double Value Coupon Program in 2008 in order to increase federal nutrition program benefits and improve local food economies.  Today, there are about 300 farmers markets participating in this matching program throughout the United States.

The Double Value Coupon Program has significantly grown since
 its inception and extended federal nutrition benefits.
(Click on the figure to enlarge it)

Even with these improved access policies, there is still the question of race.  The market was started by Adelante Mujeres which works to improve the lives of low-income Latina women and their families - one important feature of this mission would be ensuring that this community knows about the market and its options for access.  While a number of volunteers and vendors are graduates of Adelante Mujeres’ adult education, micro-enterprise, or sustainable agriculture programs, the Latino presence in terms of consumers at the market is relatively low compared to the portion of the Forest Grove population that they represent.  Thus, Adelante Mujeres has recently started handing out Adelante Incentive vouchers, which are good for $10 of produce at the market.  Adelante Incentive vouchers are given to women in the Adelante Mujeres’ adult education class as a reward for good attendance, and young women in the Adelante Chicas program will also hopefully soon receive vouchers.  There are also goals of expanding this Incentive program to provide vouchers to Latinos who are involved in other local organizations.

Lastly, the FGFM hosts some special events that also try to improve access.  The target populations for these events are seniors (Senior Day on May 30^th), youth (a kid’s club takes place all summer), and students (Student Day on September 26th).  There are also events that focus on health and safety (Bike Day on June 13^th and Wellness Day on June 27th).

Photo courtesy of Shawn Linehan and Adelante Mujeres

Many farmers markets still do not accept food stamps, which is a shame when nearly ½ million Americans are enrolled in the SNAP program.  These farmers markets, while perhaps doing so unconsciously, are continuing to reserve fresh, tasty, local, friendly, community-centered food for those who can access and afford it.  We need all farmers markets to start accepting federal nutrition benefits as forms of payment and to participate in programs that increase these benefits such as Wholesome Wave’s Double Value Coupon Program.