Golden Farmers Market debuts new SNAP and Double Up programs

              

Golden Mayor Marjorie Sloan, Colorado Fresh Markets,
 the Golden Chamber of Commerce and community partners
officially open SNAP at the Golden Farmers Market.

A yellow ribbon and a giant pair of scissors changed the face of food access in Golden.

On June 10, 2017, Golden Mayor Marjorie Sloan snipped the thin tape stretched across the Golden Farmers Market SNAP booth, marking the beginning of a more inclusive, accessible farmers market for everyone in the city.

The Golden Farmers’ Market is now accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, previously known as food stamps. Golden is also participating in the SNAP incentive program, Double Up Food Bucks Colorado (Double Up Colorado). Double Up Colorado helps increase access to fresh, Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables. When recipients of SNAP shop at participating farmers markets, they can now have their purchase matched with a voucher worth up to a $20 per visit to put toward Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables.

Photo courtesy of Colorado Fresh Markets

At the ribbon cutting, representatives from Golden said the city is proud to participate in such a wonderful program, and to build community food security in their town.

The Golden Farmers market is open every Saturday from June 3 – October 7, 2017 (excluding Saturday, July 29th), from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Jenna Metzinger of Jefferson County Public Health,
Lillian Garcia of Centura Health
and the Golden Market SNAP Coordinator
Chelsea Situmeang celebrate the SNAP accessible market.

To learn more about the SNAP and Double Up programs and see all the farmers markets in Jefferson County participating, go to www.healthyjeffco.com/snap-at-jeffco-farmers-markets.

SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks at the Golden Farmers Market supported by: 

                    

SNAP Now Accepting at Some Farmer’s Markets…

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves more than 485,000 Coloradans each month. Jefferson County Public Health is leading a food security project allowing recipients of SNAP to redeem their benefits at farmer’s markets through the fall of 2017. The project has been a huge success at the Arvada Farmer’s Market in Olde Town Arvada, where over $300 in SNAP benefits were redeemed this summer!

JCPH also partners with LiveWell, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting obesity by increasing access to healthy food and physical activity. The collaboration helps promote the Double Up Colorado program to farmers’ market managers. SNAP clients purchases are matched with a voucher worth up to $20 per visit to put toward Colorado-grown fruits and vegetables. Double Up Colorado increases the amount of food that recipients of SNAP can purchase in an effort to encourage them to eat healthier. Arvada’s Farmer’s Market and more farmer’s markets are applying for Double Up Colorado Funding for the 2017 season.

Next year, the 40 West Farmer’s Market at Colfax and Pierce will also begin accepting SNAP. JCPH hopes to continue to increase food access throughout our county and to spread the message that farmers’ markets are for everyone! To get involved, join Food Policy Council is to influence policy to increase equitable access to healthy, local and affordable food and support a sustainable community food system.

Arvada’s Farmer’s Market Accepts SNAP/EBT

Communities across the country, and in Jefferson County, are seeing the many benefits of local farmers’ markets. Markets are an opportunity for residents and visitors to purchase fresh produce and often locally-grown produce that is healthy and in season; meet and greet neighbors, business owners and local farmers; and, to learn new recipes or ways of cooking healthier.

EBT/SNAP at Arvada Farmers’ Market
In an attempt to address food insecurity in Boulder and Jefferson County public health agencies are working to build and grow regional capacity for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at farmers’ markets along Colorado’s Front Range and increase SNAP participation in the local food economy. As part of this work, the Arvada Farmers’ Market is now able to accept SNAP/EBT benefits. This is new this summer and allows anyone receiving food assistance (SNAP) to use their EBT card at the Arvada Farmers’ Market to purchase SNAP-eligible foods! This is an exciting change at the Arvada market and will improve access to and availability of healthy, nutritious, fresh fruits and vegetables for Jefferson County SNAP recipients.

Nearly 100 farmers’ markets dot the state of Colorado’s landscape. Find out about local farmers’ markets in Jefferson County, go to:

Golden  Arvada  Lakewood Evergreen

Attention Farmers’ Market Managers!
Ensuring all incomes can shop at farmer’s market is a great way to grow community and support local economies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made expanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables through farmer’s markets a priority in recent years. Many farmers’ markets across the country now accept SNAP benefits. For more information on this, go to http://coloradofarmers.org/snap/ Apply online to accept SNAP benefits . See if you are eligible to receive FREE equipment to accept SNAP, credit & debit.

For more information about a Jefferson County Public Health project that is working to increase SNAP redemption at Jefferson County farmers’ markets, contact Jenna Metzinger at jmetzing@jeffco.us.

It’s Farmer’s Market Time . . . Buy local, eat healthy

Communities across the country, and in Jefferson County, are seeing the many benefits of local farmer’s markets. Markets are an opportunity for residents and visitors to purchase locally-grown produce that is healthy and in season; meet and greet neighbors, business owners and local farmers; learn new recipes or ways of cooking healthier; and to buy local. Nearly 100 farmer’s markets dot the state’s landscape; to find out about local farmer’s market in Jefferson County, go to:

Golden Arvada Lakewood Wheat Ridge Evergreen

Attention Farmer’s Market Managers!
Ensuring all incomes can shop at farmer’s market is a great way to grow community and support local economies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made expanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients’ access to fresh fruits and vegetables through farmer’s markets a priority in recent years. Many farmer’s markets across the country now accept SNAP benefits. For more information on this, go to http://coloradofarmers.org/snap/ Apply online to accept SNAP benefits . See if you are eligible to receive FREE equipment to accept SNAP, credit & debit.

For more information about a Jefferson County Public Health project that is working to increase SNAP redemption at Jefferson County farmer’s markets, contact Molly Hanson at mhanson@jeffco.us.