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Family Health & Wellness sponsor:
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Shop With Your SNAP/EBT Card
and get FREE Fruits and Vegetables
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The Medina Square Farmers Market will participate in the Produce Perks Program again this year, which doubles the purchasing power of low-income shoppers – providing a $1 for $1 match for families and individuals receiving SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). The match can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables, stretching SNAP dollars for additional healthy foods. Produce Perks tokens may be used at any participating Produce Perks site. Visit www.produceperks.org to find other sites near you.
$25 match of Produce Perks with your SNAP/EBT benefits available at the Medina The Farmers Market is partnering with Countryside Food & Farms to offer Produce Perks for fruits and vegetables with an $1 to $1 match of SNAP benefits up to $25. Produce Perks may only be used for locally grown fruits and vegetables. So please come out and support your local orchards and farms by purchasing delicious, healthy produce at the Medina Square Farmers market! Visit www.produceperks.org and watch this video: https://youtu.be/qj_RFN90jS8. Or, visit http://www.medinafarmersmarket.com/snapohio-direction.html How It Works
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"ProducePERKS" is Ohio’s statewide nutrition incentive program, guided by the Ohio Nutrition Incentive Network. Nutrition incentives are supported by the USDA through the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant program within the U.S. Farm Bills. Medina County is part of the Midwest network that utilizes a hub-and-spoke model to administer the program across the state. ProducePERKS Midwest serves as the lead administrator, while the regional non-profit organization, Countryside, manages our nutrition incentives program.
The purpose of ProducePERKS is to encourage eligible Ohioans to buy healthy foods by providing recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) with matching dollars to shop for healthy fruits and vegetables at local farmers’ markets. These financial incentives have benefits to shoppers and growers alike.They allow low-income customers the opportunity to purchase more healthy, locally-grown produce.
ProducePERKS offers SNAP customers a dollar-for-dollar match, doubling their purchasing power at participating farmers’ markets, farm stands, CSA’s, and mobile markets. For every dollar a SNAP customer spends at participating sites using an Ohio Direction Card they receive a free additional dollar, referred to as a “ProducePERK,” to use to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
Facts about SNAP in Ohio
• 1.4 million Ohioans rely on SNAP (12% of the population)
• Ohio ranks 40th in the nation for food security, with 13.7% of residents living in food-insecure households, including nearly 25% of children
• Nearly 25% of Ohio adults consume vegetables less than once per day and insufficient produce consumption is significantly higher among adults with annual household incomes of less than $50,000 compared to those with incomes of $75,000 or more.
ProducePERKS offers SNAP customers a dollar-for-dollar match, doubling their purchasing power at participating farmers’ markets, farm stands, CSA’s, and mobile markets. For every dollar a SNAP customer spends at participating sites using an Ohio Direction Card they receive a free additional dollar, referred to as a “ProducePERK,” to use to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
Facts about SNAP in Ohio
• 1.4 million Ohioans rely on SNAP (12% of the population)
• Ohio ranks 40th in the nation for food security, with 13.7% of residents living in food-insecure households, including nearly 25% of children
• Nearly 25% of Ohio adults consume vegetables less than once per day and insufficient produce consumption is significantly higher among adults with annual household incomes of less than $50,000 compared to those with incomes of $75,000 or more.
The Medina Square Farmers Market accepts the Ohio Direction Card for the SNAP Program. Bring your card to the Main Street Medina (MSM) booth on market day. We'll swipe it and give you tokens to use at the market all season long. To participate in the ProducePERKS program, SNAP recipients swipe the Ohio Direction Card for a desired amount at the MSM booth. Most markets in Ohio can provide a dollar for dollar match of up to $20 per market per day.
The farmers’ market staff manning the booth then distributes the appropriate amount of tokens to the customer based on the transaction value. Tokens distributed for SNAP transactions should be branded with the farmers’ market name, be in one dollar increments, and say “no change given.” At the same time, staff distributes Produce Perks tokens to the customer. The customer may then spend their tokens on all eligible items with any vendor at the farmers’ market.
EBT in Ohio Farmers' Markets
The Office of Family Assistance is committed to improve Ohio's Food Assistance Program and the benefits it provides to recipients. The Ohio Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Farmers' Markets provide food assistance customers access to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Click here to find out how you can join or to locate a participating EBT Farmers' Market in your community.
The Office of Family Assistance is committed to improve Ohio's Food Assistance Program and the benefits it provides to recipients. The Ohio Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Farmers' Markets provide food assistance customers access to locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Click here to find out how you can join or to locate a participating EBT Farmers' Market in your community.
