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End Hunger Connecticut!’s CT Fresh Match program and its 35 market partners (and counting), several of whom also participate in our non-produce matching program, True Match, are making fresh produce in the home a reality for more Connecticut citizens. By doubling the amount of produce and non-produce for SNAP customers (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), farmers’ markets become more affordable and accessible for many low-income families.
One market manager says that because of our program, one SNAP customer, “comes back every week as she says so many items here are now less expensive than grocery stores, more nutritious, and taste better.” Not only is this program a win for SNAP customers, but it’s a win for CT Grown vendors, increasing revenue. Our program is funded through the CT Department of Agriculture and the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, allowing us to reimburse vendors at a 1:1 match for all SNAP-matched purchases. At our visit to Wethersfield Farmers Market, Doug Sacks, the market co-manager, remarked that the SNAP doubling program yielded the market an additional $7,000 in the 2022 season. At the Middletown Farmers’ Market, Market Manager Christine Cicoria said the program has enabled new, small vendors to join the market because the SNAP-matching program makes it profitable for them to go to market for the first time.
Beyond the economic accessibility for low-income families and local growers, the hours of operation are inclusive. Our partner markets operate on weekends and/or weekdays in the morning and evenings, with a few running until 7 P.M. to give customers the flexibility in accessing the market. In addition to hours, the physical location of many of these markets is intentional. For example, Bridgeport Farmer’s Market Collaborative (BFMC) and its 11 markets strategically host a market in every corner of the city that operates weekly. Meaning on any given day, there will always be a farmers’ market operating in some part of the city.
Pictured: Summer interns tabling at Middletown Farmers’ Market summer 2023.
These markets operate in areas where many customers and residents receive SNAP benefits. Some may be close to bus stops within the block that the market takes place on. A host of these markets, like BFMC, consider which spaces, times, and places would be most beneficial for low-income community members. Inclusion for the CT Fresh Match market partners does not end at produce doubling but begins with it, taking into account all the other barriers that might prevent someone from getting to the market in the first place.
Through the CT Fresh Match and True Match program, food becomes more affordable, freeing up money to put towards other living expenses for SNAP users. With the cost of living triple what it once was while minimum wage is half of its previous value, finding ways to manage and make your dollar stretch is more important than ever. With winter just around the corner, an important resource to check out is Operation Fuel Inc., a non-profit that ensures equitable access to energy by providing year-round energy and utility assistance, promoting energy independence, and advocating for affordable energy. If you need assistance paying your food bills, they provide emergency relief. We visited several farmers’ markets throughout this summer and saw the impact of the CT Fresh Match and True Match program in action across the state.
We saw firsthand how important this program is to older adults and families receiving SNAP in increasing access to healthy, local food. A preconceived notion we both had about farmers’ markets is that they are an intrinsically summer event. Many actually run in the fall and winter or even year-round, with seasonal produce allowing you to expand and incorporate new recipes in your diet. A majority of markets operate through the end of October and some extend far into the new year. To find a SNAP doubling market near you, and its final date of operation for the 2023/2024 season, please click here.
Written by EHC! 2023 Summer Interns Victoria and Tori.
About us: End Hunger CT! works statewide to eliminate hunger and promote healthy nutrition through outreach, public education, and advocacy. EHC! offers SNAP assistance, nutrition program promotion, doubles SNAP at farmers’ markets, and more to help CT residents in need. To learn more about our services, click here.
Have any questions? Contact our Communications Coordinator, Kimberly Nguyen, at knguyen@endhungerct.org.
