SJI Farmer’s Market now accepts food stamps

Submitted by SJI Farmers Market

The San Juan Island Farmers Market is officially accepting EBT cards under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps. Since Saturday, June 17, the SJI Farmers Market will accept the following Supplemental Nutrition Vouchers for the 2017 season:

WIC Checks: The WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is associated with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, popularly known as WIC. The WIC Program provides supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education at no cost to low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding post-partum women, and to infants and children up to 5 years of age, who are found to be at nutritional risk. For more information, visit www.sanjuanco.com/455/WIC-Program.

SNAP/EBT Cards: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides over 45 million low-income Americans with monthly benefits that can be used to purchase most foods and beverages. Each year program participants spend roughly $70 billion in SNAP benefits, including more than $19.4 million at farmers markets as of 2015. While SNAP helps low-income Americans purchase food, the program also supports farmers and farmers markets in all 50 states. Electronic Benefit Transfer is a system that allows customers to use SNAP benefits from a government-issued debit card at farmers markets.

At the market manager’s booth, you can swipe your EBT/SNAP and receive tokens to buy anything except for cut flowers and food/drink that is intended to be consumed on site. For more information, visit www.fns.usda.gov/ebt/snap-and-farmers-markets.

Soroptimist Market Bucks: Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor and the Honeywell Foundation offer Market Bucks at the SJI Farmers Market. The Market Bucks Program provides additional dollars for families participating in the WIC Nutritional Program, and women participating in the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, to spend at the SJI Farmers Market this summer. This benefit doubles the amount of local foods that may be purchased, expands the number of families that are able to participate in the programs, and supports local farmers. For more information, visit www.sanjuanco.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=292.

Weekly Food Bank Deliveries: Every Saturday, the SJI Farmers Market collects donations from farmers and delivers fresh produce to the Friday Harbor Food Bank from 1 to 1:30 p.m. The Friday Harbor Food Bank is open from noon to 2 p.mm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Each month the FH Food Bank serves about 900 individuals and distributes food worth $6,600. For info, visit fridayharborfoodbank.weebly.com.