How Food Vouchers Impact a Farmers Market
Daniela Perez, Adelante Mujeres Farmers Market Manager, and Mata Family Farm.
Adelante’s two farmers markets - the Forest Grove Farmers Market and the Cornelius Farmers Market - wrapped up their 2021 seasons. Reflecting on the past year, we highlight our staff, community partners, vendors, and customers in their efforts to receive and distribute thousands of dollars for fresh food access.
Adelante Mujeres is committed to making healthy food accessible for the whole community. In the 2021 farmers market season, $52,440 was distributed in Fresh Food Relief Vouchers. These Fresh Food Vouchers are worth $20 each and were available weekly at the information booth and the Washington County Mobile COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at our farmers markets. Courtesy of Washington County, hundreds of families and individuals received these vouchers, exchanged them for tokens at the information booth, and spent $20 on their selection of fresh food. The vouchers were valid towards the purchase of fruits, vegetables, and value-added agricultural products like eggs, meats, cheeses, honey, and more.
At the Forest Grove Farmers Market, an average of $1,340 is given out daily to customers and spent directly with our vendors. Maria Mata, a long-time farm vendor who owns Mata Family Farm, talked to us about the impact the vouchers had on her farm business and her community. “I saw that it helped us a lot because the more vouchers people had, the more they bought,” Mata explained.
Maria Mata, owner of Mata Family Farm and Adelante Mujeres graduate.
She noted that the first day the $20 Fresh Food Vouchers were available at the Cornelius Farmers Market, customers had rushed in and Mata Family Farm almost sold out of produce. Her daughters were so excited and shared that they had never sold that much in one day at the Cornelius Farmers Market.
Mata’s most popular produce was her berries, especially her blueberries and strawberries. Mata promoted these vouchers by telling customers and other community members to stop by the information booth and receive $20 to spend on food. “I noticed that once I told them, I would see them every week at both the Forest Grove and Cornelius Farmers Markets,” Mata stated.
The vouchers also made an impact in the lives of the farmers market customers. Many customers have food benefits like SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) or WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), which we double up through our nutrition incentive programs. Receiving an additional $20 in Fresh Food Vouchers increases food access and can go a long way.
We look forward to seeing everyone during the 2022 farmers market season!
Sage Fairman is a guest blogger and the Farmers Market & Agriculture Education Coordinator at Adelante Mujeres. She studied Food Sovereignty in the Americas and spent time studying in Argentina, Chile, and Peru.