Making a Difference

     After watching the video about a Farmer's Market program, I realized how important a farmer's market can be to a community. A farmers market brings people together and supports the local economy. More importantly, this specific farmers market was located near a medical center and made it easy for community members to walk to. It also encouraged people to come to the market after their medical appointments, saving time and decreasing transportation issues for people who may not have a car or other reliable form of transportation.

    What was neat about this farmers market and many others who are now following the trend, is that vouchers were given to low-income community members by their doctors so they could use them at the market to buy fresh fruits and vegetables that they may not have had access to otherwise. I also learned that the Athens Farmers Market has a similar system, where people are able to use their SNAP benefits in the form of a card (Ohio Direction Card) that can be swiped at the market and community members have the capability to earn more money by using their SNAP benefits on fruits and vegetables, encouraging healthy choices.
The link below is an article published by The Post that explains the use of food assistance at the Athens Farmers Market that I found interesting;
Athens farmers accept food assistance | The Post