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Food stamps to be accepted at farmers’ markets in Canton, Ogdensburg, Potsdam this summer

Posted 6/10/11

Participants in the food stamp program, can use their SNAP/EBT benefit cards to make purchases at three farmers' markets in St. Lawrence County this summer. The "Use Your Food Stamp (EBT) Card Here!" …

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Food stamps to be accepted at farmers’ markets in Canton, Ogdensburg, Potsdam this summer

Posted

Participants in the food stamp program, can use their SNAP/EBT benefit cards to make purchases at three farmers' markets in St. Lawrence County this summer.

The "Use Your Food Stamp (EBT) Card Here!" banner is already familiar at the Canton and Ogdensburg markets, and Potsdam Market shoppers can now use that service too.

Shoppers can use SNAP/EBT benefits to buy fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, dairy, maple syrup and other maple products, honey, breads, baked goods, jams and jellies, processed foods, and even seeds and plants that produce food.

A study released earlier this year by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, found that prices at farmers’ markets for organic items were lower than supermarket prices, and farmers' markets prices beat many conventionally produced supermarket prices as well.

In addition to lower prices, the produce at farmers' markets is often picked just earlier that day, so it's as fresh tasting as possible. You will often find varieties of fruits and vegetables at the market that are not sold in stores, and farmers love to share information and recipes for what they've grown.

"It’s not just customers who benefit when they use their SNAP/EBT cards at farmers' markets. Farmers and vendors also benefit from the increase in customers and sales," says Phil Harnden, executive director of GardenShare.

The Canton Market is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 9-2 at the Village Park; Ogdensburg’s is open Wednesdays from 4-7 and Saturdays from 9-1 at Library Park on Riverside Avenue; and the Potsdam Market is open Saturdays 10-2 at Ives Park on Main Street, and will open on Wednesday from 11-2 starting in August.

For a complete listing of farmers' markets in St. Lawrence County with contact information, visit www.GadenShare.org.