Massachusetts Farmers Market “Ambassadors” Encourage SNAP Usage for Healthy Local Fruits and Vegetables. By Gus Schumacher

Massachusetts is launching a unique Farmers Market Ambassadors program at 10 Boston area farmers markets this summer. Started as a joint program by Commissioner Julia Kehoe of Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) and Commissioner Scott Soares of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR).

The Bay State’s Commissioners, who have partnered across the Commonwealth’s Energy and Environmental Affairs and Health and Human Services Secretariats, developed this unique SNAP Farmers’ Market Ambassador as a program to help clients fulfill their work requirement. At the same time, the Ambassadors will provide needed assistance to farmers’ markets participating in SNAP EBT access. Participants will receive valuable work experience while at the same time provide unique community outreach opportunities regarding SNAP redemption at farmer’s markets.

SNAP clients (primarily families with children) receiving cash benefits through the Massachusetts Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) program may have a work requirement. To meet this obligation, clients can perform community service or participate in an educational activity or training program. Thus far more than 2 dozen client applications have been received for training provided by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources . Generously, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has offered support that will offset client transportation costs to and from the markets.

Some of the expected Market Ambassador duties would include: staffing the EBT machine during market hours; tracking SNAP, credit and debit transactions; collecting tokens and receipts from farmers; surveying SNAP customers; assisting with the development of an outreach plan to increase the use of the farmers markets by SNAP clients; outreach to area service agencies; promoting the use of SNAP at farmers markets to the community; and providing general support to the farmers market manager on market days.

As hundreds of farmers markets around the country expand access to fresh local healthy food with EBT installations, Double Value Coupon Programs and Fruit and Vegetable Prescriptions, more markets such as in Massachusetts are developing outreach efforts to encourage families eligible for SNAP benefits to sign up and return to use their benefits for fresh fruits and vegetables at the markets, improving their families health and also providing additional revenue to local farmers.

An early and successful effort started in 2009 at the City Heights Farmers Market in San Diego. Market masters worked closely with a local hunger organization to staff several booths where trained staff interview families enquiring about SNAP, help them determine eligibility and if eligible, assist them in filling up the required paperwork and guide them to the local SNAP offices to formally apply.

While their applications are pending for SNAP, the City Heights Market Masters provided $10 in tokens each week for the pending applicants to spend at the market for local fruits and vegetables during this interim period and thus encouraging them to return with their new SNAP cards once approved to continue shopping at the market, with provision of “Fresh Checks,” initially funded by Wholesome Wave and now funded with a CDC grant.