Highland Farmer’s Market Will Offer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits This Year

Monterey, VA – The Highland Farmers Market started its 13th year of operation earlier this month. Market Master Scott Smith will begin a new service at the market this week.

“That’s the capability for the people who receive a SNAP, which is Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to be able to use those benefits down at the farmers market to shop for eligible products down there” says Smith. “It’s a capability that we’ve wanted to offer for a while, but it hasn’t been feasible until an opportunity came up this spring in conjunction with the Virginia Dept of Social Services. They made it possible for us to get the necessary equipment and to set up the infrastructure to do it; so we’re getting ready to be able to offer that.”

Scott goes on to discuss the types of products that can be purchased under the SNAP program.

“Eligible products are products that are intended for home consumption” he says, “your fruits and vegetables, your breads, your baked goods, that sort of thing. And also seeds and plants that are intended to grow food at home. Hot foods, foods that are intended to be eaten at the point of sale are not eligible. Most everything my food vendors have down here at the market would be considered eligible products, and of course if there’s any question for customers or vendors they can come to me and I will find out the answer.”

Scott talks about how he came up with the idea for this service.

“We’ve had requests, we’ve had people that would like to have this and have spoken to me about it” says Smith. “And again, it’s a service we wanted to offer.”

Each week the market has a theme and this week’s theme combines the farmers market’s 13th anniversary with the July 4th holiday weekend. Next week is Arts at the Market day featuring paintings and photography. The week after that is Beef Cattlemans Day, followed by Young Farmers Day and to close out July will be Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Day.

For more information about the Highland Farmers Market, call Market Master Scott Smith at 468-1922.