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To celebrate National Farmers Market Week, we are highlighting the incredible work our farmers market partners do to fight hunger and to support our food system!
This week is National Farmers Market Week (August 4th - 10th)! During this yearly national celebration, spearheaded by the National Farmers Market Coalition, we get the chance to highlight the incredible work that farmers markets do in our communities to increase access to healthy and locally grown produce, act as community hubs, and support our local food system. We wanted to use this celebration of the 25th annual National Farmers Market Week as a chance to highlight the positive impact that our New Jersey farmers markets have on supporting food access in the Garden State.
Cook's Market at Rutgers Garden, a Farmers Market and Good Food Bucks partner in New Brunswick, NJ
So many farmers markets and farms across New Jersey have committed to supporting improved access to healthy, fresh, and locally produced food by accepting federal benefits programs. By accepting SNAP, WIC, and FMNP, these markets make sure that all families are able to access and afford locally grown fruits and vegetables. Shoppers use these programs in every town, city, and county, so expanding access helps ensure that customers are able to participate in and enjoy their local farmers markets.
You can find every farmers market that accepts SNAP in NJ Food Democracy Collaborative’s list, and every farmers market that also accepts WIC and Seniors FMNP in Edible Jersey’s 2024 Farmers Market Guide.
East Orange Farmers Market in Essex County, NJ
Today, over 50 farm and market locations across New Jersey accept Good Food Bucks, which doubles the value of every SNAP and Summer EBT purchase for fruits and vegetables. Good Food Bucks is New Jersey’s largest nutrition incentive program supporting Garden State farmers, allowing participating farmers markets, roadside farm stands, mobile farm stands, and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) programs to offer either 50% discounts or matching coupons for additional fresh produce with every purchase.
Good Food Bucks help families buying their groceries with SNAP and Summer EBT to get the most out of every purchase!
Blairstown Farmers Market in Warren County, NJ
Many of our New Jersey farmers markets work to improve food access in New Jersey’s deepest food deserts. Due to generations of food apartheid, these regions lack grocery stores and other traditional retailers that would have fresh and healthy fruits and vegetables. From C.R.O.P.S. markets in Atlantic City, to Kumaries Garden Market in Cumberland County, to Riverview Farmers Market in Jersey City and Beth Greenhouse Farmers Market in Newark - many of farmers market partners are serving their communities in New Jersey’s severest food deserts by providing fresh and locally sourced fruits and vegetables that wouldn’t otherwise be available.
Riverview Farmers Market in Jersey City, NJ
Good Food Bucks Farmers Markets are Supporting Food Access in Lots of Innovative Ways!
Doubling FMNP - Montclair Farmers Market, Montclair Community Farms, Nutley Farmers Market, Beth Greenhouse Farmers Market, Greenwood Ave Farmers Market, and our own Veggie Mobile markets at City Green all double the value of WIC/Senior FMNP purchases on fruits and vegetables. This is the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, a benefit just for WIC participants and for income-eligible older adults aged 60+ to redeem for Jersey-grown produce. This doubling helps WIC families and seniors get more produce with every purchase! Find all FMNP authorized farms and farmers markets here.
Nutrition Education- Many Good Food Bucks farmers market partners offer nutrition education programming to help inform shoppers about healthy eating habits and healthy grocery shopping on a budget. Greenwood Ave Farmers Market in Trenton, Riverview Farmers Market in Jersey City, and C.R.O.P.S. markets in Atlantic City all provide nutrition education programming in partnership with SNAP-Ed.
Resource Referrals- Farmers markets are hubs of community connections and offer so much more than just local food! You can often find information about enrolling in SNAP and WIC, blood pressure screenings, mobile dental screenings, youth and senior programs, and so much more when you visit your local farmers market. In fact, most Good Food Bucks farmers markets offer resource referrals to help connect their shoppers with organizations that can help them sign up for benefits programs or access emergency food pantries!
Supporting Food Pantries- Farmers markets across New Jersey support their local food pantries in a variety of ways. Stony Hill Farm and our own farm at City Green donate extra produce to local food pantries. West Windsor Farmers Market hosts a food drive at their market twice each month to support food pantries in Princeton and Trenton. Highland Park Farmers Market and Cook’s Market at Rutgers Gardens partner with local food pantries to accept vouchers from food pantry recipients for groceries at their markets. These are just a few examples of how farmers markets are feeding communities in multiple ways. Food pantries and farmers markets make great partners!
SNAP Online- With recent technology advancements, more farms and markets are starting to accept SNAP payments online, to provide another accessible avenue for customers to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables. A.T. Buzby Farm, a Good Food Bucks partner, is one market helping to lead this initiative in New Jersey by beginning to accept SNAP online for their CSA program!
Summer Meals Site- Greenwood Ave Farmers Market in Trenton acts as a Summer Meals Site, so that students eligible for free/reduced price lunches during the school year can receive free lunches at the market!
We are thankful to all of our farmers market partners across the Garden State for the many innovative ways they work to combat hunger and support nutrition and wellbeing in their communities. Only together can we develop the innovative solutions that will finally end hunger and food insecurity in our state.
Here are some ways YOU can celebrate National Farmers Market Week!
Find a Good Food Bucks farmers market near you by using the locator tool on goodfoodbucks.com Shop regularly at your farmers market – and tell your friends to do the same!
Local food fans are encouraged to share National Farmers Market Week on social media! Tag #goodfoodbucksNJ and use #LoveMyMarket and #FarmersMarketWeek when you visit a participating farmers market to share the bounty of the season on Facebook and Instagram
Volunteer with or donate to your local farmers market, or ask the market manager how you can support. Farmers Markets rely on community members like you to thrive!
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