News

Did you know there are currently over 70,000 Vermonters who receive 3SquaresVT benefits (SNAP) to help them provide food for their families? Starting on May 1st, Vermonters who use their 3SquaresVT benefits at the Vermont Farmers Market will be able to double their money (up to $10) with Crop Cash, which can be used to buy fruits, vegetables, herbs, and edible plant starts from local farmers.

The Crop Cash Program works like this: customers go to the booth at the market designated with the yellow “EBT and Debit Cards Accepted Here” banner. They say how much of their 3SquaresVT benefits they would like to spend and then swipe their EBT card. They will be given silver tokens worth $1 to use at any vendor that sells 3SquaresVT eligible foods. As a bonus for shopping at the market, they will also be given Crop Cash, an incentive in the form of a $1 dollar coupon that matches their 3SquaresVT purchase, up to $10 per market day. Crop Cash can then be used to purchase fruits, vegetables and herbs at the farmers market.

The Crop Cash Program benefits 3SquaresVT households, Vermont farmers, and the local economy by increasing the opportunity for limited-income Vermonters to use their federal benefit dollars to purchase more local produce that directly supports local farm businesses.

The Vermont Farmers Market can be found at Depot Park in Rutland on Saturdays from 9-2, Wednesdays from 1-5 and in Fair Haven on Thursdays 3-6. The Vermont Farmers Market is one of over 30 farmers markets in Vermont that accept 3SquaresVT benefits and offer Crop Cash!

For more information on Crop Cash, including a list of participating markets, visit www.nofavt.org/cropcash or dial 2-1-1.

The Crop Cash Program is coordinated by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), with funding from the USDA.