Often times, fresh and healthy food is more expensive than it’s mass-produced counterparts, and as such, those with less money than others are sometimes forced to eat unhealthily. The City of Urbana hopes to curb this by reinstating a program that allows customers to use a LINK card to buy fresh food at Urbana’s Market at the Square via a couple of big grants they have received recently. Good news all around for the people of C-U!
Find more info via the press release below:
MARKET AT THE SQUARE REINSTATES PROGRAM TO MAKE FARM-FRESH FOODS MORE ACCESSIBLE BY DOUBLING LINK CARD PURCHASES
Urbana’s Market at the Square has received a combined $13,000 in funding to directly support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program. A total of $8,000 of this funding, gifted by Farm Credit, will allow Urbana’s Market at the Square to match SNAP purchases at the farmers market up to $20 per Market day. To help facilitate the SNAP Program, Urbana’s Market at the Square has also received an administrative grant from LINKUp Illinois in the amount of $5,000 to be expended over the next two years.
In Illinois, SNAP benefits are loaded onto a card called LINK. Customers may then use their LINK card at the farmers market to purchase eligible items including produce, meat, dairy, honey, bread, and food-producing plants. While the Market has accepted LINK since 2010, there have only been four SNAP Double Value programs during that six-year period. This year marks one of the largest awards ever received by Urbana’s Market at the Square to support the SNAP Double Value program. The SNAP double value program will be in place beginning this Saturday, May 21st.
“Both of these organizations do incredible work for the people in our community and their support is so very much appreciated,” said Market Director Natalie Kenny Marquez. “Farm Credit, along with LINKUp Illinois, have made a huge contribution to the farmers market’s efforts to expand access to healthy local food. Thanks to these very generous organizations, Urbana’s Market at the Square will be able to better connect the broader community to local farmers and local food and make a positive impact on our local economy.”
“Farm Credit is proud to partner with Urbana’s Market at the Square to provide double value on SNAP purchases,” said Beth Bolger, industry engagement manager Farm Credit Illinois. “This program enhances the value the market already provides to the farmers who sell their agriculture products there weekly and the entire community in support of our local foods system.”
For more information about using SNAP at Urbana’s Market at the Square, and about the SNAP Double Value program, please visit www.urbanaillinois.us/marketscratch, or contact Natalie Kenny Marquez at nmkennymarquez@urbanaillinois.us or 217-384-2319. For more information about Farm Credit, visit www.farmcreditil.com.