This news item expired on Friday, August 30, 2013 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
To make healthy foods more accessible within our community, Buncombe County Health and Human Services worked with farmers’ markets to expand payment options to Food Nutrition Services recipients. Implementing EBT (the food payment process) in farmers’ markets started as an initiative of the US Department of Agriculture and has been a successful project in Buncombe County. It is now easy for individuals to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables using their food assistance EBT card at our local markets.
Expanding the payment option is not only beneficial to EBT recipients; it’s also good for the local economy. Improving the income of local farm vendors ensures that they can continue to reinvest in growing fresh, organic produce and can help them expand their growing capacity.
Some of the local farmers’ markets accepting EBT include:
-
Asheville City Market
-
West Asheville Tailgate Farmers Market
-
WNC Farmer’s Market
-
Pisgah View Market
By providing the options for individuals to select local fresh fruits and vegetables, we can reduce health problems and health disparities.
For more information about local farmers markets in Western North Carolina, visit asapconnections.org.