A sprouting business: farmers' markets can help local producers while giving low-income communities more healthy food choices.

• Author: Shinkle, Douglas
• Position: FARMERS' MARKETS

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Americans' love of fresh, locally food is blossoming far beyond the few "foodie" cities and rural farming communities of the past.

Since 1994, the number of farmers' markets has quadrupled to more than 7,800. After years of record-high obesity and diabetes rates, many people are trying to eat healthier. And with celebrity chefs and nutrition advocates promoting the benefits of locally grown, preservative-free food, farmers' markets are sprouting up everywhere.

But until recently, the movement hasn't reached a huge segment of the population that could greatly benefit from it: the 47 million Americans who receive federal supplemental nutrition assistance (SNAP), previously called food stamps. And it's not necessarily because farmers' markets are too pricey. Studies have found that although they are often perceived to be more expensive, they can be comparable to, and at times cheaper than, other food outlets.

Surprisingly, a significant obstacle for many would-be shoppers has been the inability to use their food benefits at farmers' markets. The markets simply did not have the equipment to process government-issued electronic food benefit cards, which are similar to credit cards.

Legislatures in several states, however, have helped to eliminate that barrier. With the equipment needed to process benefit cards, farmers' markets are giving more people an opportunity to choose healthy foods while supporting small- to medium-sized farmers who often depend on direct sales to consumers to survive.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Sowing Seeds of Access

In the past five years, California, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia have provided funding for farmers' markets to process SNAP benefits, taking advantage of $4 million in grants recently awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Today, about a third of farmers' markets accept benefits cards. And with millions of Americans receiving supplemental nutrition assistance, it's no surprise that, since 2008, their use at markets has risen 400 percent--to $16.5 million in 2012, according to the Department of Agriculture.

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

The Illinois General Assembly created a Farmers' Market Technology Improvement Program in 2010 to expand the capabilities of markets to accept benefit cards. Its goals were to use money from the federal grant to purchase or rent equipment, pay activation and wireless access fees, and educate benefit...