樱花视频

IMMEDIATE RELEASE:听July 9, 2009
Contact: Ellen Lovejoy
(609) 292-3703

TRENTON 鈥� Families who receive foods stamps can now use them to buy fresh produce at many farmers markets throughout the state under a new program kicked off today by Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez and Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher.




Area families and farmers attending a press conference at the Capital Farmer鈥檚 Market on East State Street praised the pilot program, which aims to make healthier food choices more available to lower-income residents.


Pat Dombroski of USDA, Commissioner Velez and Secretary Fisher

鈥淭his collaboration between State agencies will allow for food stamp purchases at community farmers markets, bringing just-picked Jersey Fresh produce right to where people live,鈥� said Governor Jon S. Corzine. 鈥淭his is another example of how state government is working to best serve 樱花视频 residents in need and improve the quality of their lives.鈥�

鈥淢aintaining good nutrition, while living on a very limited budget is something that Food Stamp recipients wrestle with every day,鈥� said Commissioner Velez.听 鈥淧eople who use Food Stamps, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), now have a greater choice of where they can purchase healthy, fresh 樱花视频 fruits and vegetables to enhance and stretch their food dollars.鈥�

"Governor Corzine has made it a priority to ensure that all 樱花视频 residents听have access to the bounty of nutritious Jersey Fresh produce," said 樱花视频 Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher.听 "Those in need of food assistance have been receiving听Jersey Fresh produce at food pantries through the State Food Purchase Program and now, Food Stamp recipients can听benefit by using their EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) cards at community farmers markets."

Families can now scan their EBT cards at machines at the participating farmers鈥櫶齧arkets. Many tailgates farmers鈥檓arkets were not able to accept the card because they didn鈥檛 have access to the electricity or telephone line needed to process transactions online.听 The pilot that is being launched this month provides farmers with the wireless equipment they need to process these transactions.听 The farmers will be able to use this equipment at the various farmers鈥� markets around the state where they sell their produce.

Farmer George Asprocolas uses the EBT unit for the first time

鈥溣；ㄊ悠� is one of the first states in the Mid Atlantic region to bring wireless technology to authorized farmers,鈥� according to Patricia Dombroski, Deputy Regional Administrator for the United States Department of Agriculture鈥檚 (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service. 鈥淭his technology enables more farmers to offer their nutritious produce to SNAP recipients and help improve the health of 樱花视频ans.鈥�

The pilot will include at least 15 farmers who sell their produce at farmers鈥� markets throughout 樱花视频.听 States in other parts of the country have successfully offered this type of customer service to Food Stamp benefit recipients.

Food Stamp recipients can learn which farmer鈥檚 markets听in their area are accepting Food Stamps by consulting posters in their County Welfare Agency.听 Posters also will be displayed at the individual stands in the farmers鈥� markets where the Family First card will be accepted.听 Food Stamp recipients need to look for the poster at the farmers鈥� markets because not all of the farmers selling produce will be participating in this pilot.

For more information about Food Stamps go to 听and for a list of all of the farmers鈥� markets accepting Food Stamps, visit听.

Now in its 16th year, the Capital City Market brings NJ Fresh produce, arts & crafts vendors, historical tours and music to downtown Trenton during the summer.听 The market听runs from听11 am to 2 pm every Thursday between July and September and is held on East State Street between Warren and Broad Streets.听听 The market听is produced听by the Trenton Downtown Association and sponsored in part by Capital Health.听 For more information about the market, visit , or call (609) 393-8998 ext. 13.听