NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Reno County Farmers' Market is making an extra effort to get fresh food into the hands of low-income residents this year through a new Market Ambassador.
"She's going to have a table set up by our water and coffee that is strictly there to help you navigate the SNAP system," said Sparkle Faidley with the Farmers Market. "You'll come up, you'll swipe your SNAP card and you can get, say $25 in SNAP benefits from your card and you can spend those on vegetables, eggs, bread, we do not have dairy at the market right now. That's a very gray area for the USDA."
You can buy with a credit card, but it is an additional process.
"We encourage you to bring cash," Faidley said. "A lot of vendors already have a square reader, but we do take credit cards at that SNAP table. You can swipe it for $20, that's our minimum this year and she'll give you wooden tokens for $20 that you can spend at any vendor."
There should be lots of vendors there for the season opener.
"It looks like we're going to have at least 20," Faidley said. "We possibly could have a full house if everybody shows up. I know graduation and Mother's Day is coming up. Next weekend's going to be a little short, because we do have so many families involved with all the graduations in the area. We have flowers, we have baked goods, we have jams and jellies, lots of cold crops, so we'll have your lettuce and greens, broccolis, eggs, kettle corn will be there, honey, lots of unique gifts."
The Reno County Farmers’ Market operates in a city-owned structure located at the southwest corner of Second Avenue and Washington Street. The Reno County Farmers' Market operates Saturday mornings between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. from early May through the last Saturday in October and Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. from June through the last Wednesday in October.
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