Tennessee Officials Team-Up to Increase SNAP Access at Farmers’ Markets

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Equipping farmers’ markets to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is one way to encourage low-income families to purchase more healthy fruits and vegetables. 

In Nashville, TN in late April 2014, The Tennessee Department of Human Services, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service hosted the Farmers’ Market On-Site Application and Approval Event for markets interested in receiving free wireless point-of-sale (POS) devices equipped to accept SNAP benefits.

Through this event, eligible participants were also able to receive approval to process SNAP transactions within the day, versus the normal processing time-frame.

Last year, SNAP recipients spent an average of $175 million in benefits per month. Latinos make of 15% of SNAP recipients, and with the new increase of farmers and farmers’ markets able to accept SNAP benefit, more Latinos in Tennessee can have access to fresh, healthy and nutritious foods.

Individual farmers and farmers’ markets that were unable to attend the event can contact the Department of Human Services to find out if they qualify for federal grants for free wireless point-of-sale equipment and internet access. Or, they can visit the new MarketLinkTM website as an additional way to become an authorized SNAP vendor and get the equipment needed to accept SNAP benefits.

Read more here.