JAMESTOWN – Food stamp recipients in Jamestown will have at least another month to use their benefits to purchase items at the weekly Jamestown Public Market.
Earlier this month, WRFA reported that the Novo Dia Group said it will end its service by July 31, leaving about 1,700 of the more than 7,000 farmers’ markets nationwide no way to serve SNAP customers, unless a new opportunity presents itself.
The group is an Austin-based company that processes some 40 percent of SNAP transactions at farmers markets nationwide, including the one Jamestown.
Jamestown Public Market Manager Linnea Carlson recently told WRFA that the software and equipment used by the market to process SNAP payments can be now used until the end of August.
“We were fortunate enough to have so many advocates working around the country raise awareness and help this program that a non-profit stepped up to fund it through the end of August,” Carlson said.
Carlson said that while the Jamestown Market will now be able to continue processing SNAP payments through August, she and other directors across the country are hopeful a long-term solution will eventually come forward.
“The Jamestown Renaissance Corporation and other markets in the country are working diligently every day to ensure we don’t lose those benefits. We don’t want the community to feel that can’t use it. It’s business as usual and you can continue to use your SNAP benefits and Debit cards at the Jamestown Public Market,” she said.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – also known as SNAP and previous known as food stamps – allows low income residents the ability to pay for food, including fresh fruit and vegetables at participating farmers markets.
Leave a Reply