Hunger Awareness Month: Fresh Access is back…and bigger!

Farmers market season is now in full gear across the region, and that means Just Harvest’s Fresh Access program is back – enabling shoppers to use their food stamps/EBT, debit, and credit cards at participating markets.

Starting today, Fresh Access will be available at the new Swissvale Farmers Market, and is now operating Sundays at the new Pittsburgh Citiparks farmers market in Squirrel Hill. Starting Thursday, June 12, we will be operating at the Market Square Farmers Market. (See the full list of markets.)

Fresh Access launched in 2013 at two Pittsburgh Citiparks farmers markets and now operates at nine markets in partnership with five different entities in and around Pittsburgh. In our pilot year, we put nearly $18,000 in farmers market goods into the baskets of SNAP shoppers.

In addition to increasing access to healthful, local, fresh produce for low-income shoppers, Fresh Access also benefits regional farmers and food producers by opening up previously unavailable revenue streams. In 2013, farmers market vendors saw over $40,000 in additional sales as a result of Fresh Access.

Research shows a strong link between the inability to buy fresh foods and public health issues like obesity and diabetes. Nearly half of all Pittsburgh residents are unable to buy affordable fresh, healthy foods in their own neighborhoods, and 71 percent of these residents are low-income.

The health of our entire region benefits when all Pittsburgh residents have reliable access to fresh, affordable food. Fresh Access is a way we can increase this access, foster diversity and inclusion at our farmers markets, and create connections between low-income shoppers and regional farmers and food producers.

Fresh Access tokens

How it Works:

1. Shoppers wishing to pay with EBT, credit or debit cards should look for the Just Harvest tent at the markets.
2. There, they swipe their card and receive wooden tokens, which work like cash at the market and are redeemable with all participating vendors for eligible products.
3. The service is free for food stamp shoppers. Credit and debit shoppers are asked to make a $1 contribution to help cover the costs of the program.
4. Unused tokens can be used throughout the market season.

Hope to see you at the market!

PLEASE NOTE: Fresh Access will not be available at the Bloomfield Saturday market
and the Lawrenceville market until some time later this summer.