The Farmington Farmers’ Market plans to offer Maine Harvest Bucks at the market again this year.

Maine Harvest Bucks is a program that helps thousands of Mainers eat more fruits and vegetables every year. People who buy food using SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps, have an average of $4 a day to spend on food, according to a news release. Maine Harvest Bucks doubles that amount of food dollars and encourages the shoppers to buy fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market.

The market operates from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Friday on Front Street, across from the Better Living Center, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Farmington District Court on Main Street.

When a shopper spends a dollar with SNAP, purchasing items like local meat, eggs, baked goods at the farmers’ market, they will receive a dollar-for-dollar match in Maine Harvest Bucks. The Maine Harvest Bucks can then be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at the market that day or shoppers can also save the Harvest Bucks vouchers for when their SNAP/EBT funds are low. This helps to ensure families can buy food at all times of the month.

The United Way of the Tri-Valley Area is the fiscal sponsor for the Farmington Farmers’ Market’s Harvest Bucks program again this year. Last year SNAP/EBT shopping at the market increase of 135%, which is a lot of fresh, local food getting to many families. Volunteers will process EBT and debit/credit cards and provide valuable resource information to shoppers at the Market. For more information about volunteering, email volunteer@uwtva.org or call 207-778-5048.

Market members noted that the Maine Harvest Bucks continued to bring them new customers last year and look forward to meeting many more this year. They also regard the program as a great way for their market to fight food insecurity in their community. Erica Emery, owner of Rustic Roots Farm said, “We are excited to get healthier food to customers who may not have shopped at the farmers’ market before. It’s good for farmers when people shop at the market and good for the shoppers,” according to a news release from the Farmington Farmers’ Market.

The program helps to address a major issue in all Maine communities. Maine has the third highest percentage of residents experiencing hunger in the country, behind Alabama and Louisiana. One in every four children in Maine are food insecure. SNAP keeps thousands of Mainers out of poverty by giving them extra dollars for food.