Boalsburg Farmers’ Market to Accept SNAP Customers

The Boalsburg Farmers’ Market is making history among its peers in Centre County.

The local food market is officially the first in the county to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program EBT — or SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program.

This new form of payment will provide those with state welfare an alternative to local supermarkets for their produce, protein, and other locally grown, raised, and baked foods. 

And while the Boalsburg Farmers’ Market will now be the only such market in Centre County to accept SNAP, it hopes to be starting a trend that will spread throughout the county and state.

‘We will be the first farmer’s market in Centre County to accept SNAP benefits, but we don’t want to be the last,’ said Sarah Potter, who works with programming and outreach for the market. ‘We are hoping that our program will serve as a successful pilot for other area markets. The goal is that everyone in our community will have equal access to healthy, local foods.’

Customers using SNAP/EBT will be able to pick out items at each vendor’s table/booth, take a purchase slip listing their items to the information booth, and pay for everything there as opposed to paying each vendor individually.

This new process will also make things easier for all shoppers at the market, allowing debit/credit cards to be used at the information booth to purchase items from vendors that only accept cash. You will be given a purchase slip after payment that is exchangeable at the vendor table for your items.

The SNAP program is partially funded by a grant that the market received in 2014 from the USDA Farmer’s Market Promotion Program. That grant money has also helped expand market programs like cooking demonstrations and school programs. Spring Creek Homesteading Fund, a local non-profit, also partnered with the market to apply for SNAP eligibility. The non-profit will continue supporting the program to ensure its success through future funding.

‘The biggest hurdle is getting the word out in our community and encouraging folks to make a point of shopping at the market each week,’ Potter said. ‘You can even use SNAP EBT to purchase a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share or weekly box of vegetables from a local farm. We want everyone to take advantage of the excellent local foods available at our market, and we are very happy that we can now expand that access.’

The market is open every Tuesday from 2 to 6 p.m. During the winter season, the market is housed at St. John’s United Church of Christ, located at 218 N. Church St. in Boalsburg. During the summer season, the market is held in the Pennsylvania Military Museum’s parking lot.