• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Shop Local, Eat Fresh at the Saratoga Farmers' Market | Food, Crafts, Music in Saratoga Springs

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

  • Markets
    • Our Markets
  • Vendors
    • Vendor Directory
    • Becoming a Vendor
  • About Us
    • SFM Association
    • History
  • Programs
    • SNAP/EBT & FMNP
    • POP Club for Kids
    • Summer Internships
    • Compost Collection
  • Get Involved
  • News
    • Featured Article
    • Seasonal Recipes
    • Weekly Newsletter
  • FAQ
  • Contact us
    • Message us!

FMNP

Farmers’ market programs help keep fresh food affordable

August 10, 2022 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta

 

Summer is the season of abundance for fresh fruits and vegetables. However, for some, rising food prices might make this bounty harder to afford.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market seeks to bridge that gap through several initiatives.

This summer, the market is participating in a partnership between the Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan and Greenwich-based Comfort Food Community that makes $5 vouchers available to CDPHP members for shopping at the farmers’ market. Through the program, participants in CDPHP Medicaid plans can receive up to $100 in vouchers throughout the outdoor market season. The vouchers are redeemable for food items from participating vendors at the farmers’ market. Comfort Food Community representatives distribute vouchers at the market every other Saturday.

Owl Wood Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

This program supplements the market’s year-round EBT token redemption program. Through this program, customers who own an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card can exchange their SNAP benefits for farmers’ market tokens to purchase fresh foods, including fruit and vegetables, bread and baked goods, meat, fish, and poultry, dairy products, honey and maple products, and value-added foods like soup mixes, sauces, and jams and jellies. Herb plants and plants that produce food are also approved purchases with EBT coins. The market additionally offers SNAP incentive programs, such as FreshConnect, that provide extra coupons or tokens to spend, meaning customers receive more value than they spend. With FreshConnect, for every $5 a customer spends with their EBT benefits, they receive a $2 FreshConnect coupon to spend at the farmers’ market.

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) also offers coupons in the summer months. Through this New York State program, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) participants and seniors can receive $5 coupons to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the farmers’ market. Our local WIC office distributes WIC coupons. Saratoga County Office for the Aging distributes senior coupons. Individuals aged 60+ with a limited income may pick up a booklet containing five $5 coupons (limit one per person).

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Pattie Garrett

Vendors cannot give change for items purchased with such coupons. However, many will work with you to ensure you receive that the goods you receive are of at least an equal value to the coupons used in making the purchase. 

To use FMNP coupons at the market, look for the blue poster at participating vendors’ stalls or simply stop by the market information table for a complete list of farms accepting FMNP coupons. The FMNP season runs from June through October.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: cdphp, comfort food community, farm to table, FMNP, fresh connect, Saratoga Farmers' Market, shop small, snap/ebt

Stretching your food dollars at the farmers’ market: nutrition assistance programs for seniors, WIC participants, and SNAP shoppers

July 20, 2021 By marketeditor

By Madison Jackson

Ensuring that fresh, local, and healthy foods are accessible to the local community is a top priority for farmers’ markets. Thankfully, there are various programs available that can help bridge the gap.

Farmers’ market EBT coins, photo by Pattie Garrett

Year-round at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s Wednesday and Saturday markets, customers who own an EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card can exchange their SNAP benefits for farmers’ market tokens to purchase fresh foods, including fruit and vegetables, bread and baked goods, meat, fish, and poultry, dairy products, honey and maple products, and value- added foods like soup mixes, sauces, and jams and jellies. Herb plants and plants that produce food are also approved purchases with EBT coins.

The market additionally offers two SNAP incentive programs between which customers can choose with each transaction to get the most bang for their buck. The FreshConnect program, run by New York State, offers an extra $2 coupon to spend on SNAP items for every $5 a customer spends with their EBT benefits. Double Up Food Bucks, administered by Field & Fork Network and new at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market this season, matches SNAP benefits dollar-for-dollar (up to $20 per market day) with extra tokens that can be spent on fruits, vegetables, and produce-bearing plants. FreshConnect runs year-round, while the Double Up Food Bucks season runs July through October.

FMNP poster, photo by Pattie Garrett

More seasonally, the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is a New York State program that offers WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) participants and seniors coupons to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the farmers’ market. Our local WIC office distributes WIC coupons. Senior coupons will be distributed by the Saratoga County Office for the Aging on-site at the Saratoga market on Saturday, August 7th (9 am-1 pm) and Wednesday, August 11th (3-5 pm) at High Rock Park. The Office for the Aging will also distribute the coupons at the Clifton Park market on Monday, July 26th (2-5 pm) and Monday, August 16th (2-5 pm) at the Shenendehowa United Methodist Church. Individuals aged 60+ who live on a limited income may pick up a booklet of coupons containing 5 $4.00 coupons (limit one per person).

To spend your WIC or Senior FMNP coupons at the market, look for the blue poster at participating vendors’ stalls or simply stop by the market information table for a complete list of farms accepting FMNP coupons. The FMNP season runs from June through October, after which unused coupons expire.

Utilizing the available nutrition assistance programs is a win-win-win situation. Low-income consumers have more access to healthy foods, local farmers gain income and connect with new customers, and more food dollars stay in the local economy.

This week’s recipe: Summer Vegetable Stir Fry

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: coupons, Double Up Food Bucks, EBT, Farmers Market Nutrition Program, Field & Fork Network, FMNP, FreshConnect, matching, nutrition assistance, seniors, SNAP, SNAP Benefits, WIC

Farmers’ market programs make food accessible

July 13, 2020 By marketeditor

By Julia Howard

Farmers’ market EBT coins, photo by Pattie Garrett

Connecting our community with locally produced food is a priority of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. While this connection supports the local economy, it also ensures that people of all economic levels have access to fresh, locally-sourced food.

With this purpose, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has partnered with the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), FreshConnect program, and Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program for WIC participants and Seniors (FMNP).

“These programs are vital for providing our community with food while also supporting the livelihood of farmers and producers,” says Emily Meagher, the market’s administrator. “We are proud to offer these ongoing programs that encourage our community to shop local and eat healthily.”

FreshConnect coupon, photo by Pattie Garrett

At the farmers’ market, SNAP participants and veterans, service members, and their immediate families may use their Benefit card at the market information tent on Wednesdays and Saturdays where market staff can exchange EBT money for farmers’ market EBT coins. These coins never expire and may be spent directly with farmers’ market vendors. Vendors are not able to give cash change for purchases, however, they will make up any difference in product.

EBT coins may be used to purchase EBT allowable foods including fruit and vegetables, bread and baked goods, meat, fish, and poultry, dairy products, honey and maple products, and value-added foods like soup mixes, sauces, and jams and jellies. Herb plants and plants that produce food may also be purchased with EBT coins.

In addition to participating in the SNAP program, the farmers’ market also offers FreshConnect coupons. For every $5 a customer spends with their EBT benefits, they will receive a $2 FreshConnect coupon to spend at the farmers’ market.

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC and Senior) coupons may also be used to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the farmers’ market. FMNP senior coupons are given to individuals age 60+ who are living on a limited income. The Saratoga County Office for the Aging will be handing out booklets of 5, $4.00 FMNP coupons (limit one per person) to eligible seniors on Monday, July 27, 2-5 pm, at the Clifton Park Farmers’ Market and Wednesday, August 5, 3-5 pm, at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. No proof of income or identification is needed; individuals simply sign a paper attesting that they are over the age of 60 and their income is under the limit.

 

This week’s recipe: Steak or Lamb Kebabs with Summer Vegetables

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: coupons, EBT, Farmers Market Nutrition Program, FCC, FMNP, FreshConnect, nutrition programs, Saratoga County Office of the Aging, seniors, SNAP, WIC

Spirit of Sharing Fills Saratoga Farmers’ Market

August 27, 2019 By marketeditor

By Elizabeth Horgan

Euro Delicacies, photo by Pattie Garrett

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is a great opportunity to meet up with others as you shop for the week. If you spend enough time at the market, you will start to see the sense of community that vendors share with each other as well as their customers. When shopping for ingredients to fill her ravioli, Mangiamo’s Rose Contadino stops by Halls Pond Farm, the produce vendor five steps from her stall. Meanwhile, Armin and Zinta Hrelja of Euro Delicacies use apples from Saratoga Apple for their apple strudel.

The vendors not only support each other but also the community. At the end of the Wednesday and Saturday markets, Squashville Farm’s Himanee Gupta-Carlson goes around to vendors to collect donations for the Franklin Community Center’s food pantry. Gupta-Carlson also coordinates a garden for the pantry. Meanwhile, Jim Gupta-Carlson facilitates the market’s compost collection program.

Owl Wood Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

The market is a strong advocate of the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, which distributes $4 coupons for produce to lower-income seniors and others, as well as the Fresh Connect program that provides SNAP recipients an additional $2 for every $5 of EBT tokens purchased at the market.

The market also connects with the community in other ways. Through a partnership with the Bicycle Benefits program, market-goers can purchase a $5 sticker and take advantage of discounts at local businesses. This is part of an effort to encourage the use of bicycles as a source of transportation through the incentive of discounts at local businesses if you show your sticker and that you biked to their location. At the market, participants in the Bicycle Benefits program receive a $2 token to purchase produce or other items.

Chris Toole and Alexandra Morgan are conveners of the Friends of the Market volunteer program, whose members assist market-goers with the transport of purchases from the market to cars, offer vendors the chance to take short breaks, and support the market in other ways. They are eager to welcome new volunteers, and those who are interested can stop by the market shed or e-mail volunteers@saratogafarmersmarket.org. Volunteering at the market has shown them what farmers go through to get their produce from the farms into people’s homes.

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: Bicycle Benefits, Euro Delicacies, Farmers Market Nutrition Program, FMNP, Franklin Community Center, Friends of the Market, Mangiamo, volunteering

Farmers’ markets and food security

June 4, 2019 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

New York State’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program begins this month. Through it, individuals who face economic hardship can receive $4 coupons to purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, mushrooms and herbs at participating farmers’ markets.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is among the many farmers’ markets taking part in the program. It also is among its strongest advocates.

“Many of our vendors are farmers with social consciences,” says events coordinator Julia Howard. “They see their work of growing healthy foods as part of a larger vision to feed their communities. The FMNP helps make that goal more possible.”

Pleasant Valley Farm accepts FMNP coupons for fruit and vegetables, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

The coupons come in books of five. They are distributed through such outlets as Saratoga County’s Office of the Aging as well as the state’s Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC. The county’s Office of the Aging will distribute coupons on site at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market at designated dates this summer.

Individuals over age 60 can request coupons, as well as younger persons who participate in WIC.

The state’s Department of Agriculture and Markets describes the program as a means of promoting food security. It helps those who are economically distressed gain more access to healthy, locally grown fresh foods. At the same time, it generates income for local farmers and supports farmers’ markets as community venues.

Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Using the coupons is simple. At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, participating vendors display signs at their stalls that indicate their acceptance of FMNP coupons. Customers can redeem the coupons for fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and mushrooms in $4 increments.

Farmers work with customers to maximize the coupons’ value.

For instance, a large basket of potatoes might cost $5. A customer can use a $4 coupon to buy the potatoes and add an additional dollar of cash, or request that the vendor reduce the amount of potatoes so that the price comes to $4. In a different scenario, a bunch of kale might cost $3. The vendor might add a little more to the bunch to equal $4 or add a separate item such as an apple.

The overall goal is to ensure that more people have access to local food.

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: coupons, FMNP, food access, Pleasant Valley Farm, WIC

Before Footer

Instagram

Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at th Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at the Saratoga Farmers' Market! 🍄🌱 This week, we're thrilled to highlight the Mushroom Shop and their incredible selection of locally grown and harvested mushrooms. We spoke with owner's Jacob and Elysee to learn more.

Q: What are some of the health benefits associated with consuming mushrooms?

A: Mushrooms contain a multitude of medicinal compounds. The mushroom species Cordyceps militaris contains cordycepin, which increases your blood's ability to absorb and transport oxygen, improving exercise performance. Mukitake or Panellus serotinus possesses compounds that have shown in recent studies to improve liver function in people suffering from fatty liver disease. Reishi mushrooms improve immune health, warding off sickness and reducing inflammation. Other medicinal mushrooms include Turkey Tail, Chaga, Agarikon, Maitake, and Lions Mane.

Q: What inspired you to start selling mushrooms at the farmers' market?

A: We initially got our inspiration from a mushroom farm based in Tennessee called Mossy Creek Mushrooms. They have many videos on Youtube covering every aspect of operating a mushroom farm from building and maintaining equipment to harvesting and marketing mushrooms. Jacob has had an interest in growing mushrooms as a hobby for about eight years when he discovered a patch of oyster mushrooms growing in the wild. We got the opportunity to lease land in the beginning of 2021 and shortly after started selling at farmers’ markets.

Q: How do you recommend customers prepare and cook the mushrooms they purchase from you?

A: At our farmers markets we always provide printed recipes that utilize the mushrooms available during the current season. Like meat, mushrooms can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as sautéing, roasting, and grilling to create a flavorful dish. One of our recent favorites is a Spicy Crispy Lion's Mane Sandwich- a thick slab of Lion's Mane mushroom battered and fried on a toasted bun with spicy mayo and pickles. This is a delicious take on a chicken sandwich made entirely of whole, natural produce. 

*Find the Mushroom shop year round at our Saturday markets!*

#saratogafarmersmarket
Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Join us on Saturday, March 25th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Saratoga Farmers' Market's International Flavor Fest in the Wilton Mall food court! 🎉 Indulge in frgál cakes, julekaker, burek, curries, samosas, and more, representing cuisines from all around the world! 🌎 There will be live music, family-friendly activities, and food tastings that will take your taste buds on a journey around the globe! 🎶👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Plus, our friends at the World Awareness Children's Museum will be hosting a paper fortune cookie making session for the kiddos! Don't forget to pick up your passport for a chance to win a prize by filling it with stamps from market vendors! Let's celebrate our traditions, history, and community through the language of flavorful food! 😍🍴

 #InternationalFlavorFest #SaratogaFarmersMarket #FoodieAdventure #CommunityConnection
Join us tomorrow for our Saturday market! From 9:3 Join us tomorrow for our Saturday market! From 9:30-1:30 you can find all your favorite vendors in the Wilton Mall Food court. We’ll by joined by the Academy of Life Long Learning, AIM Services, and musician Lee Paquin. Hope you can make it!!!

Photos of: @squash.villa.farm , KOKINDA Farm, and @eurodelicaciesco by Graciela Colston

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogasprings #farmersmarket #agriculture #shoplocal
The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is seeking donation The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is seeking donations to help improve our market and keep our nonprofit organization running. Your donation will be used for essential functions of the market as well as helping us reach more of our long-term goals for the community. We are looking for additional resources to expand our community offerings such as hosting family friendly events, programs and activities.

You can help us by donating via our GiveButter account (link in bio) or in person at the market via our market manager. Thank you for your ongoing support. We couldn’t do it without you! 

#saratogafarmersmarket #supportlocalfarmers #nonprofit #communitylove #givebutter

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

With support from our friends at:

Copyright © 2023 · Saratoga Farmers Market · Design by REACH CREATIVE

    COVID-19: Check our latest Safety Guidelines!
  • Markets
    • Our Markets
  • Vendors
    • Vendor Directory
    • Becoming a Vendor
  • About Us
    • SFM Association
    • History
  • Programs
    • SNAP/EBT & FMNP
    • POP Club for Kids
    • Summer Internships
    • Compost Collection
  • Get Involved
  • News
    • Featured Article
    • Seasonal Recipes
    • Weekly Newsletter
  • FAQ
  • Contact us
    • Message us!