Did you know that you can use your food assistance benefits, like SNAP and e-WIC, to buy local food? And, some farmers’ markets and some retailers offer programs like Double Up Food Bucks that match SNAP dollars spent on fruits and vegetables. Meaning for every $2 in SNAP spent, the customer receives a matching $2 to spend on produce up to $20. Below are four helpful guides that list all businesses and markets that sell delicious, locally grown food and accept food assistance benefits in our region. Click each guide below to print or screenshot them to have them handy!
(Canton, Malone, Massena, Potsdam areas)
(Watertown, Carthage, Old Forge areas)
USING YOUR BENEFITS IN YOUR COMMUNITY
You have the choice of where you’d like to spend your benefits. You can use your benefits to support the farms, small businesses, and employers in your own community.
Buying a ripe tomato grown at a local farm will taste better and be juicier than a tomato shipped from afar. Many local food vendors also offer online shopping, curbside pick-up, and local delivery! When you spend $1 on food at a conventional grocery store, only about $0.17 goes to the farmer. When you spend $1 at a farmers’ market or retail location, the farmer earns almost the whole dollar.
Visit our Food Assistance FAQ page for more details on qualifying for, signing up, and utilizing benefits.
