Information on farmers markets just got easier to find. Here's your complete guide
Sacramento (August 7, 2022) - Farmers markets in Sacramento are overflowing this summer with the fresh-grown bounty that earned us the label of “farm-to-fork capital. A new website makes it easier to find one near you.
Aligned with this year’s National Farmers Market Week (Aug. 7 - 13), Alchemist CDC, a local non-profit that helps low income residents access healthy food and develops food business startups, has launched sacfarmersmarkets.com as a free resource for anyone looking for more information on Sacramento and Yolo markets and stands. Previously there had not been a central resource for all farmers markets because they are run by different operators.
“Our amazing farmers markets are part of what makes Sacramento special, and they create a real connection between our residents and the people who grow their food,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg as he proclaimed Aug. 7 through Aug. 13 as farmers market week for the City of Sacramento. Read the proclamation here.
Image courtesy of sacfarmersmarkets.com
Map of Sacramento and Yolo farmer’s markets and stands from the mobile site of SacFarmersMarkets.com
The new centralized website also contains information to make it easier for low-income shoppers to patronize them.
The sortable list available on the new site shows information like location, days open, and hours of operation for the various markets, plus additional information about each one.
“A central location for regional farmers market resources brings me happiness as a market operator. I believe families need the tools for success when setting out to find the best nutritional and locally grown items for their family. I especially like the beginners guide, which offers a step-by-step guide on what to expect and the clear information about Cal Fresh/EBT benefits offered at Farmers Market,“ said Shandenia Piper, Director of Equitable Community Development for Neighborworks and operator of the Oak Park Farmers Market.
SacFarmersMarkets.com includes a map and sortable list of farmers markets and stands in Sacramento and Yolo counties. The map function offers additional information like which markets are certified and which are farm stands or noncertified markets. A certified farmers market means that agricultural products sold at the market must be sold by the farmer who produced them.
In addition to the map and detailed information about each farmers market, the new site details how to use and access CalFresh benefits to buy farm fresh produce.
"Farmer's markets are not only a great place to get fresh produce directly from the farmers themselves, but they also provide a great opportunity to stretch your dollars if you use CalFresh/EBT," said Sam Greenlee, Executive Director of Alchemist CDC.
At many regional markets, Alchemist CDC provides EBT access and offers the Market Match nutrition incentive. Market Match doubles the first $10 of EBT a customer spends at a market each week. Both programs help people take advantage of the farm-fresh foods available at markets throughout Sacramento.
Being able to use CalFresh benefits at farmers markets is a tremendous asset for those using benefits to have access to healthy and farm-fresh produce. The need for access to healthy food has spiked in recent months as consumers have been squeezed by record inflation and soaring gas prices.
Mayor Steinberg has made ensuring access to healthy, affordable food a major priority, particularly since the pandemic caused demand at food banks to soar. He and Councilmember Mai Vang recently released an RFP to choose local organizations that will receive funding to expand their food access or delivery operations. That application closes on August 15.
