It's difficult for families to reach farm-fresh produce at the best of times. It's almost impossible for those families on nutritional assistance, including SNAP and WIC, to access those fresh options for their produce. The rising cost of produce, along with the inaccessibility of things like farmer markets for those using benefits, makes shopping at local markets impossible for families.
Or at least, it was impossible until the Oregon Health Authority allowed for SNAP benefit users to use vouchers for local farmer markets. While this is a great step in the right direction, it's not a perfect solution. Each voucher is worth $4, with a total of $32 being distributed monthly through these vouchers. While that may seem like a decent amount of money for families for the month to buy fresh fruit and vegetables, the rising cost of produce makes this an unrealistic budget for families.
Farmers markets' have stepped up to fill some of that gap by providing additional dollars to those SNAP-eligible families so they can buy more food at markets.
Additionally, other organizations have stepped in to provide support to families and communities who are food-insecure, so they can get involved with their food. Some of these organizations bring the farm to the family by supporting communities in starting and maintaining a community garden. Others focus on educational opportunities, or creating fresher food pantries for families.
While all of these efforts are helping connect those who most need farm-fresh produce, there's a long road ahead to creating a system of accessible, fresh, and local food for those communities who need it most.
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