BISMARCK, N.D. – A key federal food assistance program is gaining a bigger presence at the nation’s farmers’ markets.
North Dakota is among the states trying to let SNAP recipients know which locations accept the aid, giving them another option to buy healthy foods.
Keith Knudson of the North Dakota Farmers Market and Growers Association says this is another way to improve access to healthy food. He says they are seeing many more of those farmers’ markets in rural areas where there are issues with not having enough fresh vegetables in the community.
Knudson says small-town grocery stores have struggled to stay open. And if those new rural farmers’ markets accept SNAP, program recipients have a dedicated source of fresh food for the season.
He says it’s been hard for some operators to implement SNAP payment systems, but adds the program is making improvements. On the updated map, a yellow star shows which markets are SNAP sites.
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