Expanding Markets

This year we had fifteen farmers at our two farmers’ markets, all of whom live and/or farm in the local community. We moved the West Springfield farmers’ market to the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club and were able to reach many, many more SNAP, HIP, & WIC/Senior coupon customers at this new and more central location.

We are grateful and excited to provide access to healthy produce! The vendors at our markets are helping fill an important need in the community. Their efforts in the fields, cultural produce, and outreach efforts are bearing fruit. Over 96% of sales at the markets were SNAP, HIP & WIC/Senior coupon sales. Over the winter we are planning a social media campaign in farmers' communities to spread the word further about the HIP program and expand the markets' reach again next season.

We are so thankful to our site hosts--the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club and the Baystate Brightwood Health Clinic--for opening their doors to us and sharing with their clients information about the markets. Thank you!