CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mecklenburg County Public Health is working to increase the number of farmers markets in the county that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

• Produce sold at markets can be more expensive than at the grocery store
• The health department says it helped three farmers markets start accepting benefits at the beginning of this year
• Next month, Mecklenburg Public Health is also planning to start a pilot program with six farmers markets called Double Up Food Bucks Program

Currently, four out of 18 accept Electronic Benefit Transfer cards (EBT), which is how SNAP recipients receive their benefits. Davidson, Cotswold, Matthews, and the Bulb Mobile Market have that option at the moment.

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According to Davidson Farmers Market Manager David Burke, the program has been offered there for five years.

“It has been great. It took a little while for SNAP shoppers to know that we offer it here but this past year, it has been the highest numbers of SNAP shoppers,” Burke said.

The health department says it helped three farmers markets start accepting benefits at the beginning of this year. In the next couple of months, it is providing the equipment and training required to accept SNAP benefits to four additional farmers markets in the area.

“It’s an important part of the overall idea of eating healthy, but it’s also adding access food access points to Mecklenburg County. Mecklenburg County statistically has a higher rate of food insecurity than the national average by about four percent so we want to address the need by looking at the gaps and find ways to fill those gaps,” Mecklenburg County Public Health Food Security Coordinator Abby Wyatt said.

South End Market at Atherton is one of the markets taking the steps to allow SNAP benefits to be used at that location. Farmers Market Manager Samantha De Rosa says she is grateful the health department is helping markets make this possible.

“It shows that they are coordinating with the local food movement and making sure these products are available to everyone,” De Rosa said.

She says produce sold at markets can be more expensive than at the grocery store because farmers sell in smaller quantities, which can create a price barrier for some shoppers.

“The fact that these items are more expensive but have more nutrients makes them a little bit more difficult to obtain for somebody who would typically receive the SNAP/EBT benefits. That’s why is so integral to have it as part of our market, because it helps people who do see the value in these products to purchase them,” De Rosa said.

In addition, Wyatt says the change can have a broader impact.

“It’s more options for people in the community. It gives them different places to go, different times and days of the week to access healthy fruits and vegetables, also while supporting the local and regional economy.”

Next month, Mecklenburg Public Health is also planning to start a pilot program with six farmers markets called Double Up Food Bucks Program, which allows SNAP recipients to double their benefits up to $20 per market day.