food justice
everyone should have access to fresh, healthy food.
here
is how we're putting our beliefs into action.
MarketMatch
Market Match is the Pittsfield Farmers Market's super power. It improves access to healthy food and makes the market more affordable by doubling SNAP, WIC and Senior benefits. Each year, Market Match puts thousands of dollars worth of fresh food onto the tables of families in need. This also means thousands of dollars into the hands of our local farmers!
So how does it work?
-
GO to the Market Manager's Booth.
-
SWIPE your EBT card or SHOW your WIC/Senior FMNP benefits.
-
DOUBLE your dollars.
-
SHOP for fresh, local food.
summereats
The Pittsfield Farmers Market offers FREE breakfast and lunch to all youth when school is out for summer!
The goal of Summer Eats is to bridge the summer hunger gap, ensuring every child has access to nutritious meals all year-round.
As the sole Summer Eats weekend site in Berkshire County, our market plays a crucial role in increasing food security for local youth.
Come eat with us each Saturday during the summer: breakfast is served 9AM-10:30AM, lunch is served 11:30AM-1PM!
Summer Eats is proudly sponsored by the Pittsfield Public Schools' Nutrition Services Program.
WIC
distribution
We know that many low-income families see farmers markets as exclusive, expensive and intimidating. To help shift this perception, we have joined forces with Berkshire North WIC.
Each year, Berkshire North WIC comes to our market to distribute farmers market coupons onsite, rather than in their offices. This enables us to create a welcoming and safe environment for new shoppers, and enables us to do outreach about our other food justice programs.
We are proud to double the purchasing power of our WIC shoppers, with Market Match coupons. Stop by our Market Manager's booth with your coupons to learn more!
HIP
Everyone who receives SNAP benefits in the state of Massachusetts is automatically enrolled in the Healthy Incentives Program. HIP boosts the financial power of EBT cardholders.
HIP can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, dried or canned) at farmers markets, CSA's, mobile markets and farmstands. Depending on the household size, HIP can provide an additional $40-$80 worth of food each month!
As an authorized market, we ensure equity by guaranteeing our shoppers the freedom to select from all available produce at our market.
givingtable
The idea of the Giving Table is simple. Food drives typically focus on non-perishable items. We step in to share the fresh, healthy bounty of our local farmers.
Each year our shoppers and vendors donate thousands of pounds of fresh food through our Giving Table. We then work with volunteers from the Unitarian Universalist Church to distribute this food to pantries, shelters and meal sites.
So, have too much broccoli in your bunch? Think the asparagus looks super fresh, but no one in your family likes it? Bring it on over to the Giving Table and we'll get the food to the people who need it.
