Public Market Token Program for SNAP Recipients

 MarketMatters-page-header

Connecting people with SNAP benefits to fresh, healthy, affordable food

Through the Market Token Program, wooden Tokens are used as Market currency, making it possible for customers with SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) "food-stamp" benefits to easily get fresh, healthy, affordable foods from participating Market vendors. SNAP recipients stop at the white Market Token Center behind the Market Office house to swipe their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card and obtain $1 and $5 tokens that function as cash and are accepted by dozens of Market vendors. Tokens are available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturdays from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., year-round.

The Tokens can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, dairy products, baked goods, honey and spices, processed foods, and even seeds and even plants that produce food (for example, tomato or pepper plants). 


Download our Token Program Flyer here --one side of this flyer is designed with more pictures and fewer words to make it more accessible to folks that speak languages other than English!

Bonus!  New York State Fresh Connect

Through the Fresh Connect program, New York State often offers a 100% bonus on the first $50 of SNAP benefits redeemed each Market day! 


Market Token Program Superlatives

Just how successful is our Market Token program? In 2020 (the last year for which the USDA offers national data on SNAP use at farmers markets), the Market Token Program transacted an amazing 23% of all SNAP benefits redeemed at all 290 participating markets across New York State. That's right-- just this one of 290 SNAP-accepting markets across New York State was responsible for 23% of the total statewide redemptions. 

The program also transacted 2% of all SNAP redemptions nationwide in 2020-- a remarkable performance given that 4,656 farmers markets accepted SNAP that year across the nation. As of mid-September 2023, the Market Token Program had already shattered its own records, with $1,370,456 in SNAP benefits transacted. 

Managed by the Friends of the Rochester Public Market

This nation-leading program is managed by the Friends of the Rochester Public Market, the City's essential non-profit partner--with just one part-time paid manager and a legion of dedicated volunteers.

Volunteer!

The Friends of the Market also welcomes additional volunteers to help with the Market Token Program! If interested, call the Friends office at 585-428-7292 or email Marketfriends@Marketfriends.org

Information and Contact

For more information on this  program, or to request materials and/or a presentation, contact the Friends office at 585-428-7292 or email Marketfriends@marketfriends.org

 

Return to the Market main page