Spotsylvania Farmers' Market Gets Weekday Spot

Those who enjoy fresh food in the Spotsylvania County area will now have a weekday option on Wednesdays to meet their local farmers and buy some of their food and produce.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is having a grand opening for the Spotsylvania Farmers’ Market newest location at the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center today at 3 p.m. The market is located at 4600 Spotsylvania Parkway.

The Spotsylvania Farmers' Market is in its 14th year, held on Saturdays at its Gordon Road commuter lot location. The hospital location will offer weekday market on each Wednesday until Sept. 26.

For today's special event, Market Manager Elizabeth Borst will welcome numerous guests, including the Massaponax High School Marching Band, Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Ann Heidig and Executive Vice President of Policy at Wholesome Wave Gus Schumacher. Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service Matthew J. Lohr will give the keynote address and will ring a cow bell at 3:30 p.m. to signal the opening of the market. After that, those in attendance can shop for vegetables, cheeses, meats, chicken, butter, breads, baked goods, eggs, plants and shrubs.

Credit cards and SNAP EBT cards are accepted at the farmers' market. The United States Department of Agriculture is giving out $4 million in grants that farmers can use to purchase EBT machines, and Virginia gets $91,874 to get the SNAP program at markets that do not currently have it, Borst said.

Make sure to copy the coupon in the pdf. attached to this article.

Spotsylvania Farmers’ Market Highlights

• The Spotsylvania Farmers’ Market, operated by the Spotsylvania County Virginia Cooperative Extension Office, is in its 14^th year of operation.
• The market has grown to 45 vendors with a paid Market Manager.
• The expansion includes a new weekday market at the Regional Medical Center.
• The market partnered with other markets in the region to offer centralized Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly Food Stamps, EBT and credit card services to assist customers and to build new revenue for farmers.
• It leveraged Wholesome Wave support, city and county funding, the Farmers’ Market Promotion Program and Specialty Crop Block Grants to grow the program and outreach.
• Centralized EBT/Credit program was established in 2009 to promote farmers’ markets, increase food access and drive direct sales:
  • $5 Credit Tokens
  • $1 SNAP and Bonus Tokens
  • $10 SNAP purchase gets $10 Bonus Match
  • Spotsylvania Farmers’ Market Token Sale Snapshot
    • First year token sales: Sept – Dec, $3,885: $1,387 SNAP, $663 Bonus Match, $1835 Credit
    • Second year token sales, April – Dec, $24,000: $4,437 SNAP, $2,876 Bonus Match, $16,687 Credit
    • Third year token sales, April – Dec, $37,450: $7,966 SNAP, $5,409 Bonus Match, $24,075 Credit