Chenango County Farm Bureau (CCFB) President Bradd Vickers, CCFB Executive Director and Greene Pasture Ranch owner Victoria Pezzino, and New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball meet on December 8, 2022 at the New York Farm Bureau (NYFB) Annual Meeting- Future of Agriculture Summit, in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Rainy Vickers)

CHENANGO COUNTY — New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new initiative Fresh Connect Fresh2You program that provides double the buying power as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The new initiative launched April 15, and will help families in need from the recent reduction of SNAP benefits and inflation costs, giving SNAP consumers a dollar-for-dollar match, when purchasing from farmers markets, allowing families to eat more healthy food, including produce, dairy, and meats, while providing an increase to farmers revenue and boosting local food sourcing.

Hochul said, “New York has taken significant steps to develop strong, mutually-beneficial relationships between local farmers and the communities they feed.”

Chenango Farm Bureau Executive Board Director Victoria Pezzino is also the owner of Greene Pasture Ranch in Greene. She provides grass and pasture raised beef, pork, chicken and eggs from her family business to the community and participates in six local farmer’s markets in Chenango and Broome County as well as other events.

“As a beef farmer, I’m excited about this new initiative, its ability to retain our consumers at farmer’s markets as well as helping consumers to make healthy, sustainable choices about their local food chain and believe this initiative will create closer relationships between consumers and their local farmers,” Pezzino said.

“Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball, regarding the SNAP program, at the New York Farm Bureau (NYFB) annual meeting. We discussed ways to make the program more accessible to farmers and the continuation of funding for the program.

“Being a third generation farmer himself, the commissioner is sensitive to the need for producers to have an outlet to sell and promote their products,” she added.

Commissioner Ball attended a meeting with the Farmer’s Market Federation of New York regarding the new initiatives and is working collaboratively with New York State Agriculture and Markets as well as the FreshConnect Fresh2You Program.

In addition to SNAP consumers, the FreshConnect Checks program is also available to veterans, service members and their immediate families to use the benefits at New York State farmers' markets, stands and mobile markets. Veterans can receive $50 in FreshConnect coupons this year from New York State Department of Veterans' Services offices.

According to governor.ny.gov site, farmers' markets fill an essential gap in New York's local food supply chain by creating better access to and encouraging healthier eating by purchasing locally grown foods while supporting direct farmer-to-consumer transactions.

New York has over 400 farmers' markets, 250 farm stands and 10 mobile markets providing outlets for agricultural producers to meet the rising consumer demand for a variety of fresh and affordable products grown locally.

Vendors and farmer's markets can contact the Federation of NY as they will assist with the entire process of getting set up for SNAP/EBT processing to obtain card readers for farm producers and markets.

They are also hosting a monthly zoom meeting for collaboration with Producers, Farmers, and Vendors.

Markets who wish to utilize SNAP/EBT benefits can get in contact with the Farmer’s Market Federation of New York at office 109 Twin Oaks Drive Suites U2-U4 Syracuse, NY 13206 , visit website www.nyfarmersmarket.com, call 315-400-1447, or email Diane Eggert at deggert@nyfarmersmarket.com.