NY1 Exclusive: Food Stamp Use At City Greenmarkets Flourishes During 2011

By: Rebecca Spitz

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As many New Yorkers make new year's resolutions to eat more healthily, the city has released statistics that show food stamp use at local greenmarkets increased by almost 25 percent in 2011. Manhattan borough reporter Rebecca Spitz filed the following exclusive report.

When Jersey Dudziak visits the Union Square Greenmarket, he gets tokens he just bought with food stamps, to use instead of cash to pay farmers for fresh, local produce.

"It allows me to buy healthy food, organic," says Dudziak.

For six years, most of the city's greenmarkets have accepted EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards which are food stamps. It is an effort co-spearheaded by the City Council and GrowNYC, which runs the city's 53 farmers' markets.

"In 2011, we saw an over 23-percent increase in the use of food stamps at greenmarkets throughout New York City. Last year, over $600,000 of federal food stamp dollars were used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables," says City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

The council speaker is quick to add that roughly 75 percent of food stamp dollars went to fruits and vegetables, 20 percent went to dairy, eggs and meat and 5 percent were spent on baked goods.

"We have noticed a small increase in EBTs and state-issued checks and whatnot and yeah, it helps us out a lot," says farmer Ryan Race.

Currently, 43 of 53 farmers' markets run by GrowNYC accept EBT cards. GrowNYC says the greenmarket at Union Square had the highest number of food stamp sales in 2011, taking in $100,000 more than it did the year before.

"That's an amazing number, it means that Union Square is really a hub for all kinds of communities, all kinds of shoppers," says Cheryl Huber of GrowNYC.

Dylan Blanchard, another food stamps user, says being able to use EBT cards is great because he wants to know where his food comes from.

"See the food and talk to the farmer about the food, how it's treated and how they grow it," says Blanchard.

Local farmers says the ability to accept food stamps is really a win-win situation.

"We see everybody coming through using EBT or the credit debit token, it's a way to buy fresh local produce," says farmer Jim O'Brien. "That's a good thing."