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Eating fresh, local food is about to get easier for some families in the Galion area. The NorthSide Farmers Market is now participating in the USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program.

Households in the SNAP program can now use EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards to purchase fresh produce and other food items at the market. Cardholders will determine the amount of purchase and will receive tokens that can be used to purchase fresh-picked produce, fruit, meat, eggs, homemade breads, preserves and other food items – all locally grown or produced.

EBT cards will be processed using a wireless EBT machine at the market welcome table. The EBT machine was acquired using grant money at no cost to the market.

The NorthSide Farmers Market is the first market in Crawford County that is offering the EBT service.

“We know that many families and individuals in our community are struggling with rising food costs and want to eat healthier. The market’s goods are already more affordable and fresher than many supermarket offerings, so getting them straight from the growers is a great opportunity on many levels,” Mayor Tom O’Leary said.

The market, formerly held at KFC, is open every Tuesday through October from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at its new location in Heise Park. The last market of the month is an expanded market, where local artisans and craftsmen attend and sell their handmade/homemade products.

Current vendors include The Edible Landscapes, That’s My Farmer, Laughing Hills Stock Farm, Roseberrys’ Homemade, Fairview Orchard, 8 Sisters Bakery, Bill’s Bakery, Green Patch Garden, Gibsons’ Orchard, Heritage Harvest Farm, Heavenly Suds Soap and Back To Our Roots Farm. Crafters include Clutters’ Caning and Baskets, Leather Designs, Heavenly Hands Quilting, Country Angel – Rusty Star Primitives and Clete’s Woodcrafts. Also attending weekly is Friends of the Galion Library.

A special event with The Humane Society Serving Crawford County will be held at the July 28 market. The Society will be grilling hot dogs for donations to support their operations.

For more information on becoming a vendor or doing fundraising at the market, contact:

Nikki Ward
City of Galion
301 Harding Way E
Galion, OH 44833
419-468-1857
nicoleward@ci.galion.oh.us