HEALTHY
WORDS: Lisa Ramirez
The Bradenton Farmers’ Market recently launched an
exciting new initiative, Healthy Together, that aims to
partner with and engage Manatee County families who
participate in the SNAP program (Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program).
Healthy Together is a fun and interactive healthy lifestyle
program for the whole family! Participants can attend one or
more of the program events, such as kid-friendly healthy cooking
demonstrations, nutrition education, healthy-food themed art
projects, easy, fun physical activity demos, and others!
Join us for the following upcoming event (most activities will be
available in English and Spanish):
Date: Saturday, February 22nd
Time: 10 am to noon
Location: Bradenton Farmers’ Market, 400 Old Main Street
Please RSVP at
healthy@realizebradenton.com and details will be provided.
Two additional activities will be held between March and May
2020. Please email healthy@realizebradenton for details.
Through neighborhood outreach and community collaborations,
Healthy Together is also getting the word out about the Fresh
Access Bucks (FAB) program available to SNAP families at the
Farmers’ Market. Through this special benet, SNAP recipients
double their spending power for fruits and vegetables when
they use their EBT card at the market. When an individual
or family spends between $5 and $40, per week, they can
DOUBLE their purchase in Florida grown produce! For
example, if they spend $40 in SNAP, they get $40 in FAB =
$80 in healthy food!
Here’s how it works:
• What Is FAB? The Fresh Access Bucks (FAB) network
allows SNAP participants to receive free FAB tokens that can
be spent on Florida Grown Produce only. FAB tokens can
be used at any participating farmers’ market in Florida. We
will match your SNAP Market Bucks purchase of $1 to $40
with an equal amount of free FAB tokens. You can receive
this match weekly.
• How can I use my EBT card at the market? Come to
the SNAP booth on Old Main Street between 3rd and 4th
Avenues, next to the information booth where you can
purchase MARKET BUCKS. MARKET BUCKS can ONLY
be used at the Bradenton Farmers’ Market, but they do
NOT expire. If you have any left over, you can spend them
at another time.
• What can I buy with SNAP MARKET BUCKS? You can
purchase food from any vendor displaying the snap market
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