GLORIA PENNER (Host): For many people
living in poverty, buying fresh fruits
and vegetables may seem like a luxury.
But four San Diego County farmer's markets
are now accepting food stamps in an effort
to encourage low-income families
to eat more fresh produce.
The program began in City Heights last
year and people there say it's a success.
KPBS Reporter Sharon Heilbrunn has the story.
SHARON HEILBRUNN (KPBS Reporter):
Every Saturday,
about 700 City Heights residents
shop at the community farmers market.
Many are there to buy fruits and vegetables
they wouldn't otherwise be able to afford.
You see, THIS farmers market
accepts food stamps.
MICHELLE ZIVE (Network for
a Healthy California, UCSD):
Most people think farmers markets only exist
in high income neighborhoods,
like Del Mar or La Jolla.
So it was really important that our low
income neighborhoods had this opportunity
to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
HEILBRUNN: Like Modesto Garcia,
who shops there regularly.
MODESTO GARCIA (through translator):
I've been coming here since it opened,
because I live across the street.
The reason I started coming here is because
the prices of the produce are very reasonable,
and the quality of the produce is very good.
My children are asthmatic, and they started
consuming a lot of the citrus fruits
that are here, and their
asthma actually got better.
HEILBRUNN: And the farmer's are
benefiting from the program as well.
CASEY ANDERSON (San Diego County FARM BUREAU):
Really, it's made fresh fruit available
to a segment of the population that normally
wouldn't be able to come to a farmers market
and buy fresh and local produce
grown in San Diego County.
I mean, food stamps here at the
City Heights Farmers Market make
up about 15 percent of the farmers sales.
So the growers here are loving it.
It's a whole new customer base
for farmers in San Diego County.
HEILBRUNN: The City Heights Farmers Market
averages about $500 to $700 each week
in food stamp sales.Some
of that money is generated
by fresh funds, a matching funds program.
Those who use food stamps can get up
to $5 back to spend at the market.
MAI NGUYEN (Farmers' Market
Program Coordinator):
So when people claim their food stamps,
they get tokens back instead of cash,
which guarantees they will use
those tokens at the market.
HEILBRUNN: I remember being in
college and buying cup of noodles
because it was 99 cents and filling.
How do you convince people to bypass fast food,
they're making very little money as it is,
and instead pick up an apple
or pick up an orange?
MICHELLE: Yeah, good point.
You go to the store and it's 75 cents
for mac and cheese, or two oranges.
What are you going to do?
So the idea is, something like
the famers market can ADD to.
OK. It's not going to take
the place of those things.
But instead of having cup of noodles plain,
add a little bit of chicken,
add some fresh vegetables.
So it's a supplement.
Me: About 25,000 people are eligible
for food stamps in City Heights.
About 11,000 actually register for them.
About 150-200 shop at the
market each week with them.
Do you consider that successful?
Do you consider that a good number.
MICHELLE: Here's the deal.
It was a really difficult idea to
get EBT accessible markets here.
Everyone said, no ones gonna purchase it, no
ones on food stamps, no ones gonna do this.
We brought in $150,000 in a year.
I mean, that's $150,000 more
than this community saw before.
So I would consider it successful.
And we've asked people -- do you eat
more fruits and vegetables as a result
of the city heights farmers market?
And those that attend here say yes, of course.
And it's because of the fresh
funds and EBT and that it's here,
that they're able to eat
more fruits and vegetables.
HEILBRUNN: The City Heights Farmers Market
is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday.
For more informartion,
visit cityheightsfarmersmarket.com
 .
For kpbs, I'm Sharon Heilbrunn.
PENNER: Besides City Heights, the
farmers' markets in Lakeside, San Marcos
and Valley Center also accept food stamps.
For more information on this
and about our special series
on the food we eat, go to www.kpbs.org/food.
