People in Monmouth County take pride in our abundance of available New Jersey produce. Legend has it, nothing compares to a Jersey tomatoes and corn. Here at Interfaith Neighbors we are leading the movement whose core belief is that everyone—regardless of income, zip code, race or ethnicity—deserves access to the fresh food we ALL need to be happy and healthy. Another one of Interfaith Neighbor’s beliefs is that New Jersey farmers deserve to thrive—in fact, our farmers are the best preventative health practitioners we have, as they supply us with what we need to prevent chronic food related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and others.
Farmers’ Markets are a great way to connect farmers to families. That is why we support and fund an initiative to move toward universal acceptance of federal food benefits at all farmers’ markets in Monmouth County. Federal food benefits are a powerful driver of economic growth for the state, as well as the best bet we have to prevent nutritional security and promote health and equity.
There are three types of benefits available to families facing limited resources:
New Jersey’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, provides food assistance to families facing limited resources to help them buy groceries through an electronic benefits card (EBT). Eligibility is set by several factors, such as income and resources. SNAP benefits are a powerful way to increase income to New Jersey farmers and help families access nutritious foods. In New Jersey, the minimum SNAP Benefit is $95/month. Go here if you need information on your eligibility. Go here to find the contact information to sign up. Discover which farmers’ markets around the state accept SNAP and other food benefits, and how the process works.
The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides Federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. The WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is associated with WIC. Eligible WIC participants are issued FMNP vouchers in addition to their regular WIC benefits. These vouchers can be used to buy eligible foods from farmers, farmers markets or roadside stands that have been approved by the state agency to accept FMNP coupons.
The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) provides seniors facing limited resources with vouchers that can be exchanged for eligible foods (fruits, vegetables, honey, and fresh-cut herbs) at farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs.
Find out if you are eligible for Senior FMNP and contact information to sign up here, and WIC here. Find out where to redeem your WIC FMNP here and Senior FMNP here.
In 2022, Interfaith Neighbors assisted the Asbury Fresh Farmers’ Market in their efforts to become the first SNAP and WIC/Senior FMNP approved farmers’ market in Monmouth County. Asbury Fresh was also awarded a Good Food Bucks grant to double SNAP Benefits. The Matawan Farmers’ Market followed in 2024. We hope to continue to organize and inspire other Monmouth County farmers’ markets to follow in the footsteps of these two groundbreaking pioneers and applaud Danny Croak (Asbury Park) and Jennifer Perkel (Matawan) for their leadership. Asbury Fresh will host a 2024/2025 winter’s market at the Jersey Shore Arts Center 66 South Main Street, Ocean Grove, NJ 07756, 10 AM to 1 PM, Sundays, from 11/10/24-3/23/25 on these dates: 11/10/24, 11/24/24, 12/22/24, 1/12/25, 1/26/25, 2/9/25, 2/23/25, 3/9/25, 3/23/25.
