Cincinnati (June 12, 2015) Hamilton County Job and Family Services’ 135,000 food assistance recipients can eat healthier and make their food subsidies go a bit further by shopping at nine farmers’ markets participating in the Produce Perks program.
The Produce Perks program offers incentive dollars to customers utilizing the Ohio Direction Card. A customer wishing can swipe their card at one central terminal, located at participating market’s information booths, and ask to withdraw a desired amount. The market provides tokens for the transaction and additional Produce Perks that can be spent on fruits and vegetables. The incentive is a dollar-for-dollar match to every dollar spent (up to $10) using an Ohio Direction Card.
There is no minimum purchase amount to qualify for the incentives and Produce Perks tokens are usable at all participating markets. As the name suggests, Produce Perks are only good for purchasing fruits and vegetables. All other tokens purchased with the Ohio Direction Card are good to use on eligible items at the market.
Participating markets include: Northside Farmers Market, Lettuce Eat Well Farmers Market, College Hill Farmers Market, Loveland Farmers Market, Wyoming Farmers Market, Findlay Market, Findlay Market Farmstand @Price Hill, Findlay Market Farmstand @Walnut Hills, Findlay Market Farmstand @Westwood. The program will run until April 30, 2016.
The Produce Perks program increases affordability and accessibility to healthful foods for low-income populations. The program also supports local economies and will seek to expand throughout the county and across the state in the future.
About Hamilton County Job and Family Services
Hamilton County Job and Family Services administers federal, state and local programs for those in need. The Department helps with local child protection, elderly protection, child care, child support enforcement, workforce development, cash assistance, food assistance and Medicaid disbursement. Servicing Hamilton County since 1947, the Department helps hundreds of thousands each year and is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, an international, independent, not-for-profit child and family service accrediting organization.
