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In areas where residents struggle with access to the grocery store, the Tarrant Area Food Bank is bringing the market to them.
The food bank has launched Cowtown Neighborhood Farmers Markets this summer, serving areas designated as food deserts — that is, neighborhoods where residents must travel more than 1 mile to get to the nearest supermarket.
The initiative is a partnership among the Tarrant Area Food Bank, Texas Department of Agriculture, Cowtown Farmers Market, Tarrant County WIC clinics, and Blue Zones Project Fort Worth.
“At Tarrant Area Food Bank, we believe that access to healthy food is a basic human right and not a privilege. All people deserve regular, nutritious meals," Julie Butner, president and CEO of Tarrant Area Food Bank, said in a statement. "The Neighborhood Markets are one more way we can ensure our communities have access to healthy food."
Shoppers may pay with cash, credit and debit cards, and the Lone Star card (SNAP EBT). Eligible WIC clients can also pay with Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers.
Thanks to Blue Zones Project, shoppers paying with a Lone Star card can have their SNAP dollars doubled through the Double Up Food Bucks program. Blue Zones Project is also providing unlimited matching (rather than capping at $10 per day) throughout the market season.
The markets rotate through five locations in Tarrant County and run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 1. The schedule is available here.
