Roots Farmer's Market Offers 2 for 1 on Produce Purchased with Food Stamps
Open Wednesdays from 1 - 4 p.m. & Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
MIAMI (March 24, 2010) – The Wholesome Wave Foundation, founded to make
locally-grown, healthy, and sustainable foods available, has partnered
with Roots In The City, Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, and Human Services Coalition to bring its Nourishing
Neighborhoods Double Value Coupon Program (DVCP) to Miami-Dade County.
The partnership supports a farmer's market, which is open on Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the corner of Northwest Second Avenue and Northwest 10th Street through the end of April and resuming in the fall.
The DVCP pilot doubles the value of benefits provided by the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) via Electronic Benefits
Transfer (EBT) Food Stamps at the new Roots In the City Farmers Market in Overtown in one of Miami-Dade County’s most
underserved communities.
Roots In The City
“We’re thrilled to have Wholesome Wave take an
interest in our garden to help it grow and nourish the surrounding Overtown
neighborhood,” said Dunn, executive director and founder of Roots In The City, a nonprofit that has
transformed several vacant lots in Miami's Overtown neighborhood. “A farm stand that offers an incentive
to our community to shop and cook local in their kitchens at home is a powerful
combination that will affect real change with our residents.”
Collins Center for Public Policy
The produce comes from Dunn's garden in Overtown, which features organically grown fruits and vegetables, including collard greens. The property is main
tained in part through the assistance of the Collins Center for Public Policy. The Center allows almost two city blocks of its property in Overtown to be used for the garden, and pays much of the water bill associated with maintaining the garden. The Roots garden is part of the Center's partnership for community involvement in Miami's urban neighborhoods.
Wholesome Wave founder Michel Nischan and Michael
Schwartz, chef/owner of Michael’s Genuine, are leading a coalition of local
farmers, chefs, and businesses to offer two for the price of one on fresh,
local fruits and vegetables. Food stamp users will be incented to forgo
less nutritious, cheap calorie foods in favor of those that are more healthful,
and now affordable. Wholesome Wave is providing overall leadership, seed
funding from donors, technical support, and direct outreach to State and
Federal agencies.
Food Stamp use nationwide is at an all-time high,
helping to feed one in eight Americans and one in four children, according to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Census Bureau. In Miami-Dade
County, 17 percent of low-income individuals and families currently
participate in the program, or equal to 436,408 customers, up 45 percent since
2007.
“Because
of the social entrepreneurial vision of Michael’s Genuine, HSC, and Roots In
the City, we have an impactful, passionate team bringing an affordable,
sustainable way of feeding families to Miami,” said Michel Nischan, President
and CEO, Wholesome Wave Foundation.
“Our goal is to serve as a model for the rest of the state by demonstrating how this Wholesome Wave program is not only essential for their well-being, but that it can be economically viable as well.”
Local Farmers
Michael Schwartz, recognized for his farm-to-table
cuisine and commitment to the sustainable food movement, is identifying local
farmers, enlisting other chefs and businesses, as well as raising awareness in
support of potential fundraising efforts to expand this program beyond Miami. Michael
Borek of Teena’s Pride, a family farm in the Redlands that supplies Michael’s
Genuine with high quality heirloom tomatoes, is one of the participating local
owner/growers and will bring to market items like vine ripe red and heirloom
tomatoes, hydroponic lettucesand sweet corn. Margie Pikarsky of Bee Heaven
Farm also in Homestead will sell her fresh certified organic vegetables like
Asian greens, and local, tropical fruits in season.
“Supporting our local growers has always been a
priority of ours at the restaurant, but locally-grown, fresh foods shouldn’t
just be for people that can afford to dine out,’’ said Schwartz. “I’m really
excited that this program will both increase access to fresh fruits and
vegetables in the parts of our community that need it most, and serve as an
economic stimulus for local agriculture. It’s a win, win.”
The Human Services Coalition will perform a dual
role, spearheading community outreach with funding from the Knight Foundation
to raise awareness among constituents of the program, and operating an EBT
booth with training from Wholesome Wave to facilitate the SNAP transactions.
Colleen Perdue, vice president of programs for HSC,
is also excited to be involved.
“The Overtown community has historically
had little access to affordable, healthy foods,” added Perdue. “Working
with our network of partner organizations, we will introduce the Roots In the
City Farmers Market to the neighborhood and create a healthy hub that will
nourish and sustain it for the long term.”
The South Florida pilot will be the 12th state and more than 80 th market Wholesome Wave’s “Nourishing Neighborhoods” Double Value Coupon Program has expanded to since its launch in 2008.
Nonprofit Beautification Project
1600 NW 3rd Ave., Bldg D
Miami, FL 33136
