The East Hartford Lions Club has donated $5,000 to help low-income families buy fresh produce at the East Hartford Farmer’s Market.
The Farmer’s Market on the Raymond Library lawn has been moved to Tuesdays instead of Fridays, and will be open from 3 to 6 p.m.
East Hartford Lions presented the donation using proceeds from its ongoing bottle and can collection, one of several community service projects the civic group conducts year round. Applying the funds will address food insecurity in East Hartford – while supporting good nutrition as well as local farms. This year the fresh fruits and vegetables will be brought to Main Street by the Handel Farm family and offered for sale at the East Hartford Farmers’ Market.
According to the town’s social services department, an estimated 18 percent of adults in East Hartford “experience food insecurity and do not have enough money to buy food for themselves or their families” declared the press release issued by Mayor Mike Walsh.
“Individuals and families have been negatively impacted by higher living expenses due to inflation, especially the cost of groceries,” said town Director of Health, Laurence Burnsed. He and the mayor were on hand to gratefully accept the donation from the Lions at their June installation meeting held at Favela Aroma restaurant on Main St. “We’re fortunate to have the Lions Club answer the call to serve our community by helping low-income residents obtain fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables from the East Hartford Farmers’ Market.”
The new Lions Farmers’ Market Access Program does not take the place of other food assistance programs such as SNAP, WIC or senior farm market vouchers. It will be administered by the East Hartford Social Services Division just for residents to purchase produce at the market.
Burnsed said the aim is to meet the need for food assistance for residents whose income is below 225 percent of the 2023 Federal Poverty guidelines and who do not currently receive assistance from other government food voucher programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) farmers’ market nutrition program or the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).
Moving the Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays, when it was held since beginning 30 years ago, to the new day and time of Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. addresses the complaint that Friday morning hours were not very convenient for many to get down to the library lawn to visit the market.
“In general, Friday morning served our senior community well, but younger adults that worked during typical business hours were not able to attend,” stated Burnsed.
The other reason for the change was the need for us to recruit farmers to sell Connecticut fresh produce, as well as other vendors. Gone will be longtime farmer vendors Unity Farms of Manchester and a farmer from East Windsor who was a regular presence.
“The two farmers that served our market for years decided the time was right for them to retire. We struggled to find farmers that were available to operate during Friday mornings. We reviewed operating hours of other markets in the region and requested input from farmers and other businesses about preferred market days and hours,” explained Burnsed. That led to determining Tuesday afternoons from 3 to 6 p.m. would offer the chance to bring in additional vendors and to serve more town residents.
The town intends to update the list of farmers at the market as well as announce other vendors once a vendor schedule is determined.
Residents interested in applying for the food insecurity voucher, or who have questions about their eligibility or about other food or nutrition assistance programs can go here, or call Social Services at 860-291-7226 or 7248, or visit the social services office in Room 109 of the Community Cultural Center, 50 Chapman Place.
