The return of fresh fruits, vegetables and more to the Benton Harbor Farmers Market is on schedule to debut tomorrow, Wednesday, July 1st according to the Berrien County Health Department.
The new season for the market gets underway in this time of the coronavirus with plans for social distancing guidelines, hand hygiene and other precautions in place to protect against COVID-19.
The market, anchored in the pavilion and beyond at Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park in downtown Benton Harbor is slated to run every Wednesday into the fall from 10am until 3pm each week.
Each week from tomorrow’s opening day through September 2nd, the Benton Harbor Farmers Market will offer a wide variety of locally-grown and affordable fresh fruits and vegetables. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the market will not be offering special events or activities this year, and extra precautions to prevent illness will be in place, including social distancing, hand hygiene options, and strong encouragement of face coverings while shopping.
The market will still welcome the use of Bridge Cards (EBT), Senior Project FRESH, and WIC Project FRESH coupons that can be used to purchase qualifying items in addition to accepting cash. Again this year, the market will provide Bridge Card holders an opportunity to double their spending power with the Double Up Food Bucks program.
Nicki Britten, Health Officer for the Berrien County Health Department, says, “Across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for families and communities as well as for farmers who are integral to the agricultural food supply chain and Berrien’s local economy,” adding, “With an unusually high number of families facing financial difficulties right now, the Benton Harbor Farmers Market is as important as ever as it provides an affordable option for fresh, healthy food while creating economic opportunity for local growers.”
The Benton Harbor Farmers Market is operated by the Berrien County Health Department and supported by grant funding from Be Healthy Berrien through the United Way of Southwest Michigan and the Spectrum Health Lakeland Foundation. New vendors are welcome and encouraged to contact the Berrien County Health Department for more information. Find additional information about the market and how to become a vendor at this link: http://www.bchdmi.org
