Hello friends!
Every farmer in winter knows that spring is right around the corner. Sunlight and warmth are coming! Here at GrowOV we are deep in preparation – starting seeds, fixing fences, and planning programs and events for our community to join in growing with us.
This year we will be sending regular newsletters to let you know about all the good work happening on the farms and how YOU can be involved and support this work.
This month we want to let you know about our SNAP-Stretch program. Below you can learn about the purpose of this program and the vitally important ways it benefits local farmers, friends, and neighbors.
-Charles Hayes
Chief Development Officer, Grow Ohio Valley
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Eating Local Can Be a SNAP
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Did you know that GrowOV’s Public Market is a non-profit? That means we are a grocery store with a social mission. GrowOV exists to build a community where farmers flourish and local & healthy food is a way of life.
The Public Market fulfills this mission in direct and tangible ways. Below we tell the story of the Public Market and describe our most important program, SNAP-Stretch. SNAP-stretch is a 50% discount that increases access to the highest quality, local foods to our community. It ensures our local farmers can sell more of their products and all of our community members, at every income level, can access the best, most nutritious foods our region has to offer.
GrowOV began in 2014 as an after-school gardening program in Wheeling’s urban core. At that time downtown Wheeling offered very few fresh food options for residents - few gardens, no farmers market, and limited supermarkets for residents without access to transportation. In a community already impacted by regional economic downturn, the effects of limited access to nutritious and affordable food dramatically compound community hardships and barriers to progress, escalating rates of chronic disease, exacerbating mental illness, and severely limiting economic opportunity and development.
GrowOV has grown exponentially since then. Now, downtown Wheeling boasts the most beautiful, innovative urban farms in our region, producing year-round fruits and vegetables sold in multiple markets.
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The Public Market, however, is the real culmination of our dream to make the highest quality food readily accessible to our community. Now, our year-round farmers market is open six days a week, showcasing the best our region has to offer. We sell locally raised meat, chicken, pork, mutton, no large-scale animal operations from thousands of miles away! Our eggs are guaranteed fresher than anything in corporate supermarkets, collected from small, beautiful farms that are cleaner and happier than the next best large-scale free-range options. The fruits and vegetables we offer were planted, harvested, and delivered by people in our community building high quality small businesses right here in the Ohio Valley. And all this goodness is sold within walking distance of downtown Wheeling residents.
SNAP (and SNAP-Stretch) is a way to benefit the farmers producing this food, while making these products available to all. SNAP, which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is a federal program that supplements the food budget of families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency. Our SNAP-Stretch program works to make this program even more beneficial for our friends and neighbors who receive SNAP benefits. When purchasing local food items with SNAP, the Public Market covers an additional 50% of the purchase price.
This discount doesn’t just help purchasers; it helps our local farmers by expanding consistent local sales. So, that’s it! One program is directly fulfilling our mission to build a community where Farmers Flourish and Healthy & Local Food is a way of life!
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During the COVID pandemic we were able to expand this 50% discount to ALL SNAP-eligible products. The program became more popular than we could imagine! It is proof that Wheeling residents want to purchase the highest quality, most nutritious foods. We are committed to increasing access. Moving forward, we are continuing to offer this discount on ALL PRODUCE, local meat and eggs, as well as locally-produced artisanal products. Customers can still use their SNAP cards for ALL eligible products, but the discount will apply to these local items.
When you shop at the Public Market – whether buying a burger showcasing local ingredients, buying fresh-baked bread, getting your week’s staples, or picking up specialty items unavailable at the larger corporate supermarkets – your purchases support the SNAP-Stretch program. Public Market profits go directly back into our community, not to distant shareholders. Profits return directly to the hands of local farmers and to the dinner tables of local residents. This is a better business model!
If you are able, you can do even more. GrowOV raises funds to support the SNAP-Stretch program to ensure that this vital program can continue. If you understand the importance of this program, ensuring that farmers flourish and EVERY Ohio Valley family has access to the best of our region, you can donate now.
We hope to see you at the Public Market. Visit us on Instagram and Facebook to see the best our region has to offer. Come to the store. Come celebrate good food!
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Come Serve with Us!
Now Hiring AmeriCorps Members
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We still have several AmeriCorps positions open for the 2022 season!
Urban Farm Team:
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Urban Farm Hand AmeriCorps: 9-month, February or March start: working on urban farms, assist in washing, prepping, and distributing produce to local sales outlets
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Urban Farm Hand AmeriCorps: 4.5-month, summer start: maintenance and care of off-site hydroponic growing system (must have reliable transportation)
Education Team:
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Backyard Gardeners AmeriCorps: 1-year, February or March 1 start
Assist in coordinating backyard gardeners program (communicate with gardeners, connect them to resources, collect and distribute supplies, facilitate lessons, collect harvest information for reporting purposes)
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School Food Access AmeriCorps: 1-year, February or March 1 start:
Assist in coordinating with schools to assess healthy food environments and plan according to FoodCorps curriculum. Coordinate middle school farm field trips (spring) and elementary school field days (fall).
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On-farm Learning AmeriCorps: 9-month, February or March start: Work directly with youth in on-farm learning experiences
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On-farm Learning AmeriCorps: 6-month, spring start: Work directly with youth in on-farm learning experiences
*all education positions will also be expected to work at least one day per week on the farms
Rural Farm Team:
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Rural Farm Hand AmeriCorps: 6-month, spring start: working on rural farm, including animal care and field scale agricultural production *3 positions available
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Rural Farm Hand AmeriCorps: 3-month, summer start: working on rural farm, including animal care and field scale agricultural production *3 positions available
To apply or for more information, email our AmeriCorps manager at catherine@growov.org or visit growov.org/americorps
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