Catawba County News

Public Health Farmers Market Opening

Public Health Farmers Market Opening

Published: May 24, 2022

Catawba County Public Health Farmers Market to Open June 2

 

HICKORY, NC – Catawba County Public Health’s Farmers Market is returning for its 10th season on June 2, offering fresh produce from local farmers and activities for people of all ages.

With ripe summer crops like tomatoes, squash and zucchini, beans, peaches and berries, the market’s main goal is to offer a convenient way for people to purchase and consume farm-fresh fruits and vegetables. It is open weekly to the public and cash, debit cards, SNAP/EBT, WIC and senior farmers market vouchers are all accepted.

The market operates each Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. from June through September. It is held, weather permitting, in the Public Health front parking lot at 3070 11th Ave. Drive SE, Hickory, NC 28602. Conveniently located off Fairgrove Church Road, behind Catawba Valley Medical Center, the market has ample parking and is accessible by Greenway bus.

Special activities are planned each week to celebrate the market’s decade in operation, including visits from the Catawba County Library to Go, food trucks, games and more.

“We are excited to be offering the community an opportunity to purchase fresh foods and enjoy family-friendly activities for the 10th year in a row. The market makes a difference in improving individual and community health for everyone by increasing access to fresh fruits and vegetables,” said Jeremy Stockton, Catawba County Public Health WIC Director. “And we hope the market continues to be a great source of healthy foods for our community for many more years to come.”

Because fresh fruits and vegetables offer excellent nutrition, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clients receive Farmer’s Market Nutritional Program vouchers when available to supplement their WIC food benefits with fresh, local produce during the summer months. Catawba County WIC clients interested in receiving farmers market vouchers this year may call (828) 695-5884 for more information.

“We are excited to offer a safe and convenient way for people to increase their consumption of healthy foods, as good nutrition is an important building block for a healthy body and healthy community,” said Stockton.

 

WIC is a federal supplemental nutrition program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women and children up to age five. The program helps prevent nutrition-related problems in pregnancy, infancy and early childhood. WIC benefits are redeemable at participating food stores and farmers markets for fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, milk, juice, eggs, cheese and cereal, among other nutritious items. WIC also provides nutrition and breastfeeding counseling, and makes referrals to other health and community resources. Call (828) 695-5884 for eligibility information and to make an appointment.
 
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. More information: https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights/usda-nondiscrimination-statement-other-fns-programs. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.