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New York’s farmers markets turn 50, and the real story is the EBT machine, not the nostalgia

GrowNYC's Greenmarket network is 50. Behind the heirloom-tomato nostalgia, the real story is money: SNAP, EBT, and who can afford to shop.

New York’s farmers markets turn 50, and the real story is the EBT machine, not the nostalgia
Fresh produce at a Brooklyn farmers market.
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GrowNYC is throwing itself a 50th birthday, and the press release is all heirloom tomatoes and golden-anniversary glow. The verifiable story underneath is money. The Greenmarket network that started in 1976 with one stand on East 59th Street is now more than 45 producer-only markets, and it has quietly become one of the city’s most aggressive fresh-food subsidy operations.

Here is what a SNAP shopper actually walks away with at a Greenmarket. Every location takes SNAP EBT, the USDA’s newer Summer EBT, WIC, senior FMNP coupons, Fresh Connect checks, and even Healthfirst over-the-counter health cards. Pay with SNAP or Summer EBT and the market hands back a Health Buck, $2 free for every $2 spent, up to $10 a day. In a borough with hard fresh-food access gaps, that is a real grocery subsidy hiding behind a farm stand.

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