Food Stamp Recipients Get Access To Fresh Produce
SAN DIEGO 6 -Eric Collins| January 30, 2009

Some good news for low income families in the east county. The Lakeside Farmers' Market now accepts food stamps which means recipients now have greater access to fresh produce.

"Things that are locally grown, things they know don't have pesticides or herbicides or anything like that, I think it's a great program," said Jennifer Randazzo, with Randazzo Farms.

The program is also offered at the Farmers' Market in Valley Center and City Heights.

Here's how it works. Recipients swipe an electronic benefits card through a machine to receive tokens. Each token is worth $1.

The tokens can only be used to buy eggs, fruit and vegetables. Each token has a unique serial number to prevent fraud.

"We get them printed on wooden tokens so it's not like someone could just go home and xerox something and bring it in," said Casey Anderson.

Anderson is the marketing director for the San Diego County Farm Bureau.

He says the program creates a larger customer base for local farmers while giving recipients healthier food options.

"There's greater nutritional value on freshly picked produce," said Anderson.

The program could also push more low income families to access benefits.

According to a recent study, San Diego County has the lowest food stamp enrollment in the country.

Less than one in three eligible residents actually uses the assistance.

We found one former recipient who hopes struggling county residents take advantage of the offer.

"In the eighties, in the last big financial crisis, my family wouldn't have been eating if there weren't for the food stamps," said the woman, who did not want to give her name.

The county farm bureau hopes to expand this program at more Farmers' Markets.

The Women, Infants and Childrens program, also known as WIC, also allows recipients to use spend some of their benefits at several Farmers' Markets around the county.