Farmers’ Market Assistance

The Montclair Farmers' Market is back for its 23rd season and is offering assistance to seniors to afford produce in order to provide a healthy lifestyle.

Farmers’ Market comes back to help out the senior citizens of Montclair

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The Montclair Farmers’ Market is coming back for it’s 23rd season, and with it is a new offer to help out elderly residents.

According to an announcement, “The Essex County Division of Senior Services is offering all income eligible Essex County residents, 60 years and older, Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) vouchers for the 2015 season at the Essex County Farmers’ Market Kick-Off to be held Friday, June 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Newark, NJ.” The Farmers’ Market program encourages older residents to practice healthful eating habits by providing an opportunity to purchase locally-grown fruits and vegetables at affordable prices.

In order to be eligible, residents can earn no more than $1,815 per month and $838 bi-weekly. For identification purposes, please bring proof of identification (with an age requirement of at least 60), proof of residency and proof of income. If you need transportation, please call 973-618-1280.  For more information, please call 973-395-8378.

The Montclair Farmers’ Market was created in 1993 and will be kicking off it’s 23rd season on Saturday, June 6. The market will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Walnut Train Station parking lot. The Farmers’ Market also runs throughout the summer and fall until Thanksgiving, with produce provided by five local farmers: Tree-Licious Orchards, Sunden Farms, Vacchiano’s, Matarazzo’s and Farmer John (the organic grower). Most of their produce is picked within 24 hours of being sold.

According to the Montclair website, “The market also boasts 15 delicious food artisans, including a local baker, a cheese maker, a seafood fishmonger, a beekeeper with honey (and wax candles), a specialty condiments purveyor, a pesto maker, a Garden State wine vintner and a pickler. This will be the second season for the weekday Farmers’ Market on South Park Street between Bloomfield Avenue and Church Street, opening on Tuesday, June 9 and then every Tuesday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. We plan to have two farmers, plus several other specialty food vendors. Both markets have been popular and sustainable assets for our town. Montclair was one of the very first towns in the Garden State to host a farmers’ market, and since then the health, economic and environmental benefits of farmers’ markets have enticed towns and cities to follow our lead, and access to locally-grown foods has spread around the state and across the country.”

For further information, please contact Montclair Farmers’ Market Steering Committee Chair Steve Schuckman at 973- 228-2466, or, the Township’s Sustainability Officer Gray Russell at 973-509-5721.

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