NEW YORK—Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s efforts to help curb the obesity problem continued Monday as he expanded the city’s Health Bucks program to all 138 farmers markets.
“Today, we are announcing a great way to make healthy eating even easier and less expensive for thousands of New Yorkers and in the process, fight the obesity epidemic in our city,” Mayor Bloomberg said from the Union Square Greenmarket Monday.
Between now and November 15, New York’s 1.8 million federal food-stamp recipients will receive an extra $2 in Health Bucks for every $5 they spend at farmers markets. “That is really increasing your buying power by 40 percent—a terrific way to stretch your budget,” Bloomberg said.
Food-stamp recipients can use their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card in a terminal at the farmers market, and get tokens to spend at any of the stands. After they have purchased produce totaling more than $5 using their tokens, the stand will give them Heath Bucks–an additional paper coupon, redeemable just like cash.
Both the Health Buck coupons and the EBT tokens are redeemable at any farmers market, and can be used all summer long.
